Butler Wash Ruins Trail

The Butler Wash Ruins Trail is in southeast Utah west of Blanding on the way to Natural Bridges National Monument along the scenic byway Utah Route 95. This route has some of very spectacular scenery.From the trail head of the 0.5 mile trail, the view west is to Comb Ridge, a 90 mile long sharp spined sandstone hogback that was a nearly impossible barrier to travel before the modern age. The east facing side is mostly the Navajo Sandstone layer.
The trail crosses through high desert of sparse Pinon Pine and Juniper trees with a lot of bare exposed rock.
The trail ends at an overlook to the ruins, tucked under an alcove across a deep eroded canyon. At first glance it is one of those places where you wonder how did they get to that place.

The ruins here are thought to have been built and occupied about 750 years ago and abandoned by 1300.
There is a good trail guide with markers on this trail, commenting on the geological layers visible here and identifying a dozen or so of the local plants. It took me about 30 minutes to make the round trip.