Moab and Bears Ears Archaeology
This unique archeology seminar spans the Moab area, from Professor Valley, to the Indian Creek Unit of the Bears Ears National Monument. Throughout the trip, you will be treated to hearty guide-cooked meals, unique lodging, and guest expert interpretation.
Lodging includes a stay at the rustic Professor Valley Field Camp up the river from Moab & 3 Step Hideaway Bed and Breakfast in Lisbon Valley north of Monticello. This trip involves travel by CFI van and support vehicle for our overnight gear. It is rated Easy-Moderate in physical ability i.e. short walks from the vehicle, with a leisurely pace, some short talus slopes to access sites, optional. Binoculars and spotting scopes are available.
Seminar Objectives:
- Learn about the “borderlands” where Fremont and Ancestral Puebloan and later Ute cultures overlapped.
- Discuss research on earlier Paleo and Archaic peoples and the possible pathways of influence as farming moved northward and intermingled with foraging lifeways.
- See outstanding examples of Archaic Barrier Canyon, Glen Canyon Linear, Fremont Culture, Puebloan, and later historic rock art and inscriptions.
- Learn history of mining, uranium, and other booms of the Moab, Lisbon Valley
- Discuss and view dramatic geologic formations, flora and fauna communities.
- Enjoy unique accommodations and local insights and connections.
Explore archaeology with the experts
This seminar examines the cultural Borderlands where Ancestral Puebloan and Fremont cultural areas overlap. Our experts provide context, connections, and anthropological research throughout various site visits. We will take day trips to see rock art and evidence of older and more recent human activity spanning thousands of years.
An all inclusive learning adventure
Come ready to immerse yourself within the breathtaking scenery, and let us worry about the details. The combination of lodging at CFI’s Professor Valley Field Camp, and 3 Step Hideaway means you will be able to focus on connecting to your surroundings! Discussion of natural and cultural history will pair nicely with the hearty camp meals provided by CFI and 3 Step staff.
Moab, UT
September 17, 2022 through September 21, 2022
5 days and 4 nights
Minimum: 6, Maximum: 8
$1,820; Member Price: $1,729 plus $10 BLM Special Area Fee
Varying - see trip narrative
- A $300 deposit is required to reserve your spot on this Seminar
- Fee includes a $50 donation to youth programs.
- $10 BLM Special Area Management Fee
- See the Need to Know section for critical information about lodging and hiking difficulty
All participants on our adult seminars and on our private trips are required to be fully vaccinated.

The story I hope to tell is one of real lives of real people, not just a sequence of what tribe and “culture” lived where. It is also about change over the life history of individuals, not a static, unchanging traditional past. The beliefs of people about ethnicity and symbolism arose from those interactions, not the maintenance of strict boundaries. There are valuable messages for our own times."
Dr. Steve Simms, Guest Faculty