Seven Kivas - Cedar Mesa, UT

Overview: The Seven Kiva ruin is in Road Canyon in the Cedar Mesa Plateau of Utah. The ruin itself is situated along the north wall of Road Canyon and consists of the remains of seven kivas. This site is commonly referred to as an 'extensive' ruin site, at the time we visited the site two of the kivas were relatively complete while the others were in various states of destruction. And while there are chains to denote areas off-limits, by the amount of footsteps where they didn't belong I don't doubt the destruction is being hastened. As far as artifacts, other than a few dried cobs of corn there aren't any to be found.


Warning: Temperatures may reach 110 degrees in the summer so plan accordingly.The ruins are very delicate so be careful, do not walk on the roofs of the kivas and stay out of the structures. It is easy enough to take photos by holding your camera through an opening without disturbing the structure. There are chains to stay behind, so please respect them and stay out of those areas.

History: While this area is steeped in history, I couldn't begin to touch the surface so I won't even attempt it. For those interested in 'digging' deeper a web search will provide plenty of information.

Hike: While there are two routes to Seven Kivas this description is the short hike for folks without the means or time to hike all the way in from the west end of Road Canyon.

From the trail-head on the along the south rim of Road Canyon you will drop down some 500 feet relatively quickly along a meandering path marked reasonably well with rock cairns and of course tons of footprints. It doesn't always work following the tracks of others as some deem to have gone off on a tangent. If it isn't wet, near the bottom I'd recommend walking down the slick-rock instead of the winding trail. We figured it out on the climb back up and it saved time and distance. As long as you pay a reasonable amount of attention you'll make your way down without getting lost. That said, it's pretty hard to get lost on this hike... first you simply descend to the bottom and once there you turn right and follow the canyon floor a few miles until you see the ruins on your left.

When you reach the ruin follow the signs and climb up from the right side, paying attention to avoid walking through the midden pile. As noted above,

The return trip is just a matter of following the same route back.

Water Sources: Seasonal

Camping: BLM permit is required for hiking as well as camping.

2013-10-25 CannondaleKid