Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument is a Utah state monument featuring a rock panel carved with one of the largest known collections of petroglyphs. Its setting is 13 mi northwest of Monticello. The first name on our list around it is Canyonlands, 18 mi away.
An ancient site, 13 mi northwest of Monticello
Winters are cold
January nights drop to 18°. When to go ↓
Monticello is the nearest base
Monticello is 13 miles southeast, with 10 places to stay. Where to stay ↓
Best months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug and Sep
May, June, July, August and September are the mild months, with highs of 67–83°. When to go ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
Warm months and cold ones
This is the year’s weather near Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument.
Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument is a Utah state monument featuring a rock panel carved with one of the largest known collections of petroglyphs. It is located in San Juan County, along Utah State Route 211, 28 miles (45 km) northwest of Monticello and 53 miles (85 km) south of Moab.
It is along the relatively well-traveled access road into the Needles district of Canyonlands National Park, 12 miles (19 km) from US 191 and 30 miles (48 km) from the park boundary. The 200-square-foot (19 m2) rock is a part of the vertical Wingate sandstone cliffs that enclose the upper end of Indian Creek Canyon, and is covered by hundreds of petroglyphs—one of the largest, best preserved and easily accessed groups in the Southwest. The petroglyphs feature a mixture of human, animal, material and abstract forms.
- Type
- Ancient site
- Elevation
- 6,148 ft
- Listed
- National Register of Historic Places (1976)
- Wikipedia readers
- 11K a year
Overnight near Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
The first towns with rooms are Monticello (10) and Blanding (14), and Moab has the most rooms in the area (85).
Monticello
The closest town with somewhere to stay.
1,737 people
13 mi southeast of Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
Moab
The most places to stay in the area, and a base for a longer trip.
5,206 people
40 mi north of Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
Compare 4 towns
| Town | From Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monticello | 13 mi southeast | 20 min | 10 2 hotels · 4 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 3 RV parks | 1,737 | $301K | — |
| Blanding | 26 mi south | 40 min | 14 6 hotels · 2 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins · 2 campgrounds · 1 RV park | 3,199 | $306K | — |
| La Sal | 26 mi northeast | 40 min | 1 1 campground | 373 | $87K | — |
| Moab | 40 mi north | 1 hr | 85 38 hotels · 10 motels · 8 inns & B&Bs · 7 lodges & cabins · 1 hostel · 15 campgrounds · 6 RV parks | 5,206 | $519K | C− |
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
What else is near Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
Within 60 miles you can add these well-known places.
Big draw51 mi National ParkArches National Park1.5M visitors a year
118 mi National ParkCanyonlands National Park796K visitors a year
230 mi Park & preserveBears Ears National Monument
49 mi Canyon & gorgeBluejohn Canyon
38 mi State parkDead Horse Point State Park60 mi Canyon & gorgeRobbers Roost
48 mi National MonumentHovenweep National Monument27K visitors a year
49 mi Canyon & gorgeHorseshoe CanyonPhoto credits
Arches National Park: m01229 from USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Canyonlands National Park: Phil Armitage, Public domain · Bears Ears National Monument: U.S. Geological Surey, Public domain · Bluejohn Canyon: Michael Grindstaff, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dead Horse Point State Park: Nikater, Public domain · Hovenweep National Monument: teofilo, CC BY 2.0 · Horseshoe Canyon: Surfsupusa at en.wikipedia, CC0
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Questions people have about Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument
What town is Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument near?
Monticello, UT, about 13 miles southeast.
When is the best time to visit Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument?
May, June, July, August and September, with highs of 67–83°.
What is the closest airport to Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument?
Canyonlands Regional (CNY), about 55 miles away. The nearest big hub is Salt Lake City (SLC), about 234 miles.
Where should I stay near Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument?
Monticello (13 mi, 10 places to stay), Moab (40 mi, 85 places to stay) and Blanding (26 mi, 14 places to stay).
Tips for visiting, from Monticello
Nobody has posted a tip yet; ask or answer in Monticello’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.