Hello, May! 🌞

Spring is in full swing here in southeastern Utah, and we’ve got a packed newsletter! This month, we’re recapping the Southeastern Utah Parks Group's presence at Jeep Safari, taking you on a virtual journey to River House, and celebrating the final forecast of the season from the Utah Avalanche Center.

Looking ahead, don’t miss this year’s Hanksville-Burpee dinosaur tour dates, ways to lend a hand through volunteer opportunities in our parks and monuments, and a CNHA employee-curated playlist to soundtrack your adventures. Plus, we’ve got some upcoming events you’ll want to mark on your calendar.

Let’s dig in!

This year marked the second time the Southeast Utah Group of the National Park Service joined the Easter Jeep Safari! Their booth drew in over 400 visitors. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with the off-roading community, share tips on exploring park 4x4 roads, and spread the word about treading lightly on our public lands.

CNHA is proud to have supported their outreach with a brand-new tent and banner to help them stand out in the crowd. Huge kudos to Austin Kelley (backcountry) and Travis Whisenant (interpretation) for their collaborative effort in making the event such a success. We’re always happy to help our agency partners engage with the public and promote responsible recreation!

You can now take a virtual tour of River House, an Ancestral Puebloan site, and learn about the Pueblo of Zuni’s deep cultural connection to this landscape - anytime, from anywhere. This Indigenous-led experience highlights the site’s structures, rock imagery, and cultural significance through the voice of the Zuni community.

The tour is part of a broader effort to document ancestral sites along Comb Ridge, created in partnership with CyArk, the Pueblo of Zuni, and the Bureau of Land Management Monticello Field Office.

Check it out here!

The Utah Avalanche Center - Moab (UAC) wrapped up its regular forecasting season on April 14, 2025, marking the end of another year of critical backcountry safety work in the La Sal Mountains. Despite a lean start to the winter, conditions eventually turned around!

Canyonlands Natural History Association is proud to have once again supported the UAC’s efforts this season! Our contribution helped make it possible for the UAC to deliver daily forecasts, update conditions, and keep backcountry users informed and prepared throughout the season.

We’re grateful for the tireless work of the UAC forecasters and the dedicated crew of local observers who braved the elements to gather essential data. A special shout-out also goes to the UAC's local business sponsor Talking Mountain Yurts and their gear partners Mammut, Voile, and Arva Equipment, whose support helped keep the team well-equipped! A big thanks as well to the Manti-La Sal National Forest and Recreation Program Manager Brian Murdock for their ongoing collaboration.

Whether it was a bluebird powder day or a high-hazard morning, we’re proud to help ensure that skiers, riders, and winter adventurers had the info they needed to stay safe. Here’s to wrapping up the season on a high note, and to fresh turns ahead next winter!

Learn more about the Utah Avalanche Center (Moab) here and follow them on Instagram.

This summer, trade screen time for fossil finds! Free daily dinosaur tours are returning to the BLM’s Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry for five exciting weeks in May and June 2025. Visitors can join paleontology experts from the Burpee Museum of Natural History for a 30-minute guided tour through one of Utah’s most fossil-rich public land sites.

Tours will run the following weeks:

• May 12–17
• May 19–24
• No tours May 26–31 (due to the University Rover Challenge)
• June 2–7
• June 9–14
• June 16–21

Tours are offered Monday through Friday at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m., and Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (weather permitting). There are no tours on Sundays. Tour group sizes are limited to 25 people and are first-come, first-served.

Located approximately 10 miles northwest of Hanksville, the Hanksville-Burpee Dinosaur Quarry is an active excavation site where visitors can see real dinosaur fossils still embedded in the ground. Tours include stops around the quarry with explanations of the area’s geology, prehistoric environment, and the ongoing scientific work being done by the Burpee Museum of Natural History from Rockford, Illinois.

High-clearance vehicles are recommended due to unimproved road conditions.

Learn more here.

Did you know?

The excavation of dinosaurs at the Hanksville-Burpee Quarry was a Discovery Pool project in 2017! Check out the final report here.

The Discovery Pool research grant program was established by CNHA to encourage and provide funding for research partnerships between qualified scientists and our federal NPS, BLM, and USFS partners in southeastern Utah.



Since its inception in 2007, CNHA’s Discovery Pool has awarded over $1 million in grants.

Opportunities for Locals (No Housing Provided)

Weed and Seed Warriors

Arches National Park is looking for some Moab-area locals to help in the ongoing fight against invasive plants and promoting native plant restoration. Volunteers will be exposed to a variety of techniques and protocols and gain experience working in a group. Working alongside NPS staff in varied settings, volunteers will learn about the ecology and natural history of the Colorado Plateau.

Trail Stewards

Trail Stewards is a program at Arches National Park that gives volunteers the opportunity to teach, guide and welcome visitors on the popular trails throughout the park.

Arches Visitor Center Volunteer

Are you looking to enhance visitor experience and help protect the natural and cultural resources at Arches National Park? Apply to be part of the Arches team and join as a Visitor Center Volunteer!

Timed Entry Information Volunteer

Do you want to assist park visitor navigate Arches Timed Entry System with ease? Arches NP is looking for people who live locally (in Moab & surrounding areas) to volunteer to help park visitors navigate the Timed Entry system and reserve tickets for ~two hours on Saturday or Sunday at least twice a month. Some flexibility possible for scheduling.

Opportunities with Housing Provided



Visitor Services Volunteer @ Arches (Summer 2025)

Share the wonder of Arches National Park’s red rock landscape with visitors from all over the world. Work alongside paid staff at a busy visitor center information desk and rove park trails, providing information and encouraging visitor safety.

Hovenweep Visitor Services Volunteer

Share the wonder of Hovenweep National Monument’s pre-historic structures and unique, remote desert environment. Work alongside a small paid staff at a visitor center information desk, rove park trails, and assist with monitoring outlier sites.

Natural Bridges Visitor Services Volunteer

Share the wonder of Natural Bridge National Monument’s three majestic natural bridges and unique, remote desert environment. Work alongside a small paid staff at a visitor center information desk, rove park overlooks and trails, collect fees, and assist with the campground.

For other volunteer inquiries email SEUG_Volunteers@nps.gov. 

To celebrate National Park Week, CNHA staff curated a playlist inspired by the sweeping landscapes, golden light, and epic road trip vibes of Arches and Canyonlands. Whether you're cruising through the parks or just dreaming of red rock country, this mix brings the desert to your ears.

Listen on Spotify and YouTube.

Free Lecture Series at the Moab Information Center

May 8 at 5pm | Stories of Work, Community, and Change by Nair Perez-Torres

Moab has always been shaped by the people who live and work here, but not all of their stories are well known. In this talk, we will dive into the experiences of longtime residents whose voices haven’t always been heard. Through interviews and research, we’ll explore the histories, struggles, and contributions of Moab’s working people, preserving their stories for future generations.

May 15 at 5pm | Returning Rapids by Mike DeHoff

A group of river runners from Moab, Utah, had a simple question: “When will the next rapid in Cataract Canyon return?” From this singular curiosity, a ragtag team embarked on a treasure hunt that evolved into a pivotal study of a declining reservoir and a water and river management system in crisis.

What the research team discovered was an incredibly rapid rate of ecosystem recovery. Areas of the Colorado and San Juan Rivers, once impacted by Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell Reservoir, have shown remarkable resilience, rebounding from the consequences of misguided engineering.

The Returning Rapids Project team will share the ongoing story of how a river can heal itself from the massive impacts of a water storage project—one that some consider among the greatest environmental catastrophes of modern times. Using historic photos, pre-Glen Canyon Dam maps, and ongoing monitoring, they will illustrate how they have documented a river’s return and a canyon’s recovery.

View the full lineup here.

2025 Community Artist in the Parks

Charlotte Quigley has a deep well of experience with both art and national parks. A life-long watercolorist, she also works in pastels and, more recently, oil paints. She has a master’s degree in art history and experience as a youth arts teacher, arts council director, and member of the Gallery Moab cooperative. See how she turns her inspiration into art, or join her (with your own art supplies) for a side-by-side creative endeavor. Bring water, sun protection, and your imagination.

Can't make it but still want to support? Check out her artwork here!

Natural Bridges National Monument

Wednesday, May 7 | Kachina Bridge | 9am – 12pm

Thursday, May 8 | Owachomo Bridge | 9am – 12pm

Arches National Park

Tuesday, May 13 | Skyline Arch | 8am – 11am

Tuesday, May 13 | Fins near Turret Arch (Windows area) | 4pm – 7pm

Wednesday, May 14 | Turret Arch (Windows area) | 8am – 11am

Learn more about Charlotte and the CAIP Program here.

Arches National Park Service Saturday

Join us on Saturday, May 31st at 8:30am in protecting Arches National Park’s wildlife by picking up litter and keeping this stunning landscape clean. We will focus our trash pickup at popular parking lots in the park. 

This is a family friendly event, open to volunteers of all ages and abilities. Minors must be accompanied by an adult. We provide all the necessary equipment; please bring a water bottle and wear closed-toed shoes and a hat to protect you from the sun’s rays. Let’s work together to keep Arches pristine and beautiful! 

Learn more here.

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Canyonlands Natural History Association (CNHA) is a non-profit organization, which exists solely to assist the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management in their education and visitor efforts. Proceeds from sales support these agencies’ educational, interpretive, and scientific programs on the Colorado Plateau.

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