Spring has arrived in canyon country, and with it comes a busy season on our public lands!

This month, we’re highlighting the fourth annual Guide Summit—an event CNHA was proud to support—along with new opportunities to get involved, from the BLM Artist in Residence program to local National Park Service job openings.

As you plan your spring adventures, be sure to check out important closure updates, including seasonal climbing restrictions and temporary changes at Grandstaff Canyon. And with a full lineup of upcoming events, there are plenty of ways to connect with these landscapes and the people who care for them.

Thanks for being part of our community. We’re glad you’re here.

It’s hard to believe that the first quarter of 2026 is behind us. While there are current events to certainly be concerned about, such as the withdrawal of timed entry at Arches National Park and record low snowpack in the Rocky Mountains coupled with unusually high spring temperatures, there are also things to be grateful for.

In February, most of the CNHA office staff attended the annual Public Lands Alliance conference. This year’s conference was in Daytona Beach, Florida. Each staff member attended valuable educational sessions geared toward specific job roles and responsibilities. We also attended a wonderful field trip to Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, a Park Service site in St. Augustine, the oldest continuously inhabited European-settled city in the United States. The best part of this yearly gathering is the opportunity to network with peers from across the country doing similar work as CNHA.

CNHA staff at the 2026 Public Lands Alliance Conference in Florida. Learning, connecting, and bringing new ideas back to canyon country.

March found me attending the Moab Guide Summit, hosted by Steward Moab and sponsored by CNHA. The keynote speaker was L.J. Wilde of Huckleberry Hiking, who inspired us by sharing the story about his daughter, Lucy, and his creative way to enable her to recreate outdoors with the rest of his family. You can check out the story here.

On March 7, I spent a day in Bluff, Utah, at the Celebrate Bears Ears event hosted by the Bears Ears Partnership. This year’s theme was “The Land Can’t Wait.” It was an amazing experience featuring motivating speakers all day long, which served in opening doors to possible partnerships and reconnecting me to the greater landscape of the region.

Here are some of my takeaways from the conferences mentioned above:

• Make no small plans
• Meet them at the fence line
• Think long term
• Things will never be the same
• Don’t be reactive
• Moving at the speed of trust
• Credibility lies with the messenger
• We do this for our grandchildren
• No one is on a pedestal
• We are all only people
• We all have something to share

As CNHA navigates the changing world of public land management, these statements will help guide me to make the best choices possible for this organization on behalf of our federal partners. This is sage advice from many wise folks to take to heart every day.

Thank you for your continued support of CNHA and the work that we do.

CNHA was proud to sponsor the fourth annual Moab Guide Summit, held March 11-12, 2026. Organized by Steward Moab, the event brings together commercial guides, outfitters, and public land managers from across Southeast Utah. The summit is designed to share updates on local land agency projects, provide education on natural and cultural resources, and create an opportunity for guides to connect directly with agency staff working on the landscapes they interpret every day.

The two-day event included an Owners & Managers Dinner at the Hyatt Place Moab, featuring agency leadership updates and a keynote from LJ Wilde, followed by Guide Day at the Grand Center with morning presentations, agency tabling, and afternoon field sessions. These conversations help strengthen relationships between permitted outfitters and land management agencies while encouraging transparency, collaboration, and shared stewardship of the region’s public lands.

Guides play a vital role in helping visitors understand and appreciate the landscapes of canyon country—from geology and ecology to cultural history and responsible recreation. By supporting events like the Moab Guide Summit, CNHA helps foster the partnerships and knowledge-sharing that make meaningful interpretation possible across the Colorado Plateau.

A special thank you to Anna Sprout, Executive Director of Steward Moab, for her leadership in bringing this event together and continuing to build strong connections across the guiding and land management community.

We’re grateful to the organizers, agency staff, and guides who continue working together to care for the landscapes we all value.

The Bureau of Land Management is now accepting applications for its 2026 Artist-in-Residence program in southeast Utah.

Through an artist’s perspective, the Canyon Country District Artist-in-Residence Program aims to inspire, educate, and promote stewardship, enhancing understanding and the need to protect public land resources for future generations.

Selected artists will complete a 2–4 week residency between September 11 and October 31, 2026, with flexibility to choose dates that support their goals. The 2026 residency will be hosted by the Moab Field Office and is open to visual artists. Work created during the residency must represent the Canyon Country District.

Learn more here.

Artwork by Susan Jackson, 2024 BLM Artist in Residence

Exciting news for our local community—Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park are now offering new employment opportunities with a special focus on local applicants.

The National Park Service has recently been granted authority to directly hire qualified candidates who are permanent residents of the surrounding region, from Blanding to Grand Junction. This means local applicants can be hired non-competitively, without competing against candidates from outside the area.

This new approach supports both the parks and the community by creating more accessible job opportunities for those who already know and care deeply about these landscapes.

Openings include:

• Park Rangers (GS-5 and GS-7)
• Park Guides
• Fee Collectors
• and more!

All job announcements can be found on the parks’ “Work With Us” pages:

• Work With Us - Arches National Park
• Work With Us - Canyonlands National Park

If you already call this place home, this is a unique opportunity to be part of the team that helps steward it.

Each spring, the Bureau of Land Management asks recreators to help protect wildlife and improve infrastructure by respecting seasonal closures and construction zones across canyon country.

In Indian Creek, climbers are asked to avoid select crags from March through late summer to protect nesting raptors. Falcons, eagles, and hawks rely on these cliff habitats, and human disturbance can impact nesting success. Some areas may reopen earlier if no active nests are found. Learn more here.

In Long Canyon, all climbing routes are closed from April 1 through June 15 to protect desert bighorn sheep during lambing season. These cliffs provide critical habitat where sheep raise their young. Learn more here.

Meanwhile, along State Route 128, the Grandstaff Campground is partially closed through October 31 to support construction of an extended paved bike path. Campsites 1 through 10 remain open, while the remaining sites are closed to allow staging for equipment and crews. Access to Grandstaff Canyon Trailhead and the Porcupine Rim parking area will remain open.

Visitors should plan for delays along SR 128, where traffic will be reduced to one lane during construction. This long-anticipated project will extend the bike path to Grandstaff Canyon and create a safer exit for riders finishing the popular Whole Enchilada route. See the full announcement here.

Plenty of alternative climbing routes and recreation opportunities remain available during these periods. Please respect closures, posted signage, and private land boundaries—and use extra caution around construction zones and workers.

Earth Day Film Screening: Stewart Udall – The Politics of Beauty

Join us on Wednesday, April 22 at 7 pm at Star Hall (159 E Center Street) for a screening of Stewart Udall: The Politics of Beauty, a documentary exploring Udall’s work as Secretary of the Interior and his lasting impact on the protection of our shared natural heritage.

The evening will also feature special guest Lena Pace, Southeast Utah Group Superintendent for the National Park Service.

Presented by Grand County Public Library and Canyonlands Natural History Association.

"Each generation has its own rendezvous with the land, for despite our fee titles and

claims of ownership, we are all brief tenants on this planet. By choice, or by default, we

will carve out a land legacy for our heirs." - Stewart Udall

Moab Information Center Lecture Series

The Moab Information Center (MIC) Lecture Series returns in March with free, in-person talks exploring the science, history, and culture of canyon country. Speakers include local experts and partner organizations. Lectures are held Thursdays at 6:00 pm at the Moab Information Center.

• April 16 at 6 pm | Navajo Stories about Ancient Astronauts and the Gila Monster by Pete Sands
• April 30 at 6 pm | Visit with Respect: Reframing how Society Views Cultural Sites by Semira Crank

View the full lineup here.

Natural Bridges National Monument: Visiting Poet Series

Celebrate National Poetry Month at Natural Bridges!

Join us at Natural Bridges National Monument for a special Visiting Poet Series event featuring Utah Poet Laureate Lisa Bickmore. An award-winning author of three poetry collections and founder of Lightscatter Press, Bickmore will share selections from her work and her passion for poetry during a reading on the Visitor Center patio.

Visitors can also take part in two hands-on poetry workshops led by Bickmore, offering a chance to try your own hand at writing while drawing inspiration from the monument’s incredible landscape.

Event Schedule

• April 11 | 3:30 pm – Poetry reading on the Visitor Center patio
• April 12 | 11 am & 3 pm – Hands-on poetry workshops (locations announced at the monument)

Programs like this are made possible through support from Canyonlands Natural History Association, helping bring educational and creative experiences to visitors across the region!

2026 Community Artist in the Parks

Chrissy Noel Kinslow is a Moab-based community artist whose work weaves together art, nature connection, and shared experience. Rooted in the landscapes of the Colorado Plateau, her practice centers on listening deeply and creating accessible, heart-led spaces for reflection and creative expression. Through guided art experiences, storytelling, and land-based practices, she invites participants to reconnect with themselves, each other, and the natural world.

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.

Arches National Park

Friday, April 17

Windows Section & Double Arch Trail

9 am – 12 pm

1 pm – 4 pm

Saturday, April 18

Devils Garden Trail

9 am – 12 pm

1 pm – 4 pm

Wednesday, April 22

La Sal Mountain Viewpoint

9 am – 12 pm

1 pm – 4 pm

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

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument: Dark Sky Presentation

What does it take for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument to earn International Dark Sky Park certification? Join Aaron Watson for an illuminating overview of the process and implications for our monument and community. This presentation will explore the key components of certification, including conducting a park-wide lighting inventory, measuring night sky quality, managing artificial light responsibly, and hosting public outreach events. Learn about the environmental, cultural, and economic benefits of Dark Sky designation, including how community members can play an important role in protecting our incredible night skies. Discover how we can work together to preserve the stars for future generations.

April 15, 2026

4 – 5 pm

Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center

27501 CO-184 Dolores, CO 81323

Learn more here.

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Our Mission

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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