It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting Escalante Heritage Center in Escalante, UT gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Escalante, UT is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“Best ever. Always very great service. Whitney is awesome.”
“Working for Always Best Care has been a wonderful experience. They genuinely care about”
“I've been a caregiver for ABC clients for just over 6 months. I absolutely love”
“Lea, Brent and the staff are great. Because I live in a different city, the”
“My experience with Always Best Care was hands down amazing! Their staff is super attentive”
“I cannot express enough how grateful I am for the exceptional care Siale provided for”
“Best ever. Always very great service. Whitney is awesome.”
“Working for Always Best Care has been a wonderful experience. They genuinely care about their clients and go above and beyond to make sure that the employees and the clients are valued and important. They are so great to focus on compassion, quality care, and teamwork.”
“I've been a caregiver for ABC clients for just over 6 months. I absolutely love what I do, I love all of the clients, I love the feedback I get from my team! I love my manager shelly!! she is so amazing with communication and so focused on how to help me succeed and grow with this company, and so attentive to our clients! I am so happy to be able to help our clients each day and have such an amazing team!”
“Lea, Brent and the staff are great. Because I live in a different city, the staff takes care of my father’s needs where he lives. Maria is wonderful with my dad. I’ve not personally met the staff, except Maria, but I’m very grateful for all they do for my dad and me. Appreciate them.”
“My experience with Always Best Care was hands down amazing! Their staff is super attentive and kind. I always felt like I was their first priority and that they really cared about me. 10/10 would recommend!!”
“I cannot express enough how grateful I am for the exceptional care Siale provided for my dad. He was committed to delivering the highest quality of care and truly valued my dad as a patient. Siale, he goes over and beyond to make a positive impact on the lives of his patients.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Escalante City Park (Lion's Park) in Escalante, UT with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local 4th West Pub or visit Escalante Interagency Visitor Center, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Escalante, UT, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Escalante, UT understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Escalante, UT 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
The canyon country surrounding the town of Escalante is often described as one of the last areas in the continental U.S. to be charted. For a long time, this outpost, located at the doorstep of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in south-central Utah, was overlooked because of its remote location and challenging topography—including a sandstone maze of deep, disorienting canyons. The town was settled only in 1875, relatively late, partly owing to the difficult terrain.Although the area has since been mapped out, the...
The canyon country surrounding the town of Escalante is often described as one of the last areas in the continental U.S. to be charted. For a long time, this outpost, located at the doorstep of the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in south-central Utah, was overlooked because of its remote location and challenging topography—including a sandstone maze of deep, disorienting canyons. The town was settled only in 1875, relatively late, partly owing to the difficult terrain.
Although the area has since been mapped out, the sense of remoteness remains. Outside town, paved roads quickly give way to rugged backcountry with deep slot canyons, bright-red cliffs, sandstone arches, and spires. As night falls, the dark sky puts on a spectacle with the clear Milky Way, reminding you how rarely most of us actually see the stars.
Dr. Jackie Grant, the executive director of Grand Staircase Escalante Partners, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the monument through science and education, said the town of Escalante is special because it’s a gateway to the landmark. “A trip to Escalante is like taking a step back in time, not only because you are likely to lose cell service as you drive along the spectacular Scenic Byway 12, but because of the different pace of life experienced in such a small town,” she told Travel + Leisure.
Escalante has just enough amenities—a few outfitters, cafes, and lodges—to send travelers onto the byway and have them come back for more. Here’s how to plan a visit.
An “All-American Road,” Utah’s Scenic Byway 12 is a roughly 120-mile, primarily two-lane road with soaring red rock cliffs, switchbacks, and stunning canyon vistas. The drive begins south of Panguitch and ends near Torrey at the entrance to Capitol Reef National Park. It passes through the most dramatic landscapes, including the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Dixie National Forest, and the towns of Escalante and Boulder.
Located a short drive from Escalante, Escalante Petrified Forest State Park is home to a 150-million-year-old fossilized forest from the Jurassic period. Big logs of petrified wood are scattered atop a large mesa that can be explored via loop trails. The visitor center also has a collection of petrified dinosaur bones, as well as plant and marine fossils.
Take a 12-mile drive from Escalante along Hole-in-the-Rock Road to Devil’s Garden, a geological wonder with towering hoodoos and natural arches sculpted by erosion over millions of years. It’s one of the most accessible areas within the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and while it doesn’t have clearly marked trails, visitors can walk around the formations at their own pace, making it a great choice for beginner hikers who might not be ready for the more demanding treks.
The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument has some of the most otherworldly slot canyons in the country, and Hole-in-the-Rock Road offers access to the popular Peekaboo and Spooky slot canyons. Photographers should also consider visiting Zebra Canyon, with its visually striking pink-and-white striped sandstone walls. When planning your adventures, always check the weather. During the summer monsoon season, the area experiences flash floods, and slot canyons often fill up with water, creating potentially deadly conditions.
One of the more easily accessible trails in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is the 6-mile round-trip Lower Calf Creek Falls trail, which winds through a canyon with high-desert vegetation before ending at a 126-foot-tall waterfall. A big pool at the base is great for a quick, refreshing swim or a picnic during warmer months.
Those who are looking for more adventures can proceed to Upper Calf Creek Falls, a short but strenuous roughly 2-mile round-trip hike with more than 500 feet of elevation gain. At the bottom, Calf Creek runs through a shallow valley with several pools before dropping 88 feet over a cliff at the head of Calf Creek Canyon. A joint trip to Lower and Upper Calf Creek Falls, which totals about 8 to 9 miles, can be done in one day.
One of Escalante’s biggest draws is its position near a concentration of protected lands. The town sits between Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef national parks. Bryce Canyon—famous for its amphitheaters of orange, red, and white hoodoos—is the closest national park to Escalante. Capitol Reef, one of Utah’s lesser-visited national parks, is about 70 miles north of Escalante. The park boasts remarkable scenery and unique geological features such as Waterpocket Fold, a nearly 100-mile-long wrinkle in the earth’s crust created millions of years ago.
Located along Scenic Byway 12, Ofland Escalante is a destination in its own right. The standout feature of this property is the drive-in movie theater with vintage cars for seats. In the evening, guests gather at an outdoor lodge around open fire pits to swap stories about their hiking adventures. The facility has an on-site food truck, a general store, a swimming pool, and a hot tub. Visitors can stay in vintage Airstreams, cabins, and campsites with water hookups and electricity connections. Pets are welcome.
Perched on a cliff above the Escalante River, Kiva Koffeehouse is a perfect spot to start the day. The menu changes daily, but it always features salads, soups, and sandwiches, with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. The muffins, cake, and cookies are baked in-house.
Part of the property, nearby Kiva Kottage offers the opportunity to stay overnight in a cozy, rustic cabin atop the same dramatic cliff. Waking up above the canyon with coffee steps away is about as good as a morning in southern Utah gets.
Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm is a culinary powerhouse in the tiny town of Boulder, Utah. It has received numerous accolades, including a semifinalist title in the 2023 James Beard Awards. A lot of its ingredients come from the restaurant’s on-site organic farm, and the dishes are made from scratch. Dinner is served from 4 to 9 p.m. from Thursday to Monday, and reservations are recommended. Its sibling establishment, Little Bone Food Truck, serves breakfast and lunch.
For those who don’t want to drive too far, there’s Escalante Outfitters, a restaurant, a hotel, and an outfitter shop all in one. The cafe specializes in homemade pizzas created with Utah ingredients—local sausage, goat cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes—on a sourdough crust. Gourmet salads, sandwiches, scratch-made desserts, and organic coffee from a local Utah roaster round out the menu.
The best time to visit Escalante is from April through early June, and from September through November. These are the shoulder seasons when the area has optimal temperatures—between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit—for spending time outside.
Summer offers less favorable conditions for hiking and camping, as temperatures often reach the 100-degree mark. December through February is a great time for photography, as the snow against red rock makes for incredible imagery. However, winters in Escalante can be cold, as much of the monument sits between 5,000 and 8,000 feet in elevation. Some businesses in Escalante and the surrounding towns offer limited services in the winter (or close for the season).
Escalante is hours away from any big city, so the best way to get there depends on your priorities. The nearest airport is Cedar City Regional Airport (CDC) in Cedar City, Utah, about 125 miles away. It’s the closest option, but it has limited connections.
Travelers who are willing to sacrifice driving distance for convenient flight options should consider flying to Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas or Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). St. George Regional Airport (SGU), in St. George, Utah, about 200 miles away, is a middle-ground option. It’s closer to Escalante than Las Vegas or Salt Lake City, and has more daily flights than Cedar City—although connections can be limited.
The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument has no public transportation, and getting around requires a vehicle. Most travelers rent a car at their chosen airport, but many roads within the monument require a high-clearance 4WD vehicle. This is especially true after rain, when the dirt roads turn to mud and become impassable in a regular vehicle.
This article was written by Alixel Cabrera.After President Donald Trump signed orders to dramatically shrink Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah, environmentalists are out with new maps showing the extent of the 3 million acres that were slashed.The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, an environmental nonprofit, which called Trump’s orders “reckless and unlawful,” drew the new monument specific maps, showing the 90% smaller and scattered areas that now fit the national m...
This article was written by Alixel Cabrera.
After President Donald Trump signed orders to dramatically shrink Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante national monuments in Utah, environmentalists are out with new maps showing the extent of the 3 million acres that were slashed.
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, an environmental nonprofit, which called Trump’s orders “reckless and unlawful,” drew the new monument specific maps, showing the 90% smaller and scattered areas that now fit the national monument designation.
“These two landscapes deserve to be protected for current and future generations of Utahns and Americans, not opened to exploitation,” Scott Braden, executive director for SUWA said in a prepared statement. “The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance is committed to defending the monuments and will challenge this unlawful decision in federal court. We are confident that President Trump’s reckless and unlawful acts will be rejected and the Monuments restored.”
The new Bears Ears is about 121,000 acres, and Grand Staircase-Escalante covers about 182,000 acres, according to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s office.
Cox, who stood behind Trump while he signed the orders, applauded the actions, arguing that their reduced size would allow agencies “to better provide management, preservation, and public access to both monuments.”
“The question has never been whether to protect them, but how to protect them best,” Cox said in a statement on Monday. “The historic landmarks and other nationally significant resources remain under federal protection, while allowing agencies to direct limited resources toward caring for these specific sites rather than millions of surrounding acres.”
Trump’s executive orders follow a tug-of-war game between multiple presidential administrations in recent years. The maps display previous monument boundaries, including the updates Trump ordered in 2017, which shrunk Bears Ears from 1.35 million acres to about 228,000 acres, and reduced Grand Staircase-Escalante from about 1.87 million acres to roughly million acres.
The maps also show the boundaries that the Biden administration restored to their original size for both monuments in 2021.
Attempts to file mining claims in Bear Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments show industry clamoring to exploit landscapesAutumn Gillard, Grand Staircase-Escalante Inter-Tribal Coalition, [email protected] Wheeler, Earthjustice, [email protected] Gilliland, The Wilderness Society, [email protected] Sinha, Grand Canyon Trust, [email protected] Dominguez, Sierra Club, [email protected] Deutschman, Conservation Lands Foundation, ...
Attempts to file mining claims in Bear Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments show industry clamoring to exploit landscapes
Autumn Gillard, Grand Staircase-Escalante Inter-Tribal Coalition, [email protected]
Perry Wheeler, Earthjustice, [email protected]
Keri Gilliland, The Wilderness Society, [email protected]
Chaitna Sinha, Grand Canyon Trust, [email protected]
Amy Dominguez, Sierra Club, [email protected]
Kris Deutschman, Conservation Lands Foundation, [email protected]
Andrew Scibetta, NRDC, [email protected]
Daniel Hernandez, National Parks Conservation Association, [email protected]
Southern Utah —
Within one day of President Trump illegally reducing Bears Ears National Monument by over 90%, a company staked multiple mining claims in areas cut out of the monument. On July 14, 2026, Kimmerle Mining filed 7 mining claims (see map) with the San Juan County (Utah) Recorder’s Office. Kimmerle Mining previously filed mining claims after Trump’s 2017 reduction of Bears Ears and excavated a partially reclaimed mine shaft on one of the claims — the so-called claim (this mine has been re-buried); Kyle Kimmerle (a Managing Member of Kimmerle Mining) was also a plaintiff in one of the cases filed in the District of Utah challenging President Biden’s 2021 restoration of the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments.
Two mining claims were also recently filed in Grand Staircase-Escalante, less than one month after Trump’s attack. On August 6, 2026, Craig Rosequist filed two mining claims (see map) with the Kane County (Utah) Recorder’s Office in areas cut out of the monument by the Trump proclamations. According to public records, Rosequist previously located several mining claims in neighboring Washington County, Utah.
Under President Trump’s proclamations decimating Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, mining claims cannot be staked until 60 days after the date of the proclamation, which will be Friday, Sept. 11:
“Appropriation of lands under the mining laws before the date and time of restoration is unauthorized. Any such attempted appropriation, including attempted adverse possession under 30 U.S.C. 38, shall vest no rights against the United States.”
In light of this prohibition and the illegality of the Trump proclamations, the Bureau of Land Management should reject these recently filed claims in both national monuments.
“When we talk about Grand Staircase-Escalante, we are not simply talking about public land or a national monument. We are talking about our homelands — living landscapes with personhood and spirit,” said Autumn Gillard, Southern Paiute and coordinator of the Grand Staircase Inter-Tribal Coalition. “New mining on lands unlawfully cut from the monument threatens not just the land’s natural beauty, plants, and animals, but our sacred places, our culture, and our history. We are all stewards of these lands, and it is our duty to protect them for all our future generations, yours and mine.”
“This rush to locate new mining claims in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments — even though premature and unlawful — reinforces the need to be vigilant over the next several years while we work to undo Trump’s illegal actions and restore the monuments,” said Hanna Larsen, staff attorney at the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA). “Mining claims like these often lead to real and long-lasting damage to the very qualities that make these monuments so special.”
“The rush to stake mining claims in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante has already begun, nearly a month before new mining claims would be allowed even under the illegal Trump proclamations,” said Axie Navas, director of designation campaigns at The Wilderness Society. “It’s hard to imagine a clearer sign of where this administration wants to take our public lands. National monuments belong to all of us. They represent our freedom to experience some of the most extraordinary landscapes in the country. We owe it to future generations to protect them — not sacrifice them for the short-term profit of special interests.”
“Mining claims on the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument puts crucial water resources at risk. The Monument protects over 2,510 river miles that could be negatively impacted by mining waste if claims are approved in haste. These rivers flow into Lake Powell and the Grand Canyon, which are visited by millions of people,” said Dr. Jackie Grant, executive director of the Grand Staircase-Escalante Partners. “If these mining claims are not being legally filed, what other illegal actions should we be worried about?”
“These illegal mining claims are proof that the Trump administration’s proclamations, if allowed to stand, would be devastating for public lands that are cherished by people across the country,” said Thomas Delehanty, senior attorney with Earthjustice’s Rocky Mountain Office. “President Trump’s proclamations were themselves illegal, and forthcoming litigation will seek to avoid this exact outcome. Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, incredibly significant to Indigenous communities and beloved by recreationists for their one-of-a-kind features, deserve better than to be sacrificed to industrial extraction.”
“The speed with which the mining industry moved to stake claims following the dismantling of the Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments demonstrates the real-world consequences of stripping protections from one of America’s most important landscapes,” said Bobby McEnaney, director of land conservation at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). “This sequence of events underscores exactly why Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante were originally established and why these landscapes deserve lasting protection. These future mining claims amount to a virtual giveaway of public lands.”
“While it’s clear these Kimmerle Mining claims were illegally staked before the ink was dry on Trump’s proclamation stripping national monument protections from these areas, it’s important to recognize that any future mining claims in the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante cultural landscapes are unacceptable,” said Chaitna Sinha, conservation codirector and staff attorney with the Grand Canyon Trust. “The cultural values here are irreplaceable; this is simply the wrong place for destructive new mining.”
“The mining claims we’re seeing submitted in Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante on the heels of their illegal reduction goes to show that the Trump administration intends to turn the public lands we love into sacrifice zones for privatization and exploitation,” said Franque Bains, chapter director of the Sierra Club in Utah. “We are prepared to fight to ensure that national monuments and public lands don’t become pawns in a scheme to turn a profit for corporate interests.”
“It’s clear this administration will cut every corner and violate laws and guardrails to accelerate the destruction of America’s natural treasures,” said Chris Hill, CEO of the Conservation Lands Foundation. “The ideologues driving this anti-public lands agenda are willfully ignoring the millions of Americans who stood up to protect Bears Ears and Grand Staircase national monuments and the overwhelming majority of Americans who support protecting MORE public lands. They forget they are accountable to everyone who values these natural places and is determined to expose their corruption.”
“Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante were established to protect over a hundred thousand ancestral sites and are among the most beloved public lands in Utah. Mere weeks after their downsizing, we are seeing the very first mining claims being staked among their cultural and natural treasures, enabled by an outdated mining law from 1872,” said Sara Cawley, energy director at the National Parks Conservation Association. “It’s clear the arguments about access were always about access for mining companies. This puts the connectivity and health of dozens of national parks, monuments, and protected wildlife corridors all the way to the Mojave Desert at risk, a precursor for what we can expect on other public lands under this administration unless more permanent protections are enacted to safeguard our special places.”
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