Cedar Mesa and Muley Point near Bears Ears National Monument, Utah, United States (© Jeff Clay/Tandem Stills + Motion)

What do a bear's ears, a house on fire and a road packed with hairpin turns have in common? They're all part of the story of America's public lands in southeastern Utah. Bears Ears National Monument protects important cultural and natural resources, including archaeological sites that reflect thousands of years of human history. Its name comes from two buttes that rise side by side and resemble a bear's ears.