The False Kiva is a human-made

stone circle A stone circle is a ring of standing stones. Most are found in Northwestern Europe – especially in Britain, Ireland, and Brittany – and typically date from the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, with most being built from 3000 BC. The be ...

of unknown origin in a cave in a remote area of

Canyonlands National Park Canyonlands National Park is an American national park located in southeastern Utah near the town of Moab. The park preserves a colorful landscape eroded into numerous canyons, mesas, and buttes by the Colorado River, the Green River, and their r ...

, which is located in U.S. state of

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

. It was closed by Canyonlands National Park rangers in early August 2018, as a result of vandalism. It requires some hiking knowledge or special directions to find. It has become a popular spot for photographers capturing the Southwest, offering a unique frame for the dramatic thunderstorms or clear skies beyond.

Origin

While located in a naturally occurring alcove, the name ''False Kiva'' arises from the uncertainty about the circle of stones' origins and purpose, whether it is really an authentic kiva, a location used for religious purposes.

Disclosure controversy

Debate rages on whether to disclose the exact location of False Kiva as it enjoys a semi-protected status. Park rangers are not required to disclose the location of site, and it does not appear on official maps of the park. Because of the remoteness of the location, the site is not protected from

vandalism Vandalism is the action involving deliberate destruction of or damage to public or private property. The term includes property damage, such as graffiti and defacement directed towards any property without permission of the owner. The term f ...

. Canyonlands National Park's official management policy is the closure of the site to the public via a series of stanchions. Entering the Archeological Site beyond the stanchions is a violation of the Archeological Protection Act of 1979, and violators may be subject to fines and jail time. Local guides cannot take interested parties to the site, risking losing their permits from the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

if they do so. The trailhead to False Kiva is not marked or signed from park roads, but the route itself is marked by

cairn A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...

s in several locations, and can be accessed without technical climbing equipment.

Art

Logan, Utah Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The 2020 census recorded the population was 52,778. Logan is the county seat of Cache County and the principal city of the Logan metropolitan area, which includes Cache County and Franklin ...

artist Keith Bond was commissioned in 2006 to paint a landscape for the Senate Chamber of the

Utah State Capitol The Utah State Capitol is the house of government for the U.S. state of Utah. The building houses the chambers and offices of the Utah State Legislature, the offices of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, the State Auditor and ...

. He painted False Kiva in a mural titled ''Ancestral Home'' which hangs on the western end of the ceiling above the senate floor. A photograph of False Kiva by Wally Pacholka, entitled "A True Image of False Kiva," was featured on

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) is a website provided by NASA and Michigan Technological University (MTU). According to the website, "Each day a different image or photograph of our universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written ...

(APOD) on September 29, 2008, giving an almost otherworldly view into the

Milky Way The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye ...

References

{{Reflist, colwidth=30em Archaeological sites in Utah Canyonlands National Park Caves of Utah Religious places of the indigenous peoples of North America Buildings and structures in San Juan County, Utah Landforms of San Juan County, Utah Puebloan architectural elements