Photo by stephenwilkes | The moon rises over Bears Ears National Monument. Last year President Joe Biden restored Bears Ears as a national monument, reversing a decision that opened the park for mining and other developments. This also drove five Native American tribes off the land. Earlier this week, federal officials and tribal nations formally reestablished a commission to oversee land management decisions of Bears Ears’ 1.3 million acres. I was fortunate to photograph at Bears Ears while on assignment for National Geographic just a few short months ago. I hiked with Navajo guide Louis D. Williams (louisdwilliams20) and learned about its incredible history. Camping out and photographing the view from the Citadel is magical. Bears Ears is an important and vital U.S. landmark, and I am thankful it’s been restored as a national monument. To see more from my travels near and far follow me stephenwilkes. #bearsears #monument #utah #moon #photography