37°35′N109°25.5′W / 37.583°N 109.4250°W /37.583; -109.4250Recapture Canyon is acanyon alongRecapture Creek (atributary of theSan Juan River) east ofBlanding,San Juan County, Utah,United States. It is anarchaeological site, and is located onfederal land.[1] TheBureau of Land Management closed it tomotorized vehicles in 2007 due to damage caused by illegal trail construction.[1]
Recapture Canyon contains dwellings, burial sites, and artifacts of theAncient Pueblo peoples, includingcliff dwellings built between 1150 and 1300 AD.[2]
On Saturday May 10, 2014, San Juan County CommissionerPhil Lyman organized a protest aimed at legally opening the trail toall-terrain vehicles.[3] The protest attracted several militia members from theBundy ranch.[4]Bureau of Land Management undercover agents documented the illegal ride. Lyman was convicted of misdemeanor trespassing, for which he served ten days in jail and paid restitution of $96,000. On December 22, 2020 Lyman was pardoned by PresidentDonald Trump.[5]