16 days / 5825 miles / 130 hours 34 minutes
From 1301 30th Street, Boulder, CO, USA to 1301 30th Street, Boulder, CO, USA. 16 days and 5825 miles of new adventures. You too can use Furkot to plan your next road trip.
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Day 1
8:00 am - 109.1 miles / an hour 41 minutes - 9:43 am
http://www.thelittlediner.com/
10:28 am - 78.8 miles / an hour 6 minutes - 11:35 am
11:45 am - 98.1 miles / an hour 15 minutes - 1:01 pm
1:06 pm - 3.5 miles / 3 minutes - 1:10 pm
1:25 pm - 41.1 miles / 29 minutes - 1:55 pm
2:05 pm - 4.2 miles / 21 minutes - 2:27 pm
2:37 pm - 0.1 miles / a minute - 2:39 pm
2:54 pm - 0.0 miles / - 2:55 pm
3:05 pm - 29.4 miles / 43 minutes - 3:49 pm
3:59 pm - 50.5 miles / 49 minutes - 4:49 pm
5:09 pm - 40.1 miles / 41 minutes - 5:51 pm
6:01 pm - 3.7 miles / 5 minutes - 6:07 pm
6:17 pm - 20.1 miles / 16 minutes - 6:34 pm
6:44 pm - 6.7 miles / 6 minutes - 6:51 pm
7:01 pm - 11.9 miles / 11 minutes - 7:13 pm
7:23 pm - 11.5 miles / 11 minutes - 7:35 pm
7:50 pm - 39.5 miles / an hour 13 minutes - 9:04 pm
9:09 pm - 8.4 miles / 33 minutes - 9:43 pm
9:53 pm - 6.4 miles / 25 minutes - 10:19 pm
10:19 pm - 5.2 miles / 20 minutes - 10:40 pm
Day 2
https://www.theoutbound.com/utah/camping/camp-at-temple-of-the-sun-in-cathedral-valley
Don't actually camp next to monoliths, there are campsites nearby (unless you're brave).
https://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/camping-alternatives.htm
https://www.nps.gov/care/planyourvisit/backpacking.htm8:30 am - 2.3 miles / 13 minutes - 8:44 am
8:59 am - 14.1 miles / an hour 22 minutes - 10:22 am
10:32 am - 1.8 miles / 10 minutes - 10:43 am
11:28 am - 6.2 miles / 36 minutes - 12:05 pm
12:10 pm - 0.3 miles / 5 minutes - 12:16 pm
Look at Jailhouse Rock!
12:26 pm - 14.3 miles / an hour 23 minutes - 1:50 pm
https://www.google.com/maps/@38.4702566,-111.3530837,334m/data=!3m1!1e3 - use street view
2:05 pm - 0.7 miles / 4 minutes - 2:10 pm
Upper Cathedral Valley Overlook Spur
If there's time, go down to Needle Rock
2:25 pm - 37.6 miles / an hour 49 minutes - 4:15 pm
4:20 pm - 19.1 miles / 24 minutes - 4:45 pm
Maybe check out Marinia's Country Cafe?
5:00 pm - 31.9 miles / 37 minutes - 5:38 pm
5:48 pm - 0.9 miles / a minute - 5:50 pm
5:55 pm - 10.2 miles / 15 minutes - 6:11 pm
6:16 pm - 17.8 miles / 27 minutes - 6:44 pm
6:54 pm - 1.3 miles / 2 minutes - 6:57 pm
7:02 pm - 0.3 miles / - 7:03 pm
7:08 pm - 0.4 miles / - 7:09 pm
7:24 pm - 5.4 miles / 7 minutes - 7:32 pm
7:37 pm - 3.8 miles / 5 minutes - 7:43 pm
7:48 pm - 21.6 miles / an hour 29 minutes - 9:18 pm
Day 3
https://freecampsites.net/#!34481&query=sitedetails
8:00 am - 4.5 miles / an hour 26 minutes - 9:27 am
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/the-volcano-cosmic-ashtray-alternate-route
9:57 am - 4.5 miles / an hour 26 minutes - 11:24 am
11:39 am - 16.7 miles / an hour 22 minutes - 1:02 pm
1:12 pm - 23.3 miles / 34 minutes - 1:47 pm
1:52 pm - 24.0 miles / 30 minutes - 2:23 pm
2:43 pm - 7.5 miles / 9 minutes - 2:53 pm
3:08 pm - 5.2 miles / 9 minutes - 3:18 pm
3:33 pm - 4.5 miles / 8 minutes - 3:42 pm
4:02 pm - 2.7 miles / 5 minutes - 4:08 pm
4:18 pm - 1.7 miles / 3 minutes - 4:22 pm
4:32 pm - 3.2 miles / 5 minutes - 4:38 pm
5:08 pm - 2.3 miles / 4 minutes - 5:13 pm
5:23 pm - 1.9 miles / 3 minutes - 5:27 pm
5:37 pm - 1.4 miles / 2 minutes - 5:40 pm
5:50 pm - 16.1 miles / 26 minutes - 6:17 pm
6:22 pm - 7.9 miles / 7 minutes - 6:30 pm
6:40 pm - 1.5 miles / a minute - 6:42 pm
6:52 pm - 42.3 miles / 56 minutes - 7:49 pm
7:59 pm - 2.7 miles / 4 minutes - 8:04 pm
8:14 pm - 1.2 miles / a minute - 8:16 pm
Kinda perfect timing by accident, ngl. Should be good sunny views :)
8:26 pm - 45.1 miles / 49 minutes - 9:16 pm
9:26 pm - 29.1 miles / 41 minutes - 10:08 pm
Day 4
Zion National Park Visitor Center
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/the-zion-narrows-riverside-walk
Need to reserve shuttle at 5pm the day before: https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/300016/ticket/30107:00 am - 6.7 miles / 10 minutes - 7:11 am
7:16 am - 11.2 miles / 18 minutes - 7:35 am
Need to reserve shuttle at 5pm the day before: https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/300016/ticket/3010
8:05 am - 7.1 miles / 12 minutes - 8:18 am
8:23 am - 0.8 miles / a minute - 8:25 am
8:30 am - 6.1 miles / 9 minutes - 8:40 am
9:40 am - 9.8 miles / 17 minutes - 9:58 am
Day 5
Zion National Park Visitor Center
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/the-zion-narrows-riverside-walk
Need to reserve shuttle at 5pm the day before: https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/300016/ticket/30107:45 am - 35.6 miles / 50 minutes - 8:37 am
8:47 am - 0.3 miles / - 8:48 am
8:58 am - 2.9 miles / 3 minutes - 9:02 am
9:17 am - 3.4 miles / 4 minutes - 9:22 am
9:32 am - 38.9 miles / an hour 2 minutes - 10:35 am
11:05 am - 0.5 miles / 3 minutes - 11:09 am
11:29 am - 16.7 miles / 40 minutes - 12:10 pm
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/toadstool-hoodoos-trail
12:55 pm - 37.2 miles / 2 hours 16 minutes - 3:13 pm
3:43 pm - 28.3 miles / 2 hours 9 minutes - 5:53 pm
https://dyeclan.com/outdooractivities/canyoneering/?id=295
6:53 pm - 4.2 miles / 3 minutes - 6:57 pm
7:02 pm - 8.0 miles / 9 minutes - 6:12 pm
6:17 pm - 1.0 miles / a minute - 6:19 pm
6:29 pm - 49.2 miles / 44 minutes - 8:14 pm
8:24 pm - 1.8 miles / a minute - 8:26 pm
8:31 pm - 18.5 miles / 15 minutes - 8:47 pm
8:57 pm - 40.9 miles / 37 minutes - 9:35 pm
Not a stop, unless there's time? Just wanted the name.
9:35 pm - 14.4 miles / 16 minutes - 9:52 pm
9:57 pm - 2.0 miles / 4 minutes - 10:02 pm
Day 6
7:00 am - 0.6 miles / 3 minutes - 7:04 am
7:14 am - 10.5 miles / 12 minutes - 7:27 am
7:32 am - 11.5 miles / 17 minutes - 7:50 am
8:05 am - 18.0 miles / 52 minutes - 8:58 am
9:03 am - 0.1 miles / - 9:04 am
9:04 am - 7.0 miles / 30 minutes - 9:35 am
9:40 am - 10.9 miles / 11 minutes - 9:52 am
10:02 am - 0.7 miles / 4 minutes - 10:07 am
Keep going to 37.279000, -109.663667, like 500 ft north.
10:37 am - 2.3 miles / 8 minutes - 10:46 am
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/utah/wolfman-panel-trail?mobileMap=false&ref=sidebar-static-map&ref=sidebar-view-full-map
11:16 am - 3.0 miles / 6 minutes - 11:23 am
11:33 am - 4.7 miles / 6 minutes - 11:40 am
11:55 am - 41.2 miles / 38 minutes - 12:34 pm
12:39 pm - 1.0 miles / 18 minutes - 12:58 pm
1:13 pm - 1.0 miles / 18 minutes - 1:32 pm
1:37 pm - 58.6 miles / 55 minutes - 2:33 pm
2:33 pm - 14.3 miles / 11 minutes - 2:45 pm
3:00 pm - 10.0 miles / 8 minutes - 3:09 pm
3:19 pm - 14.4 miles / 13 minutes - 3:33 pm
3:43 pm - 4.1 miles / 5 minutes - 3:49 pm
4:09 pm - 4.7 miles / 6 minutes - 4:16 pm
4:26 pm - 0.6 miles / 2 minutes - 4:29 pm
4:39 pm - 1.2 miles / 3 minutes - 4:43 pm
4:53 pm - 3.7 miles / 5 minutes - 4:59 pm
5:09 pm - 1.7 miles / 2 minutes - 5:12 pm
5:27 pm - 3.9 miles / 6 minutes - 5:34 pm
5:34 pm - 0.2 miles / 3 minutes - 5:38 pm
5:38 pm - 1.4 miles / an hour 4 minutes - 6:43 pm
8:28 pm - 1.6 miles / an hour 8 minutes - 9:37 pm
9:42 pm - 22.0 miles / 43 minutes - 10:26 pm
Day 7
Gemini Bridges Dispersed Campground
If can't find open lot here, look here for free sites:
(1)https://bit.ly/3tPesNm
(2)https://bit.ly/3fsjjyW
(3)https://bit.ly/3hFbhoS
Moab Rock Art Sites
https://www.discovermoab.com/rock-art-sites/
Petrified Dunes Viewpoint
https://bit.ly/3r5AGu9
The Great Wall
(1)https://bit.ly/3gXchSS
(2)https://bit.ly/37s81ro
(3)http://www.utaharches.com/ANP_GreatWall.php
Delicate Arch
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/delicate-arch-trail7:00 am - 4.6 miles / 20 minutes - 7:21 am
7:31 am - 0.0 miles / - 7:32 am
7:37 am - 0.4 miles / - 7:38 am
7:48 am - 0.4 miles / - 7:49 am
7:59 am - 4.4 miles / 7 minutes - 8:07 am
8:22 am - 1.9 miles / 3 minutes - 8:26 am
8:36 am - 2.3 miles / 3 minutes - 8:40 am
8:45 am - 13.8 miles / 28 minutes - 9:14 am
9:19 am - 6.1 miles / 14 minutes - 9:34 am
9:39 am - 2.1 miles / 5 minutes - 9:45 am
9:55 am - 0.2 miles / a minute - 9:57 am
10:07 am - 0.4 miles / 2 minutes - 10:10 am
10:15 am - 4.7 miles / 27 minutes - 10:43 am
10:48 am - 1.2 miles / 7 minutes - 10:56 am
11:01 am - 6.1 miles / 27 minutes - 11:29 am
11:34 am - 3.5 miles / 5 minutes - 11:40 am
11:40 am - 1.0 miles / 19 minutes - 12:00 pm
Take Corona Arch Trail, take left at intersection onto Pinto Arch Trail.
12:10 pm - 1.0 miles / 19 minutes - 12:30 pm
Take Corona Arch Trail
12:40 pm - 0.1 miles / 2 minutes - 12:43 pm
Don't listen to the map telling us to go all the way around. Just keep following Corona Arch Trail after Bowtie Arch.
12:58 pm - 1.1 miles / 21 minutes - 1:20 pm
https://www.moabhappenings.com/Archives/ScenicRoads1007ShaferTrail.htm
1:25 pm - 4.1 miles / 6 minutes - 1:32 pm
1:42 pm - 0.9 miles / a minute - 1:44 pm
Look for signs on the side of the road.
1:49 pm - 10.3 miles / 14 minutes - 2:04 pm
2:14 pm - 20.6 miles / 30 minutes - 2:45 pm
2:55 pm - 0.7 miles / 2 minutes - 2:58 pm
3:08 pm - 4.1 miles / 8 minutes - 3:17 pm
3:47 pm - 0.8 miles / a minute - 3:49 pm
3:54 pm - 0.4 miles / 14 minutes - 4:09 pm
4:14 pm - 0.8 miles / 34 minutes - 4:49 pm
4:59 pm - 0.8 miles / 34 minutes - 5:34 pm
5:44 pm - 0.4 miles / 20 minutes - 6:05 pm
6:10 pm - 1.1 miles / 44 minutes - 6:55 pm
7:10 pm - 1.5 miles / an hour 3 minutes - 8:14 pm
8:24 pm - 26.6 miles / 51 minutes - 9:16 pm
Day 8
Gemini Bridges Dispersed Campground
If can't find open lot here, look here for free sites:
(1)https://bit.ly/3tPesNm
(2)https://bit.ly/3fsjjyW
(3)https://bit.ly/3hFbhoS
Moab Rock Art Sites
https://www.discovermoab.com/rock-art-sites/
Petrified Dunes Viewpoint
https://bit.ly/3r5AGu9
The Great Wall
(1)https://bit.ly/3gXchSS
(2)https://bit.ly/37s81ro
(3)http://www.utaharches.com/ANP_GreatWall.php
Delicate Arch
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/delicate-arch-trail7:00 am - 11.3 miles / 26 minutes - 7:27 am
7:32 am - 6.9 miles / 10 minutes - 7:43 am
7:53 am - 8.6 miles / 12 minutes - 8:06 am
8:11 am - 1.3 miles / a minute - 8:13 am
8:18 am - 5.8 miles / 14 minutes - 8:33 am
8:43 am - 13.1 miles / 25 minutes - 9:09 am
10 ft above pullout on a boulder
9:19 am - 30.1 miles / 45 minutes - 10:05 am
10:15 am - 52.3 miles / an hour 29 minutes - 11:45 am
12:30 pm - 82.2 miles / an hour 43 minutes - 2:14 pm
2:24 pm - 209.7 miles / 2 hours 56 minutes - 5:21 pm
5:31 pm - 15.8 miles / 10 minutes - 5:42 pm
6:12 pm - 69.1 miles / 49 minutes - 6:02 pm
6:12 pm - 241.4 miles / 3 hours 44 minutes - 10:57 pm
Day 9
10:30 am - 1.4 miles / 2 minutes - 10:33 am
11:48 am - 4.0 miles / 7 minutes - 11:56 am
1:26 pm - 17.9 miles / 17 minutes - 1:44 pm
2:04 pm - 189.3 miles / 2 hours 33 minutes - 3:38 pm
3:48 pm - 77.2 miles / an hour a minute - 4:50 pm
5:00 pm - 30.5 miles / 25 minutes - 5:26 pm
5:36 pm - 254.4 miles / 3 hours 38 minutes - 9:15 pm
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12 - 13
Day 14
7:00 am - 51.2 miles / 52 minutes - 11:23 am
11:33 am - 292.4 miles / 3 hours 57 minutes - 3:31 pm
3:41 pm - 10.6 miles / 8 minutes - 3:50 pm
4:00 pm - 278.3 miles / 3 hours 39 minutes - 8:40 pm
8:50 pm - 61.3 miles / 49 minutes - 9:40 pm
9:55 pm - 6.2 miles / 10 minutes - 10:06 pm
Day 15
7:00 am - 64.6 miles / an hour 14 minutes - 7:15 am
7:35 am - 63.5 miles / an hour 30 minutes - 9:06 am
10:06 am - 68.8 miles / an hour 6 minutes - 12:13 pm
12:23 pm - 7.6 miles / 11 minutes - 12:35 pm
12:40 pm - 22.5 miles / an hour 3 minutes - 1:44 pm
1:49 pm - 28.0 miles / 2 hours 43 minutes - 4:34 pm
4:39 pm - 231.7 miles / 3 hours 24 minutes - 8:04 pm
8:14 pm - 0.2 miles / - 8:15 pm
Day 16
8:00 am - 19.2 miles / 23 minutes - 8:24 am
https://www.climb-utah.com/Misc/ninemile.htm
8:29 am - 9.5 miles / 17 minutes - 8:47 am
8:57 am - 27.8 miles / 53 minutes - 9:51 am
Excellent petroglyph panel located on the west (right) side of the road on the rock point. The panel can be easily seen from the road and contains a variety of figures.
To the Left of the road (south east), is Flat Iron Mesa.10:01 am - 5.2 miles / 18 minutes - 10:20 am
Petroglyph panel located on the north (left) is of men, women, a turkey, a scorpion, a bird and abstract sketches.
10:30 am - 3.6 miles / 12 minutes - 10:43 am
West (right) side
11:43 am - 0.2 miles / - 11:44 am
Contains a parking area and kiosk. Follow the trail to the large rock outcropping on the west side of the canyon to locate the famous hunting scene. This is one of the finest petroglyph panels that I have ever encountered and should not be missed.
11:54 am - 2.2 miles / 4 minutes - 11:59 am
Rassmussuen's Cave (large alcove) located on the north (left) is the location of some excellent pictographs (figures painted onto the cliff wall). There is a large rock in Rassmussuen's Cave which contains 5 well worn areas where corn was ground
Dry Canyon enters from the south (right). Remember this turn off, on our return we will explore Dry Canyon. If you look to your right across the canyon, you will see a strange rock formation known as "The Mummy"
Daddy Canyon located on the north (left) contains restroom and corral. There are many petroglyph panels along the walls on both the east and west side of this canyon.12:59 pm - 2.3 miles / 4 minutes - 1:04 pm
You are in the correct spot if a four wheel drive track running in a canyon bottom joins the main road from the north (left). Look directly ahead of you up the road to the high cliff face. You'll see a long horizontal slit in the rock. Look slightly below this and to the right. Locate the hole in some light-colored rock. The granary can be seen with binoculars in the crevice.
1:09 pm - 0.6 miles / a minute - 1:11 pm
Stand on the south (right) side of the road after crossing the cattle guard. sight down the road to the east and then look 30 degrees to your left. At this point look directly up the cliff face 300 feet. A large and well-preserved granary is located in a recessed area in the cliff face. The granary is well camouflaged, look for the light tan colored stone. Look directly across the river to see the remains of a watch tower on top of the first cliff level.
1:21 pm - 2.2 miles / 3 minutes - 1:25 pm
There is a pull-out 15 feet past the cattle guard. There are several petroglyph panels just before the cattle guard. This site contains a centipede, elk and many other figures.
1:35 pm - 1.3 miles / 2 minutes - 1:38 pm
"Outlaw Point" is the sharp bend in the road where a group of outlaws intended to ambush the soldiers escorting the army payroll and Indian annuities. The plan was to kill all 20 soldiers in the escort and leave no living witness.
While some members of the "Wild Bunch" allegedly participated in the scheme, Butch Cassidy, Sundance Kid and Elza Lay did not. They knew the army would hunt them relentlessly for such a bloodbath. The army was told of the plan by an informant and the guard was double to 40 soldiers. The Outlaws hiding on the ledges hastily called off the ambush as the heavy escort rode through. There is speculation that Butch Cassidy was the informant when he realized that he would be blamed for the crime, whether he participated or not.1:48 pm - 1.7 miles / 2 minutes - 1:51 pm
Look down into the canyon and you will see evidence of the original army built road. Notice where the road crosses the wash is "slickrock". It was common for heavily laden wagon wheels to break at this point. This presented a real problem since the nearest blacksmith shop was four miles away. To remedy this situation a forge, anvil, hammer and tongs were left at the site. At the base of the cliff notice the names painted with black axle grease. A small rock building near the names housed the forge.
2:01 pm - 3.3 miles / 5 minutes - 2:07 pm
Pass a large Cottonwood Tree on the north (left) side of the road and stop when a group of Cottonwood Trees are located 60 yards in front of you. On the north side of the road is a low ridge, 100 feet high, that nearly touches the road. On top of the ridge is a Fremont Indian site containing a pithouse and watch tower. Directly across the river, on the south side of the canyon, is a watch tower and pithouse that is located on the first level of the ridge.
2:22 pm - 2.8 miles / 4 minutes - 2:27 pm
Stop next to a line of tall cottonwood trees. To your north (left), look halfway up the hillside at the smooth black rock faces. A design of a large snake stands out very clearly. With your binoculars, examine the rock face to the right, it is covered with many figures quite different from those you have seen so far. There are trees, birds, and human figures with distinct hands and feet.
As you drive the remaining canyon from here watch carefully, particularly in the black patina on the rock faces. You can spot many petroglyphs.3:27 pm - 1.5 miles / 2 minutes - 3:30 pm
Sign to Harmon Canyon which enters on the south (right). Opposite the sign is a rock ledge which continues for the next 100 yards and is covered with petroglyphs. Look carefully at the smooth sections of rock covered with black patina about halfway up the hill. There are carvings all along this section. In particular, note the excellent panel with some unusual figures - human shapes with headdresses and some with toes and fingers, lines of deer, and some designs with squares created from dots. Binoculars will give you a better view of the petroglyphs, or you can climb up to the panels.
3:40 pm - 1.3 miles / 2 minutes - 3:43 pm
Pig Head Rock, the road curves around a balanced rock near the north (left) edge of the road. If you use your imagination, the rock can look like the cartoon character Porky Pig. The earlier freighters referred to the rock as "Pig Head Rock" since Warner Brothers had not yet created old Porky Pig. Stop 20 yards past Pig Head Rock. To the left of the road just above the car is an excellent panel with a variety of figures. Examine the rocks on both sides of the main panel for more rock art.
3:53 pm - 1.3 miles / 2 minutes - 3:56 pm
Located on the north (left) side of the road at road level. The site contains a man leading a horse and rider, several anthromorphs and a horse and rider
4:06 pm - 0.3 miles / - 4:07 pm
The log buildings you see are what is left of the sage coach stop, inn, post office and school. The town was first known as "Lee Station" and was a stagecoach stop. Two large barns were constructed to house the outgoing and incoming stage teams. The town spread about one-mile down the canyon.
4:22 pm - 4.3 miles / 7 minutes - 4:30 pm
There is a wooden fence on the north (left) side of the road at a rocky point. The first panel is a good opportunity to view some petroglyphs up close. Exit your car and enter the wooden barrier, look carefully along the smooth base of the rock point. If you are not familiar with petroglyphs it will take your eyes a moment to become accustomed to looking for them. Some petroglyphs are distinct and others quite faint. Now stand back from the rock and look over your head. You'll see an excellent panel of petroglyphs just above a narrow ledge.
4:40 pm - 26.5 miles / 45 minutes - 5:26 pm
5:41 pm - 45.1 miles / 52 minutes - 6:34 pm
6:44 pm - 8.8 miles / 12 minutes - 6:57 pm
https://geology.utah.gov/map-pub/survey-notes/geosights/geosights-moore-cutoff/
6:57 pm - 3.5 miles / 5 minutes - 7:03 pm
Mile 3.5 – Pullout on the left (north) side of the road near the base of Molen Reef, an asymmetrical ridge composed of the approximately 90 million year old (Late Cretaceous) Mancos Shale. The Mancos Shale’s hard and resistant Ferron Sandstone Member caps the ridge, and the underlying Tununk Member is exposed on the ridge’s cliff face.
West of the pullout, various petroglyphs are etched on fallen blocks of Ferron Sandstone. East of the pullout, a roughly 40-footdiameter block exposes a dinosaur trackway (tracks highlighted on photo). Please respect the petroglyphs and trackway, which are protected by the U.S. Archeological Resources Protection Act and the Antiquities Act respectively.
In addition to this trackway, other dinosaur tracks and bones can be found in the Moore Cutoff area but are illegal to collect without a permit, and permits are only issued to qualified institutions for scientific research.7:18 pm - 3.5 miles / 5 minutes - 7:24 pm
Colorful Strata and Popcorn Clays
Mile 5.9 – Turn left (northeast) onto an unnamed dirt road and travel roughly a quarter mile to views of the brightly banded and purple units of the Brushy Basin Member of the Morrison Formation. Brown limestone nodules weather out of the purple unit and litter the ground (middle right of photo), and expansive clays show popcorn weathering (left foreground).
These “bentonitic” clays contain minerals such as “smectites” that swell when wet and then dry with a popcorn-textured surface. With rain or melting snow, roads that cross bentonititic clays become impassible to cars, trucks, bicycles, and potentially even foot traffic! The Morrison Formation is a superstar for its bounty of dinosaur bones found in many locations, including Dinosaur National Monument.7:39 pm - 3.9 miles / 5 minutes - 7:45 pm
Hidden Toadstool? Colorful Chert Pebbles? What Can You Find?
Mile 7.1 – On the right (south) is another unnamed dirt road. Exploration of any side road is sure to lead to fanciful geologic discoveries. For example, further exploration down this unnamed road may lead you to discover a “toadstool” consisting of softer mudstones and siltstones capped by a resistant chert-pebble conglomerate, all of which are part of the Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation. Abundant colorful chert pebbles pave much of the ground in this area.8:00 pm - 4.8 miles / 7 minutes - 8:08 pm
Goblinesque Boulders and Cliff Faces
Mile 9.3 – Turn right (southwest) onto an unnamed dirt road and travel less than a half mile for views of the Entrada Sandstone which are reminiscent of Goblin Valley State Park. Here, as at Goblin Valley, vertical joints and horizontal bedding form intersecting planes of weakness which initially form sharp edges and corners that are more susceptible to weathering. Called spheroidal weathering, the preferential breakdown of edges and corners imparts a spherical shape to the weathered boulders.
The Entrada Sandstone is also famous for its depiction on Utah license plates; Delicate Arch (and most of the arches in Arches National Park) is formed within the Entrada Sandstone.8:23 pm - 7.6 miles / 11 minutes - 8:35 pm
Mile 17 – I-70 rest area and viewpoint at the southern end of Moore Cutoff (County Road 803). Approximately 185 million years ago (Early Jurassic), these cliffs were part of an enormous “sea” of dune fields called the Navajo erg. This erg covered most of eastern and southern Utah as well as parts of Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California. This vast and ancient sand sea is now exposed as the Navajo, Nugget, Aztec, and Glen Canyon Sandstones (the name varies with location).
These formations tend to form colorful and massive cliff faces that play leading, supporting, or cameo roles in the spectacular scenery of at least 17 national and state parks and monuments in Utah, Wyoming, and Nevada. Perhaps the cliffs of Zion National Park display the most famous views of the Navajo Sandstone, but the view at this unassuming roadside pullout rivals in beauty.8:45 pm - 26.2 miles / 39 minutes - 9:26 pm
9:36 pm - 32.1 miles / 48 minutes - 10:25 pm
10:40 pm - 64.4 miles / an hour 36 minutes - 12:17 am
1:17 am - 23.5 miles / 35 minutes - 1:53 am
2:08 am - 51.0 miles / 36 minutes - 2:45 am
2:50 am - 19.6 miles / 14 minutes - 3:05 am
3:15 am - 106.6 miles / an hour 22 minutes - 4:38 am
4:43 am - 28.5 miles / 23 minutes - 5:07 am
5:17 am - 28.5 miles / 23 minutes - 5:41 am
6:01 am - 1.4 miles / 54 minutes - 6:56 am
7:06 am - 122.8 miles / 2 hours 36 minutes - 9:43 am
9:53 am - 14.3 miles / an hour 5 minutes - 10:59 am
11:04 am - 57.1 miles / an hour 8 minutes - 12:13 pm