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Moab - Navajo Dam - Ouray/ Telluride

krice118

Trail Ready
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Messages
305
Location
Jackson, WY
Hi Rising Sun,

My buddy and I will be doing a trip this summer to Moab, stop around the Navajo Dam for some fly fishing and then up to Ouray for some wheeling.
I have been to 100s in the hills once and cruise moab once. Also a handful of runs with you gentlemen when I lived in Denver (2016-2017). My buddy is new to this kind of wheeling but is from NC and has a lot of experience mudding.

Tentative Dates: 7/24 - 8/1
Rigs: 5th gen runner (TRD Offroad) with sliders, winch, 32s and 2in lift.
100 series rear locker- 33s 2in lift and sliders.

If any one wants to join us that would be great (I would like to keep it down to 5 or 6 rigs max and would prefer drivers who have experience. We will have 5/6 people traveling with us. 4 people sleeping in the trucks and the others in tents. We are thinking of starting in Moab for 2 nights then hit the four corners monument (is this even worth it for those who have been) since its only a 30min detour. Then my buddy wants to explore Navajo Dam - maybe relax in once place for a day/ night for some fly fishing then up to the San Juans for a few days.

Any and all advice would be appreciated. I will be driving down from Victor ID through Salt Lake City and I was wondering if there is a way I could run San Rafael Swell down to Moab on dirt? or SLC to Moab on mainly dirt?
 

DaveInDenver

Rising Sun Ham Guru
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
12,950
Location
Grand Junction
Four Corners itself is just something you do if you happen to be on US160. Don't go out of your way IMO.

IMG_1367_mid.jpg
 

krice118

Trail Ready
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Messages
305
Location
Jackson, WY
Thanks @DaveInDenver that was what I was thinking.

Also are there tracks or a way to stay dirt through canyonlands when going south and pop out on 191?
 

DaveInDenver

Rising Sun Ham Guru
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Jun 8, 2006
Messages
12,950
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Grand Junction
It's possible to avoid pavement but it kind of depends on where you're coming from and trying to get to. You mention San Rafael Swell, Canyonlands (which part of Canyonlands?), Moab and Ouray. All those things are not too close and which side of the Dolores, Gunnison, Colorado and Green Rivers you end up makes a difference.

So suggesting a route is kind of an open ended question.
 

krice118

Trail Ready
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Messages
305
Location
Jackson, WY
It's possible to avoid pavement but it kind of depends on where you're coming from and trying to get to. You mention San Rafael Swell, Canyonlands (which part of Canyonlands?), Moab and Ouray. All those things are not too close and which side of the Dolores, Gunnison, Colorado and Green Rivers you end up makes a difference.

So suggesting a route is kind of an open ended question.

So I will be traveling from Salt Lake City to Moab. I thought I could hit San Rafael Swell on the way?

then from Moab we will head south to Montcello and take 184 East through Durango. then We will back track a little to go to Ouray / Silverton

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DaveInDenver

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Jun 8, 2006
Messages
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Grand Junction
That's kind of what I mean. You've circled Canyonland National Park and specifically the Island In The Sky district. While the San Rafael Swell is what I've highlighted in red much farther to the west. You can get there from Moab but there's only two bridges across the Green River in the area. One is I-70 at Green River, UT (north) and one at Hite (south).

This is an old route I recorded that included the Maze district (the western 3rd part of the Canyonlands). So that's an exceptionally large diversion off the highways (Utah 24 and 95) that you'd normally not be doing unless you're doing Dollhouse. You're asking about things that would likely be closer the highways around Hanksville.

But point is if you leave US191 at Moab. You have to go down to Blanding, past Natural Bridges and Bear's Ear, over to Hite (now you're near Mt Ellen and Capitol Reef) and back to US191 at Green River to continue to SLC.

This is around about a 350 mile detour just using highways, which factor in because doing it all off pavement will requirement carrying a lot of gas. Spending time on dirt anywhere in here is totally possible but you have to bound what you're after.

swell_location.png
 
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rover67

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
9,291
Location
Boulder, Co
you could do lockhart basin south out of moab and mix it with other dirt near beef basin/elk ridge rd (088?) and then bang a left into blanding or skip elk ridge rd and head out towards montecello on 211 or thereabouts...

Pick up one of the gazetteers and just start dreaming up routes, it's what I do almost every time I visit the "office" at home.

https://www.benchmarkmaps.com/products-page/atlases/utahroad-recreation-atlas

https://www.benchmarkmaps.com/products-page/atlases/coloradoroad-recreation-atlas

must have for dreaming up routes.
 

DaveInDenver

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Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
12,950
Location
Grand Junction
Thanks @DaveInDenver that was what I was thinking.

Also are there tracks or a way to stay dirt through canyonlands when going south and pop out on 191?
An option for what you're (I believe) thinking is to leave US191/I-70 between Green River and Crescent Junction and take This is the Dubinky Road. It'll eventually pop you out on UT313, where you detour through the National Park and drive down Shafer switchbacks and come out on Potash Road back to Moab. The spur to the west is Mineral Canyon and part of the White Rim, so you'd need to do that out-and back in this context.

us191_alt_north.png
 

DaveInDenver

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Messages
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Grand Junction
This is what the Kane Springs - Lockhart Basin alternative would look like. The southern end of this is UT211, the road to/from Needles District of Canyonlands.

us191_alt_south.png
 

MountainGoat

Club Treasurer
Staff member
Cruise Moab Committee
Joined
Jul 4, 2008
Messages
3,053
Location
Evergreen, CO
Moab is gonna be hotter than bejeezus in late July.
 

rover67

Rising Sun Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2007
Messages
9,291
Location
Boulder, Co
Oh yeah thats a great point. forgot about that. real hot.
 
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