Moqui Canyon

[Hatchcanyon]

Last year we travelled on a road north of Hwy 276 between Halls Crossing and the Clay Hills. As far as I know this is Burnt Spring Road. A branch leads to Moqui Canyon and into it. Maps show a 4WD Trail going up the canyon leaving it at Harrison Spring on the opposite side.

We found the descent into Moqui Canyon north of Burnt Spring goes over some kind of a sand dune 500 feet high. Breathtaking! But soon you start to think about coming back and up that sand monster. We decided not to try our luck!

Has anybody ever tried to go down and up again? Will we find wrecked vehicles and carcasses down there? :crazy:

Has anybody been on the other side of Moqui Canyon? Is there another route? Seems to be a very remote area, seems to be very promising.

[keithd]

That sand hill is crazy...I can't imagine being able to drive it. I saw tracks from a tracked vehicle in the sand when I hiked it...I figure that's what you would need: a tank! :)

I hiked it and didn't see any car carcasses at the bottom. It looked like there were ATV tracks at the bottom, but I didn't see them on the sand hill. I don't know if maybe there's another way down into the canyon further north.

Mancos Mesa is one of my future trips, but I think it's a wilderness study area, so you may not be able to drive on the mesa north of Moqui. But I haven't been up there, yet, so I don't know for sure.

[Sandstone Addiction]

Did you happen to take some pictures of it?

[keithd]

Here's the road going down into the canyon. I didn't take one while I was hiking it. Unfortunately, the picture doesn't show the really steep sandy part, but it gives you an idea.

53640

And here's one of the tracks down in the canyon.

53641

[Hatchcanyon]

Some additional pictures:

Starting on top:
http://hatchcanyon.eu/Navigation/USA/Utah/Utah_SO/Moqui/DSC00896_9.jpg

The first switchback:
http://hatchcanyon.eu/Navigation/USA/Utah/Utah_SO/Moqui/PICT3543_9.jpg

Looking down to the end of the trail about 500 feet below:
http://hatchcanyon.eu/Navigation/USA/Utah/Utah_SO/Moqui/DSC00897_9.jpg

[Scott P]

Has anybody ever tried to go down and up again?

Yes. On foot.

People do take ATV's down there and illegally run to Lake Powell through the canyon, but ATV's have never been legal in most of the Glen Canyon NRA (there was never a road through Moki Canyon to Powell). They have made a big mess in areas. Unfortunately, they trashed an area around the waterfall and even rode up the midden heaps at the indian ruins (presumably to avoid walking 30 feet to view the ruins).

Riding the road to the bottom of the canyon is legal I believe, but I don't know if I'd ever take a 4X4 down it now days (the dune has been migrating over the years). If you wanted to try your luck winter would be the best bet (frozen sand). If you take an ATV, please stay on the legal trail and there shouldn't be a problem.


Has anybody been on the other side of Moqui Canyon? Is there another route?
Seems to be a very remote area, seems to be very promising.

Yes, I've been there too (on foot). It is the main approach approach to the remote Mancos Mesa. Several years ago (late 70's/early 80's), there was a road going part way (across from the dand dune after descending it) that was illegally constructed by Calvin Black and company that became a court battle at one time. It probably isn't very useable anymore, even with a heavily modified vehicle.

I don't think there is another road out there without going down the sand dune.

Hope this helps.

[Hatchcanyon]

Thank you for the explanation!

All the time we come over to Utah we use some kind of a SUV, last time we had a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. ATV is not for us.