Road Trip Planning| Miles Kms | Item | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0 0.0 |
Junction Utah Highways US 191 and SR 211 |
Eastern end of Utah Highway SR 313 (Indian Creek Corridor Scenic Byway, also known as Squaw Flats Scenic Byway) at mile marker 86.3 on US 191 and 14 miles north of Monticello or 40 miles south of Moab.
The road at first crosses a high desert sage plain and brushy meadowland, studded with outcroppings of colorful slickrock. Beautiful monolithic Church Rock is opposite the junction on the eastern side of US 191.
Access road to Newspaper Rock State Historic Park and The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. NOTE: For highway travel north or south via U.S. Highway #191 - See Milebymile.com Road Map Highway Travel Guide - U.S.#191 - Arizona/Utah State Line to Crescent Junction for driving directions.
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| 0.1 0.2 |
Info Kiosk |
Information about Canyonlands, Utah National Park and Newspaper Rock, Utah State Historic Park. |
| 1.7 2.7 |
Historic Religious Community |
The abandoned structures to the south are remnants of a 1930's religious community. On the horizon are the lofty peaks of the Abajo (or Blue) Mountains (highest peak is 11,360 feet) in the Manti-La Sal, Utah National Forest. |
| 3.0 4.8 |
Photograph Gap |
The notch in the ridgeline is known as Photograph Gap because of the panoramic view that opens up at that point. To the north are more buildings (Marie's Place) of the 1930's religious community. |
| 3.5 5.6 |
Dry Valley Road |
This off-highway vehicle road comes in from the north and connects with Jail Rock Road and the Needles Overlook Road (see US 191 road log). |
| 7.4 11.9 |
Harts Draw |
This drainage originates high in the Abajo Mountains, crosses the valley here, then plunges deeply into the rising terrain to the northwest. |
| 9.5 15.3 |
Harts Draw Road |
Paved road giving access to the Abajo Mountains in the Manti-La Sal, Utah National Forest and to Foy Lake (9.0 miles), Monticello Lake, Utah (10.0 miles), Buckboard Campground (11.5 miles), Dalton Springs Campground (13.0 miles) and Monticello, Utah (18.0) miles.
|
| 9.6 15.4 |
Harts Point Road |
Off-highway vehicle road providing access to the high and isolated Harts Point district of Canyon Rims, Utah Recreation Area with many scenic viewpoints near the trail and numerous spur trails, including one to remote and lovely Aqueduct Arch. |
| 10.6 17.1 |
Indian Creek Canyon |
The road plunges through a series of tight turns into the Indian Creek drainage system to Newspaper Rock. |
| 12.2 19.6 |
Newspaper Rock Recreation Site - Indian Creek |
Indian Creek, Utah originates high in the Abajo Mountains and enters Indian Creek Canyon here from the left. |
| 12.3 19.8 |
Newspaper Rock, Utah State Historic Park |
A rock 'billboard' 8 feet high and 20 feet wide, holding an amazing record of ancient Indian writings. Visitors can see several different petroglyph styles, including Fremont, Anasazi, Navajo and Ute. |
| 13.0 20.9 |
Indio Arch |
Visible in the cliff to the left, about midway up. |
| 14.2 22.9 |
Shay Canyon, Utah |
|
| 14.2 22.9 |
Shay Canyon, Utah |
Shay Canyon comes in from the left. Several petrified tracks of pre-dinosaur therapsids are visible below the righthand abutment of this sidecanyon. The base of the vertical cliffs above it has hundreds of prehistoric petroglyphs. |
| 16.1 25.9 |
Historic Harry Green Ranch |
Remnants of two historic ranch buildings constructed in the 1880s with native stone and logs are visible in the trees to the left of the road. |
| 19.4 31.2 |
Historic Dugout Ranch, Utah |
The historic Dugout Ranch, which was first settled in the mid-1880s, is located to the left of the road near the mouth of Cottonwood Canyon. In the first half of the 20th century, it was owned by the Scorup & Sommerville Corporation. The S&S Cattle Company may have covered more territory than any other ranch in the U.S. Today it is owned by The Nature Conservancy. |
| 20.7 33.3 |
Beef Basin/Elk Mountain |
Access to off-highway vehicle trails, prehistoric Indian ruins and rock art, campsites and hiking trails via Cottonwood Canyon Road. |
| 26.8 43.1 |
Indian Creek |
The road crosses the Indian Creek drainage. |
| 26.9 43.3 |
Davis and Lavender Canyons |
Access to off-highway vehicle trails, hiking trails, primitive campsites, prehistoric Indian ruins and rock art and natural arches. Backcountry permits are required for entrance into Canyonlands, National Park, Utah - The Needles District via either Davis or Lavender Canyon.
|
| 29.7 47.8 |
Lockhart Basin Road |
Access to several off-highway vehicle and hiking trails, prehistoric Indian ruins and rock art, old cowboy camps, old oil drilling artifacts and old uranium mines. It is possible for those with off-road vehicles to drive in a full day to Moab via Lockhart Basin (15 miles) and Hurrah Pass (48 miles). |
| 32.5 52.3 |
Canyonlands National Park, Utah - The Needles District |
Park boundary. |
| 33.9 54.6 |
Needles Outpost |
A private concessionaire area where gas and camping supplies can be purchased. Campground and RV-park. |
| 35.1 56.5 |
Visitor Center |
Thousands of acres of finely shaped orange and beige sandstone pinnacles, mushrooms, fins, and spires are etched on The Needes District of Canyonlands National Park. End of Road Map Highway Travel Guide. -e |