There’s a hidden treasure in the Moab area that only some locals know about. It’s the Potash and the Shafer trail.
March of 2005.
How to get to those trails? If you are heading south on Highway 191, just after you pass the entrance to the Arches National Park, there’s a small road on the right that runs toward the Colorado River. That’s the Utah State Road 279. It’s about 4 miles to the north of Moab city. There’s a sign by the road informing you this is a scenic byway. It’s so inconspicuous you can easily miss it. The first part of the road is paved. The road goes up slope a little bit, then runs flat and parallel to the Colorado River. This part is called the Wall Street. Steep cliffs rise up above the river along side the road, presenting one with strong contrast and fantastic views. Somewhere along this segment, about 5 miles from the US 191 and SR 279 junction, there are Indian petroglyphs. I don’t know much about the Indian Petroglyph, though to me they always seem somewhat fascinating.
It was well into the afternoon when I pulled onto SR 279. The paved road did not take long. Had plenty time to enjoy the river-cliff view, take pictures, and study the petroglyphs. Then I kept driving down the road for another 8 miles or so, and saw the Jughandle Arch on the right. It’s not as awesome as the delicate arch, but it’s not the arch on the beaten track either. Then another 2 miles down the road, it’s the Potash Plant. They make chemicals here. There’s a river ramp for boating. This is where the paved road ends. From here, there’s a dirt trail going up the hill. This is the potash trail. The potash trail is a 4X4 trail, though on good days you can get by with any vehicle that has a high ground clearance.
The fun began as the dirt trail emerged and paved road disappeared. I was driving down the deserted land. There’s nobody else in sight. Just us. There were cattle grazing a couple miles into the dirt road. There’s a gate to keep them from running loose. I went past the gate, drove up the slope, and emerged at the Colorado River overlook. The moment I stepped outside of car, I was struck breathless. It’s hard to find a word to describe what I saw. At my back were the huge formations in the Dead Horse Point state park. In front of me, hundreds of feet down, was this peaceful river flowing silently. It’s hard to imagine it is this very same river that made this much erosion in this area. All of a sudden I felt so small, so vulnerable.
The trail goes downgrade from here. A few miles down it’s the junction to Shafer trail and also a short side trail down the trail to the Musselman Arch, which I would recommend to everyone. You can actually walk on the arch, if you are not afraid of height. Make a right turn at the junction, and you are now on the Shafer trail. It’s exciting because this is where you are literally driving on the cliff edge. Driving up the cliff is easier than it seemed. But if it’s your first time exploring a canyon land, this is exciting enough. A turn would emerge just as you thought you had came to a dead end, running into the hill. A few feet aside are the cliffs. You can use all your imaginations, but I promise you that you won’t be disappointed if you take the trail. The Shafer trail ends at the Island in the Sky area in the Canyonland National Park. It’s only a 12 mile trail, but when I drove up to the pavement, it’s almost dark.
If possible, I would recommend going down the trail. Of course this means serious 4x4. You need to have low gear otherwise your brakes will overheat and lose control. Definitely check out the inside of the trail. That whole area has hundreds of miles of trails. It takes days to finish. It’s endless fun. A GPS is nice to have. But if you stick to the trails you should be fine. Any questions let me know.
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