MEET UP INFORMATION:- LINE-UP: Line-up in lot by Shell Station on E. Spanish Trail Rd just off of Hwy-191 in South Moab. (Across the Hwy from the RV park)Cotter Mine Road(BLM215) & Hwy 191 (on the west side of Hwy 191), just north of Archview campground. About 9 miles north of the Colorado River bridge as you travel on US-191 N
- COORDINATES: N 38°31.748', W 109°30.108'
- TRAILHEAD: On up the road from the Shell
TRAIL DESCRIPTION:The trail lies between Moab and the La Sal Mountains in the vicinity of Mill Creek, a major drainage from the mountains. It crosses the creek a few times and travels a lovely part of Mill Creek Canyon. It overlooks the North Fork of Mill Creek as it climbs to the base of South Mesa on the skirts of the La Sal Mountains. Portions of the trail are in two beautiful, but different-looking, parts of Mill Creek Canyon. Other portions ride the higher country toward the mountains and overlook canyonlands vistas toward the west from a 6,000-foot elevation. This trail's difficulty rating keeps moving around as the conflicting forces of erosion and trail repair modify the obstacles.
The major obstacle on this trail is a steep drop nicknamed “Tail of the Dragon,” which will cause anxiety for drivers of short wheelbase vehicles. The 6- to 8-foot (depending upon current trail condition) sheer drop does have a bypass, but it’s not much less intimidating with its off-camber rocky descent. We will drive this obstacle with extreme caution, one vehicle at a time. From there, the trail returns to normal, with sandy sections interrupted by rock ledges and a final creek crossing before returning to a gravel road.
