The Bears Ears Loops

• The Western Wildlands Route to Green River 
• 110 miles
• 3,300’ elevation gain
• 80% natural surfaces, 20% paved
• 2-3 days out
• 6/10 physical difficulty
• 4.5/10 technical difficulty

From above 10,000 feet in elevation on the high Wasatch Plateau to the Green River 6,000 feet below, Segment 1 emphasizes the topographic relief of the Colorado Plateau. In between those endpoints lies the ranching town of Castle Dale and the remote and shadeless periphery of the San Rafael Swell. The Swell is an upwarped region of bedrock that has been eroded into rugged castles, hogbacks, fins, and canyons that are visible from the route. Nearer to Green River, barren shale badlands become more dominant. The riding on this segment is mostly on bladed gravel and dirt roads with 20 miles of rougher 4×4 track on the east side of the San Rafael Swell toward Green River. Virtually all of this segment is impassable when wet.

• Green River to the Henry Mountains
• 291 miles
• 23,000’ elevation gain
• 65% natural surfaces, 35% paved
• 5-7 days out
• 6/10 physical difficulty
• 4.5/10 technical difficulty

This segment is canonical Colorado Plateau riding at its finest – wide open high desert badlands, deep sandstone canyons, isolated mountain ranges, cliff bands that stretch as far as the eye can see, and so much more. After the quiet shale hill country between Green River and the bustling tourist hub of Moab, this segment crosses the original boundaries of Bears Ears National Monument and snakes its way above the Colorado River on the Lockhart Basin 4×4 road adjacent to Canyonlands National Park. Then the route climbs into aspen and spruce forests high in the Abajo Mountains before traversing southward to the scenic Elk Ridge. Still high above the desert, Elk Ridge offers refuge from the warmer temperatures below. At the southern end of Elk Ridge stand the revered Bears Ears Buttes, sentinels over the distant canyon country. Turning west, the route gradually descends amid redrock mesas and deep canyons toward the Colorado River bridge and the northernmost extent of Lake Powell at Hite. High above the towering sandstone cliffs are the Henry Mountains, the last mountains in the Lower 48 to be surveyed. A quiet paved climb amid slickrock walls leads to those mountains, and a rougher 4×4 track climbs to Wickieup Pass at just over 10,000 feet elevation at the crest of the range. Long stretches of this segment are impassible when wet, necessitating paying close attention to weather forecasts.

• Green River to the Henry Mountains
• 81 miles
• 1,500’ elevation gain
• 45% natural surfaces, 55% paved (95% natural surfaces on the San Rafael alternate)
• 1-2 days out
• 5/10 physical difficulty
• 3/10 technical difficulty

This short segment connects the crest of the Henry Mountains north to Green River through the San Rafael Desert. After expansive views at Wikieup Pass, the route descends steadily from 9,000’ to nearly 4,000’ at the small ranching town of Hanksville on maintained dirt roads. North of Hanksville, riders can opt to stick to the quiet Highway 24 pavement along the eastern edge of the San Rafael Swell and among sand dunes and badlands to pass the warm low-elevation miles more quickly. However, the San Rafael Desert Alternate offers an off-pavement option to the east on bladed dirt roads that may be sandy and washboarded in places. The southern half of this segment and much of the San Rafael Desert Alternate are impassible when wet, necessitating paying close attention to weather forecasts.

• Henry Mountains to the Western Wildlands Route
• 117 miles
• 12,000’ elevation gain
• 80% natural surfaces, 55% paved
• 2-3 days out
• 6/10 physical difficulty
• 4.5/10 technical difficulty

From the isolated peaks of the Henry Mountains to the sprawling Aquarius Plateau, this segment begins and ends at 10,000 feet. Near the eastern end of this segment at Bull Creek Pass, a short trail to the summit of Mount Ellen is well worth the side trip. Below the high peaks and plateaus lies the Burr Desert and Capitol Reef National Park where tilted layers of sandstone in the Waterpocket Fold create a nearly impenetrable barrier to travel. The Burr Trail switchbacks negotiate those sandstone hogbacks and provide access to the quirky rural community of Boulder Town. After the dry slopes of the Henry Mountains, the forested flanks of the Aquarius Plateau will feel downright lush, complete with flowing streams and small lakes. Long stretches of this segment are impassible when wet, necessitating paying close attention to weather forecasts.

• Western Wildlands Route to Salina
• 128 miles
• 9,000’ elevation gain
• 75% natural surfaces, 15% paved
• 2-4 days out
• 6/10 physical difficulty
• 4.5/10 technical difficulty

Running congruently with part of Segment 6 of the Western Wildlands Route, Segment 4 traverses the western margin of the Colorado Plateau through Utah’s high plateau country. The climbs and descent are long, the views from up high are absolutely massive, and the geology dramatic. Elevations range from 5,000 feet in the lowest basins to well over 10,000 feet atop the highest plateaus. The northern end of the segment is on the Wasatch Plateau, following part of Skyline Drive, a 100-mile-long rugged and rough 4×4 road that traverses the length of the plateau. Heading southbound, the route plunges 5,500 feet down to the town of Salina before climbing more gradually along creeks and through higher sage-covered valleys to the scenic Fish Lake to the north. A descent leads to the small town of Loa before another 3,000 foot ascent takes riders back into the pines atop the sprawling Aquarius Plateau. Long stretches of this segment are impassible when wet, necessitating paying close attention to weather forecasts. Snow will likely persist into early summer on this segment, longer than any other parts of the Bears Ears Loops.