Thompson Springs, Utah wheeling south to Arches NP via Salt Valley, Klondike Bluffs

[roverrocks]

The wife and I spent two days 4x4ing and hiking in the Moab, Utah area on Dec. 28/29. There was 1-4 inches of old crusty snow making the vistas and sandstone terrain very beautiful and peaceful. Saw almost nobody both days except at the main paved Arches NP areas we spent little time at. On Sunday Dec. 29 saw no other vehicle or person anywhere we went. Lovely, quiet, windless, and amazing in the winter. Real solitude almost anywhere. Stayed one night at the famed Red Cliffs Lodge along the Colorado River in Professor Valley. With a winter half price rate plus two discount coupons we could almost afford it at this lovely lodge where the ghosts of John Ford and John Wayne seem to linger.
The first day on Dec. 28 we started out southward from Thompson Springs, Utah and wound our way through Salt Valley taking side 4x4 trails until we entered Arches NP. WE then took the Tower Arch 4x4 Trail to near the arch itself seeing many great vistas of the Klondike Bluffs, Marching Men, La Sal Mountains, and distant Monitor and Merrimac Buttes plus far distant Moab Rim and Abajo Mountains. Then we headed south on the Arches NP 4x4 route to Eye of The Whale Arch which was about 10 lovely winding miles away to the south. Great snow-clad views in every direction. We then hit the paved Arched NP Road , viewed some of the busy tourist arches and headed to Moab, gassed up, and headed 15 miles east on scenic Highway 128 to our Red Cliffs Lodge room in the Professor Valley along the Colorado River. Spent a fascinating time at the Old West Movie Museum at the Lodge. Good stuff there if you are an old movie buff like I am. Here are photos from our first day out on Sat. 28. On another thread I will detail what we saw northwest of Moab on Day 2 on a sky-blue day even better than what we saw on Day 1. Click on the PICTURES TO ENLARGE THEM.

 

[roverrocks]

Moab Area Pictures from Dec. 28, 2013 continued

More pictures. CLICK ON PICTURES TO ENLARGE.

 

[roverrocks]

Moab Area Pictures from Dec. 28, 2013 continued

More pictures from Dec. 28th. Click on them to enlarge.

 

[roverrocks]

Moab Area Pictures from Dec. 28, 2013 continued

More pictures from the Eye of the Whale Arch area and Arches NP in the snow. The Colorado River picture was taken at dusk looking eastwards upstream from out the backdoor of our Red Cliffs Lodge unit and into Professor Valley, Utah. Click on pictures to enlarge.

 

[stioc]

Beautiful pics! I take it you didn't run the Klondike Bluff's trail? If you run it all the way (starting from the highway) it gets gnarly towards the end just before it connects to the flat dirt road which also takes you to the Tower Arch trail.

 

[roverrocks]

Beautiful pics! I take it you didn't run the Klondike Bluff's trail? If you run it all the way (starting from the highway) it gets gnarly towards the end just before it connects to the flat dirt road which also takes you to the Tower Arch trail.

No, we did not do the Klondike Bluff Trail from Hy 191 and then up and over to the Salt Valley Road. We just came straight south/southeastward down the Salt Valley Road ("flat dirt road") from the Thompson Springs I-70 exit all the way to Arches NP taking several side trails. I've never been on that "gnarly" section but want to do it sometime when warm and dry.

 

[upcruiser]

Nice! I have wanted to check out that route down to Arches as an alternative to driving into Moab on pavement along the Colorado. My wife and I were debating doing a couple of days down that way just before Christmas. Love the contrast of the red rock and snow, but decided for a staycation and relax instead. Your Disco is perfect, makes me miss my D1. Thanks for sharing.

 

[stioc]

No, we did not do the Klondike Bluff Trail from Hy 191 and then up and over to the Salt Valley Road. We just came straight south/southeastward down the Salt Valley Road ("flat dirt road") from the Thompson Springs I-70 exit all the way to Arches NP taking several side trails. I've never been on that "gnarly" section but want to do it sometime when warm and dry.

Salt Valley Road, that's it! Depending on your tire size you may not find that section (the last 2 miles or so before Salt Valley Rd) of Klondike Bluffs super challenging but I had to be careful and required frequent spotting. It was a slow going. lbrito's Rubicon on 35s did fine but even he also commented whether Klondike Bluff's trail being rated 'mild' was a misinterpretation or if us SoCal-ers are just a wimpy bunch lol. Hope you get a chance to try that section and see what you think of it.

Your map also shows two trails going up to Tower Arch from Salt Valley Road? if so, we must've taken the harder route as I recall it too having a few harder sections, again coming from a guy with a mild lift and relatively small tires.

 

[roverrocks]

Salt Valley Road, that's it! Depending on your tire size you may not find that section (the last 2 miles or so before Salt Valley Rd) of Klondike Bluffs super challenging but I had to be careful and required frequent spotting. It was a slow going. lbrito's Rubicon on 35s did fine but even he also commented whether Klondike Bluff's trail being rated 'mild' was a misinterpretation or if us SoCal-ers are just a wimpy bunch lol. Hope you get a chance to try that section and see what you think of it.

Your map also shows two trails going up to Tower Arch from Salt Valley Road? if so, we must've taken the harder route as I recall it too having a few harder sections, again coming from a guy with a mild lift and relatively small tires.

There is only one Tower Arch 4x4 Trail and that is the marked trail that you and I both followed. Rough in some spots. The apparent north 4x4 trail (unmarked with color on my little map) is the Tower Arch hiking trail which is a 2.5 mile hiking trail to the Arch and then 2.5 miles back to the trailhead. This Trailhead is an easy 1 mile in from the Salt Valley Road but appears longer on the map. A better map of the area is the National Geographic Trails Illustrated Moab North map or the full Arches NP map. Here is a much better map view from Trails Illustrated of the Tower Arch area. This little view does not show the short but rough section from the Klondike Bluffs Trail over to the Salt Valley Road. I would rate the Klondike Bluffs Trail as moderate rather than "easy".

 

[mph]

I did the te trail earlier this fall....the climb up hill definitely got my attention! I remember taking a right off of salt valley road and thinking this is such a nice, mellow trail....that quickly changed to wow, that's a hill! The climb and down the backside, I would rate as moderate for sure...

Great pics! They have some snow there...

 

[4D55 Performance]

Those are some great pics and that is always a fun route. You are right, the Tower Arch trail has become more difficult in recent years. It is rated as mild but it is more of a moderate trail. Personally I think it is more difficult that the famed Hell's Revenge. Most stock SUV's would not be able to do this trail at this time. The north end is really rough and requires high clearance. A traction aid is not necessary but it would help in a few spots. One thing is for sure, you don't have to worry about running into any Subaru's or mall crawlers.

 

[SmoothLC]

One thing is for sure, you don't have to worry about running into any Subaru's or mall crawlers.

Well, that puts me out. But seriously, does anyone have a pic from a map that shows the Klondike Bluffs Trail to Salt Valley Road? (Hard to navigate using Google Earth.)

I'm sure a little exploring would reveal it, but would take a pic from a map if anyone has one.

Last time we were in that part of the park we had a 4Runner and drove up part of the Tower Arch trail before deciding to turn around due to the time.

 

[roverrocks]

Well, that puts me out. But seriously, does anyone have a pic from a map that shows the Klondike Bluffs Trail to Salt Valley Road? (Hard to navigate using Google Earth.)

I'm sure a little exploring would reveal it, but would take a pic from a map if anyone has one.

Last time we were in that part of the park we had a 4Runner and drove up part of the Tower Arch trail before deciding to turn around due to the time.

Try this report from traildamage.com on the Klondike Bluffs trail. The map it has in the report shows the route from Klondike Bluffs to the Salt Valley Road.
http://www.traildamage.com/trails/index.php?id=181

 

[SmoothLC]

Thanks Rover!