Moab Canyon to Jurassic Park

May 22, 2022

Canyons, red rocks, wide vistas, alpine mountains, paved trails, and a 4 mile 600 foot ascent. Riding through downtown Moab to get to their trail system, we found bike trails that linked us to the Moab Canyon Pathway and also met up with the Mill Creek Pathway.

After getting to the Moab Canyon Pathway, first we rode up the pathway that ran along the Colorado river where we were treated to wonderful views of red rock cliffs, rock formations and the winding river down below. This path had a slight uphill grade but was easy riding. We rode along soaking in the scenery taking pictures as we went along and marveling at how different it is from Florida. We checked out one of the campgrounds along the river and discovered that they are first come first served, with the senior discount only $10 per night.

As we were riding along this looked like a huge hand trying to cling on to the edge of the cliff for dear life.

Legend goes if you visit this cave with a girlfriend or boyfriend you will get married, if you visit with a spouse you will stay married for 50 years, if you visit alone you will be married to the mountain.

The photographer getting the great shot up the cliff face

Then it was back down along the river to head north towards Arches on the other section of the Moab Canyon Pathway (the historic Old Spanish Trail). The first part of this section was along the highway and not as scenic as we had hoped but once we got past the entrance to Arches National Park things started to improve. The trail also began to rise, it rose about 600 feet in 4 miles or so with one section of 7% grade that lasted about 1.3 miles. It was a long uphill but as the trail moved away from the road and wound it’s way through the rocks the scenery was gorgeous. We passed by several mountain bike trails that crossed the pathway some looked like ones we might be able to manage but others looked really technical. Once we made it to the top of the hill we saw several mountain bikers, they looked like they were having a blast! We kept forgetting to turn around and look at the scenery behind us. At one point when we turned around there was a huge range of alpine like mountains, the La Sal mountains, with snow in the crevasses near the tops. They were a beautiful contrast to the red rock nearest us. This trail had several cattle guards where we had to be sure we were riding perpendicular to the cross bars.

Then it was downhill to the end of the trail and the dinosaur park where there are fossils of dinosaur tracks.

The trail ended at the dinosaur park. We rode back up hill towards the Arches entrance and back into town via a wonderful twisty turns downhill where we really had to be careful not to exceed the 20 mph speed limit.

After we got back to town we explored more of the local pathways including the Mill Creek Pathway. This pathway took us by many neighborhoods that had connectors to the pathway, a community garden, a display of old farming implements, and at the end of the pathway a wonderful community park that had a large variety of musical “instruments” that park goers could play.

Next, we are off for four days on the White Rim Trail. We will be off the grid for those days and will be back on line when we have cell service again.

Today's ride: 34 miles (55 km)
Total: 597 miles (961 km)

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