The La Sal Loop Road, from Moab to Castle Valley, Utah - 2008

The La Sal Loop Road, from Moab to Castle Valley, Utah

Driving the La Sal Loop Road is one of the highlights of any visit to Moab, Utah.  Talking to the natives, I heard that it is best if one drives first to the foothills of the La Sal Mountains, then over the pass to Castle Valley and finally to return downstream along the Colorado River.  By traveling this counterclockwise route, all of the major sights appear in your front windshield, rather than to the side or behind you.

 

Although most guidebooks will direct you south, along Spanish Valley Drive, then up Geyser Pass Road until it connects to the La Sal Loop Road, there is a better way to go.  If you have four-wheel-drive, you can start in Moab at the Sand Flats Road.  By indicating that we were “traveling through”, rather than planning to stay and play at the Sand Flats Recreation Area, we were waved through at no charge.

 

If you take the Sand Flats route, be sure to have an accurate map or Utah Road Atlas, as you might want to verify landmarks and directions along the way.  Still, for an alert motorist, the road is not all that challenging.

 

Along the way, we met only two vehicles, so plan for self-sufficiency in case of breakdown or weather delays.  If you take the Sand Flats Road all the way to its terminus at the La Sal Loop Road, your rewards will include views of some spectacular slickrock formations, a relict forest of Aspens and Pines, Indian caves and close-up vistas of the snow-covered La Sal Mountains.

 

Once you reach the entrance to the Manti La Sal National Forest, you will find an abundance of great places to stop along the road for a romantic picnic or just a walk in the woods.  Although several bicycle trails intersect the road, we saw no cyclists on our visit.

 

With the peaks of the La Sal Mountains still bathed in snow from a late June storm, we elected to stay on the Loop Road, rather than venture into the high country on muddy or impassable forest roads.  With our altitude hovering at 7000 feet, or more, the air temperature along the road can be a relief from the heat of Moab or it can be downright cold, so plan accordingly.

 

Traveling north, then west along the Loop, one soon descends down to the upper reaches of Castle Valley, a well-watered and idyllic retreat for latter-day hippies, ranchers and those who like to live “away from it all”.  Among the benefits of living or visiting in that valley are the sandstone towers, made famous by Chevrolet ads in the 60s and by filmmakers since the time of the earliest Westerns.

 

If you are expecting full services in Castle Valley, think again.  Although there are bed and breakfast establishments, we could find no general store, post office, restaurant or gas station.  In other words, be sure you have a full tank of gas and enough food to carry you through until you get to the resorts and restaurants along the Colorado River.

 

Although you can race around the La Sal Loop in three hours or less, plan to spend an entire afternoon exploring its many wonders.  You will not regret the time spent in its desert and alpine environments.

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By James McGillis at 04:27 PM | | Comments (0) | Link