Colorado River Byway to Moab, Dead Horse Point and Island in the Sky

Route description

From Grand Junction, head west on I-70 into Utah and leave at exit 214 for Cisco, a near ghost town. Here Utah 128 bends south to meet the Colorado River and follows it for 70 km to Moab. It is a slower but far better entry than US-191, lined with red cliffs, river campgrounds run by the BLM and pullouts. Stop for the Fisher Towers trail, then look up at Castle Rock above Castle Valley.

Moab is the base for Arches, which needs a timed-entry reservation for much of the year, and for the rest of this route. Stock up on water, fuel and food here; there are no services at Dead Horse Point or Island in the Sky. Early one morning, drive Utah 279 (Potash Road) along the river past petroglyph panels and dinosaur tracks to the Corona Arch trailhead, a 5 km return walk best done before the heat.

Take US-191 north and turn onto Utah 313, which climbs to the mesa top in a series of paved switchbacks, fine for motorhomes. Dead Horse Point State Park branches off first; walk the rim trail and consider a night in one of its two campgrounds for the stars. Canyonlands charges a separate fee at the Island in the Sky entrance, and the park road ends at Grand View Point after about 20 km.

Along the way, stop at Mesa Arch at sunrise, Green River Overlook and the short Upheaval Dome trail. Willow Flat Campground inside the park is small and has no water. To finish, return to US-191 and drive north to I-70, then west to Green River, about 110 km from Grand View Point. The town is known for its summer melons and has the John Wesley Powell River History Museum.