Canyonlands National Park can rightly be regarded as the focal point for a vast area of southeastern Utah canyon country. This wasn't always so. It didn't happen until after a blast of dynamite on October 15, 1956. The United States Government, under the authority of the Colorado River Storage Act, doggedly set about building Glen Canyon dam to flood 186 miles of river, thus inundating some of the worlds most inspiring canyons. The consequences of the subsequent media attention were almost immediate: tourism came to southeastern Utah. The government reacted in 1964 by creating a National Park to protect much of the remaining canyon lands from the destructive impact of visitors. This park was expanded in 1971 and the protected area was expanded yet again by designating thousands of adjoining acres as the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area — ironically named after the most prominent of the canyons the government had flooded.

So what does this have to do with dual sport motorcycling? Quite a lot, actually. During the 1950s, the primary activity in southeastern Utah canyon lands was uranium exploration. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of prospectors mounted bulldozers and pursued visions of sudden wealth across miles of rugged plateaus, down the faces of impossible cliffs and deep into remote canyons. This activity was short lived. A few found their dream; most did not. But they left hundreds of miles of primitive 4WD roads all over canyon lands. The park service, having inherited not only the canyons but also the scars, at first mostly ignored the roads. Without means to remove them or funds to pave them, the park service designated these roads "4WD only" and continued to allow licensed off-road vehicles to explore them. Inadvertently, the U.S. National Park Service created a dual sport motorcyclist's paradise.

Moab, Utah has long been the unofficial capitol of the canyon lands area. More than thirty years ago, a generation of motorcyclists began gathering annually in Moab to ride the nearby canyon land trails. Some trailered in with trail bikes; some rode in on Triumphs and BSAs; some even brought motocross machines; but most had licensed motorcycles with low gearing and sturdy skid plates and they went everywhere. They experienced the awesome traction on Slick Rock trail, marveled at the incredible beauty around the White Rim and tested their sand-riding skill in Salt Creek. Names like Pucker Pass, Shafer Trail and Elephant Hill became part of these rider's vocabulary. They rode dual sport motorcycles although no one called them that. When Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha built large numbers of street-legal dual purpose motorcycles, these bikes were also ridden in Canyonlands. Later, when dramatic racing in the deserts of North Africa would inspire a new kind of large, dual sport motorcycle, these bikes, too, found their way to Moab. The pilgrimage continues. A new dual-sport generation is finding a spiritual home on the 4WD trails of Utah's canyon lands.

What better way to celebrate the grand scale of the canyon lands area than circumnavigating Canyonlands National Park on a dual sport motorcycle. Four hundred and fifty miles long, give or take a few, this ride encompasses some of the most spectacular desert scenery in America. Canyonlands is naturally divided into three distinctly separate areas: the Island in the Sky area north of the Colorado River and east of the Green River; the Maze area on the west side of the Green river; and the Needles area south of the Colorado River. All three areas contain many miles of primitive roads and 4WD trails. What dual sport motorcyclist could resist traveling all around Canyonlands using paved roads only where necessary to cross rivers and connect trails.

Over the years since the late sixties, I have ridden all but a few non-technical miles of this proposed loop. However, when I started this article, there were parts that I hadn't ridden for many years. I had last ridden Lockhart Basin thirty years ago on a 650 Triumph. It seemed prudent to reride these trails before finishing the article. This I did in April, year 2000, accompanied by Scott Scarborough from Montrose, Colorado, and Hubert Betzen of Grand Junction, Colorado. Scott rode a KTM 640 LC4, Hubert was on a Yamaha XT600 and I rode a Kawasaki KLR650. Both the KTM and Kawasaki were down one tooth on the countershaft sprocket; the KTM had a factory-made larger fuel tank; the Yamaha was box-stock.

We are all experienced riders. Scott was an expert-class motocross rider and Penton dealer in the seventies; Hubert was the number two-ranked open-class motocross rider in Colorado in the mid-seventies; both ride vintage motocross on Pentons. I have no claim to fame but always enjoy tailing along with skilled riders.

So what are these trails like now for the rider who would ride once around Canyonlands? For the experienced, competent off-pavement rider, ninety percent of this ride is fast graded dirt and gravel or easy primitive road and 4WD trail; nine percent is moderately rough; maybe one percent difficult, challenging, dangerous and perhaps impossible for riders on big, heavy dual sports with tall gearing. This is not a how-to article; I'm not going to explain how to plan this trip. Suffice it to say that anyone attempting such a ride should already know how to plan for riding in remote desert areas and should have a sober understanding of how the desert can quickly become deadly to an unprepared rider in trouble. Do it wrong, and you may end up a one paragraph anecdote in someone's book on the dangers of desert travel. Don't even try it in the heat of summer. Don't try it unless you are confident of your skill on the machine you will ride. I say, "most of it is easy." Yet, I've seen novice riders struggle on the White Rim Trail. Nothing on the White Rim is nearly as difficult or dangerous as certain other parts of this ride.

Should you contemplate riding this loop, you will need good maps. What follows is not an explicit route sheet.

All rides start somewhere. What better place to start this one than Moab, home of the annual Dual sport Rally. For no particular reason, we will do this loop counter-clockwise. Younger riders might complete this ride in two or three days, but not without risking arrest for speeding on national park land. Older riders may want four days. Riders planning four-day trips will find logical daily destinations to be Green River, Hite, the south end of the Lockhart Basin trail, and Moab. Gasoline is available at or near all four destinations (the Needles Outpost, near Lockhart Basin road, is seasonal). Camping near these daily destinations will not be on National Park land; backcountry permits are not required. You will need a park pass to ride through any portion of the loop within Canyonlands National Park.

The best route from Moab to Green River, using the least amount of pavement, includes the White Rim Trail. You'll be hard pressed to find a more spectacular ride anywhere. Although not a technical challenge for the experienced rider, the scenery alone makes this an ideal dual sport ride. Head north out of Moab, cross the Colorado River, turn left on highway 279 and enjoy seventeen miles of paved scenic river road. After Potash, the pavement ends. Ten miles later, the road forks. Turn right and climb the Shafer Trail switchbacks up on top, or turn left and begin the White Rim Trail.

The White Rim Trail is a little over seventy miles long. You may hear bigger numbers; even the park service sometimes claims it's over 100 miles long. These bigger numbers all include other roads at either end, necessary to complete a loop. You are using the White Rim as part of a much bigger loop. The first forty miles or so are easy riding. There are side trips and things to see along the way; I'm not going to mention every place you should stop; it's all pretty. Your first troublesome spot may be Murphy Hogback. This climb intimidates some riders but not you if you are experienced enough for what's ahead on days three and four. Pay attention to your line the last 100 yards or so.

I do suggest you stop on Murphy Hogback. Park your bike, find a comfortable rock and look around. In the southwestern distance, towards the Henry Mountains, you can see the Orange Cliffs. Tomorrow, you will be riding along the top edge of those cliffs. Somewhere near the south end, you will switch down the Flint Trail to the valley below and ride on south to Hite. Further around south, before you come to the Abajo mountains, you can see Bears Ears. You will be there on the third day, maybe even the second day, high among the ponderosas and aspens — quite a contrast to the desert below.

If you aren't impressed, this is a good place to turn around and return to Moab. Thirty years ago, I was stopped at Newspaper Rock, near the Needles area, resting my Triumph and admiring the ancient pictographs. A motorhome wheeled in, pulled up next to me and a passenger rolled her window down. "What's on down this road?" she asked. "Is it just more of the same?" "Yeah," I replied, "it's just more of the same." She turned to the driver, "I told you so!" They motored off without even a glance at Newspaper Rock.

It's more of the same for the next three and a half days, but it's all different.

The White Rim gets rougher after Murphy Hogback. You suspect this as you drop off the sudden steep step on the north edge. The trail twists, turns, climbs and drops until it finally takes you down to the Green River level. Watch for sand traps. Narrow front tires on heavy motorcycles don't work well in deep soft sand. The tire sinks, the contact patch moves forward, trail is reduced to negative and you end up pushing a caster backwards.

Just when you think you may be nearing the end of the trail, you make a couple sudden steep climbing turns and up you go again. Not far from here, a trail branches off to a small prehistoric ruin, centered on a butte, surrounded by a horseshoe bend in the river and framed by a grand curve of towering canyon walls. This scene is so startlingly symmetrical, the scale so large, the setting so spectacular and unreal that it may haunt you as it does me. The park service won't let you ride out there anymore and you probably won't want to walk it in your Combat Touring boots. Next time, ride in from Mineral Canyon with some walking shoes.

After a few more ups and downs and a few nice sand traps, you will finally come to a fork in the road. This is the end of the White Rim Trail. Continue on to Mineral Bottom, or turn right and climb the switchbacks up out of Mineral Canyon.

There is an old landing strip in Mineral Bottom — left from the uranium mining days. Simple enough — someone just bulldozed a straight line through the tamarisks; it may be overgrown now. Twenty-five years ago, my son and I spent three days doing about seventy miles of Green River in an eleven foot inflatable canoe, ending our trip at Mineral Bottom. I had hired a pilot out of Green River to pick us up there. He landed at 6:00 A.M. the next morning to take advantage of cool, dense air. Still, after loading us up and taking off he followed the winding canyon for several turns before gaining enough altitude to leave it. As much fun as dual sports are, there are other interesting ways to see canyon lands.

Up the switchbacks and you're out of the canyon and on Horsethief Trail. From here it's a graded road for twelve miles or so to highway 313. Once there, I'm afraid you have to travel north on pavement for about four miles to pick up another dirt road on north towards the town of Green River. This road is not marked, but you can't miss it. There is a "View Point" sign nearby although the view point is on the other side of the road. Follow your map for about thirty miles, duck under I-70 and you will be on old US highway 6 and 50. Travel it westward fourteen miles to Green River where you will find water, gasoline, food and the road south across the San Rafael desert.

It's easy to find the San Rafael desert road. From downtown Green River, head south on Long Street. Follow the most obvious road, over the railroad tracks, under the Interstate highway and on south into the desert. If this was 100 years ago, you might be Butch Cassidy headed for Robber's Roost. Some members of the Wild Bunch did cross the San Rafael desert on their way to the Roost; others went to Hanksville first.

Some people may find the San Rafael desert boring. I like it. It's a big place with very little human activity. Once, about midway across this desert, I paced a small herd of wild horses. They were running fast on a parallel course — not too close, but close enough for me to sense the powerful muscles of the proud white stallion in the lead. Big desert, no fences, pure freedom. Soon, they veered off behind a butte and were gone. A dreamlike image I'll never forget.

It's seventy miles, more or less, to the ranger outpost on Hans Flats. At about 29 miles, take the left fork towards Horseshoe Canyon. You may have heard about some really impressive pictographs in Horseshoe Canyon. You've probably seen pictures of them in National Geographic and other magazines. Life sized, ghost-like figures painted on the canyon wall — you find them after walking several miles down into the canyon bottom. My wife and I hiked the round trip years ago on a 105 degree day. We had long-sleeved shirts, hiking boots, one-gallon canteens and really big hats. Add this to your list of places to re-visit with your walking shoes.

Skip the side trip to the Horseshoe Canyon parking area and follow the road to Hans Flat. Check your map if in doubt at intersections. You won't be far into the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area when you come to the ranger outpost. You must stop here. Tell them you are just passing through, assure them your motorcycle is street-legal, promise not to camp in their domain and be on your way.

It's nine more miles to the Flint Trail. I suggest you pull off to the left soon after leaving the ranger outpost — on an established trail. Park your bike, find a comfortable spot and admire the view from the Orange Cliffs. Look close and you may spot Murphy Hogback.

The Flint Trail is one of those spots where you quickly lose several hundred feet of altitude by switchbacking down the face of a cliff. It's easy or difficult depending on recent rains and washouts. If you are riding a big, heavy dual sport with tall gearing, you might want to walk the trail first. It's hard to change your mind when you are part way down on a steep section. There are several tight, rough turns. Be careful. Just past the bottom of the Flint Trail is an intersection. Study your map or follow the signs to Hite, 35 miles on south.

After five miles or so, you will see a side road to Sunset Pass. If you are making good time, check it out. It's only about four miles or less to the top of the pass. From there you will be looking down South Hatch Canyon toward the Henry Mountains. You are seeing some really remote country, now. You can't get there in a vehicle except by the road you are on which ends up in a stream bed and is really hard to find from below, or you might come in from the west, down Poison Spring Canyon from highway 95. After you ford the Dirty Devil river and drive for miles (on a road that may or may not be passable anymore) to North Hatch Canyon you can cross a ridge into South Hatch. I like South Hatch Canyon. I've camped there several times and I've never seen another soul. That was mostly long ago. I had a boat named South Hatch on the Chesapeake Bay — surely the only boat on the east coast named after a remote Utah canyon. [Note: since this article was published, I rode west over Sunset Pass and out through Poison Spring Canyon. The road down from Sunset Pass into South Hatch Canyon no longer disappears in a stream bed; it is now marked and easy to follow. The road from North Hatch to the Dirty Devil was easy riding but showed evidence of recent road work to repair washouts that would have made the road impassable. The Poison Spring Canyon road frequently travels the boulder-strewn stream bed, an exceptionally rough route. --Verle Nelson]

Meanwhile, back on the road south, continue on towards Hite. This road ends at highway 95, midway between two arms of Lake Powell. One arm extends up the Dirty Devil, the other up the Colorado. Turn south yet again and cross the bridge over Lake Powell. Two miles beyond the bridge, a road to the right leads to the Hite campground and marina. Go there for water, gasoline and snack food.

Fueled, watered and snacked, consider your next move. I find the crowds around Hite unpleasant after being in remote areas. It should be early in the afternoon, so why not move on. If the nights are cool, you may want to camp in the lower desert; if the evenings are hot, you may want to camp in the pines near Bears Ears. A short distance farther south on highway 95 you'll find a primitive road to the left. This road can get you to Bears Ears but there are several junctions along the way — you'll need a good map.

It's forty-five or fifty miles to the junction with the road north towards the Needles, another twenty miles or so to a critical fork in the trail. Use your map to stay on the right road.

At the critical fork in the road, near Horse Mountain, you have a choice: you can turn right and head past Cathedral Butte towards the Dugout Ranch, or you can continue on through Beef Basin to the Needles area of Canyonlands National Park. This later route will take you through several nasty sections of trail. Elephant Hill will be the worst. A word of caution:

I walked Elephant Hill this April and chose not to ride it. Thirty years ago I crossed it on a 650 Triumph. I've been over it on other motorcycles and several 4WD vehicles. But not this time. Not on a KLR650 or any big dual sport. Neither Scott nor Hubert expressed disappointment with my decision. Perhaps they were only being kind to an older rider. We discussed it at length. They said it was rough enough to serve as sections in a vintage trials for older machines. We all agreed there was no part of Elephant Hill we couldn't ride but we didn't like the idea of so many back-to-back sections with no room to regain our composure if we got off our line. [Note: the park service closed Elephant Hill for repairs during the summer of 2000. I don't know what it is like now. --Verle Nelson]

Elephant Hill is an up-one-side, down-the-other ridge composed of steep rock slopes, ledges, holes, boulders and loose stuff. This is a place for riders who are relaxed and confident standing on the pegs and using body-English to keep to a wisely chosen line. Ideally, this rider will be mounted on an agile motorcycle with low enough gearing to avoid stalling the engine. If this accurately describes you and your motorcycle, then Elephant Hill is a piece of cake. With age comes caution.

If you are confident that no such hill can hinder your progress, then by all means continue on north. It's about nine miles to Beef Basin. Study your map carefully and head towards Bobby's Hole. The park service literature says Bobby's Hole is "sometimes impassable." Without qualification, that information is not very helpful. Do they mean after a big rain? During a snow storm? I didn't ride Bobby's Hill this April, but 4WDrivers reported it far less daunting than Elephant Hill. If this spot looks bad, I definitely encourage you to walk it before riding on. Be certain you could come back up if you had to. If you make it down and ride the 25 miles to Elephant Hill but decide not to try it, you will be trapped if you can't retreat and climb Bobby's Hill. You would have little choice but to park your bike and walk out.

Soon after entering the park, you will come to S.O.B. Hill. It is rough and steep, but not very high. The Needles area is laced with a bewildering network of 4WD roads, some of which are one-way. Most are well marked. Check your map. You won't want to waste time and fuel on the wrong road. There are a couple nasty sections before Elephant Hill but you can handle them or you wouldn't have come this way.

Twenty-six years ago, my wife and I packed our gear into an eleven-foot inflatable canoe, drifted and paddled down 100 miles of Green River plus six miles of Colorado River to Spanish Bottom, then loaded everything on backpacks and hiked fifteen miles up out of the canyon and out over Elephant Hill to the ranger residence area where we had left our Norton Motorcycle six days earlier. After transferring everything to the Norton, we rode 125 miles back to the town of Green River to get our car and trailer. Sometimes, one vehicle is not enough for Canyonlands.

You will have to face Elephant Hill sooner or later. You may find that it's easy and it is easy enough if you make it. The problem is, not only are the rough parts rough, but the steep part is really steep. Some bikes don't make it. Believe me. This is a dangerous hill. Park ranger stories tell of 4WD fatalities here.

If you do make it over Elephant Hill, it's only a few miles to water, fuel and the Lockhart Basin road.

If you chose, instead, to take the alternate route towards Dugout Ranch, it's not as if you won't see some beautiful country. In fact, a short side trip should provide adequate compensation for anything you missed. A few miles up the right-hand road from the critical fork you will pass the north base of Cathedral Butte. You can't miss it. Right at the base of the butte is an unmarked road to the left. Follow it 2 or 3 miles to the end and be rewarded with a stunning view of all the country you have ridden these past three days.

It's now about twenty miles of graded, sandy road to highway 211. This will put you a few miles south of the Lockhart Basin road. From there, it's only another few miles farther on highway 211 to water, fuel and food at the Needles Outpost. There are plenty of places to camp along the Lockhart Basin road.

The Lockhart Basin road is the last leg of the loop. It's about sixty miles to Moab. There may be sand in a few sections. Several miles beyond Indian Creek, you will come to a confusing fork in the road. Take the left fork and you will dead-end at the Colorado River in Lockhart Canyon; take the right fork and follow the base of high plateaus onward toward your Moab destination. This will be the most difficult part of the loop if you bypassed Elephant Hill. I probably wouldn't try it on a KLR650 with stock gearing. You will find the worst of the bad spots about six miles before Hurrah Pass. Like any wash-out area, the condition can vary from year to year. If it looks too dangerous, don't ride it. Don't be tempted to do something foolish just because you are close to the end of the ride. Why hurt yourself only 25 miles from Moab? There is no off-pavement alternative for this section. You'll have to go back to your last fuel stop, top up your tank and ride seventy miles of pavement to Moab.

Hurrah Pass is an appropriately named spot to stop and congratulate yourself. Just being there constitutes evidence of a ride well done. You may even have a new respect for yourself and your dual sport motorcycle. This is adventure touring — southeastern Utah style. I've explored Canyonlands by foot, car, boat, plane and 4WD, but a good motorcycle is still my favorite way to go.

From here, the road continues to improve until finally you cruise into Moab on pavement.