Black Dragon Wash

Black Dragon Wash is located on the eastern cusp of the San Rafael Swell. This ride has two highlights: a doubletrack ride through the narrows, and a broad slickrock ramp that climbs to a view into the narrows, from 800 feet above the wash. The narrows can be done as an out-and-back (10 to 28 miles depending on the turnaround spot), or as a shuttle ride of 14.7 all-downhill miles. Because of loose rock and some tricky wash-crossings, the ride would be intermediate technical overall.

View in the narrows of Black Dragon Wash, looking east downhill. The cliffs are Navajo sandstone. Photos November 4, 2002 by Bruce.

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The one-way ride starts high in the mesa area of the San Rafael Swell. After a couple of flat miles, it descends another 12 miles. The last 3 miles are in the depths of Black Dragon Wash, where sandstone cliffs tower 800 feet high over the 30-50 foot wide canyon. Riding surface is doubletrack, with occasional ledges, rocky areas, and tricky spots.

The upper 2/3 of this ride features bluffs and mesas of orange and yellow, with doubletrack rolling down towards Black Dragon.

The ride's highlight is Black Dragon Wash. The rock layers here on the eastern side of the San Rafael Swell are tilted upward towards the west. As you ride down Black Dragon, you're going UP in geographic layers (and closer to the present in time), even though you're riding downhill.

Approaching Black Dragon from the west. Navajo sandstone is seen as white rock in the canyon, near the horizon. Capping the vertical Wingate cliffs is Kayenta. The first "skirt" layer is Chinle, then the fluted brown and yellow Moenkopi. These strata are from the Triassic Period.
Before entering the wash from above, you're riding on limestone and shale from the Permian Period. The skirts of the cliffs, and some of the shale and mudstone cliffs, are layers of the Moenkopi Formation, from the early Triassic Period. The Chinle Formation here is a bit different than near Moab. It consists of two layers of dense sandstone, rather than just loose clay. The first set of sheer skyline cliffs you encounter going downhill are Wingate sandstone, capped by the layered Kayenta sandstone.

Ready to enter the depths of Black Dragon wash, about 4 miles from the lower trailhead.

The Navajo sandstone forms the last set of cliffs within the narrows, and the sharktooth eastern ridge of the Swell. Towards the end of the narrows, the canyon is only about 20 feet in width, with cliffs towering hundreds of feet above the trail.

Handlebar view, as the bike twists through the narrow passage through the Navajo sandstone.
Rock paintings are seen on the canyon walls about 0.6 miles from the lower trailhead. A log fence marks the spot.

At the lower trailhead, a fairly smooth ramp of Navajo sandstone climbs up the eastern sharktooth edge of the Swell. The slope is a fairly stiff 20%, but the rock is broad and smooth enough that you can ride it easily by zigzagging up. The rideable area is almost a square mile overall. This side trip up the slickrock is NOT to be missed!

View upward, about 1/2 mile up the slickrock area. Lots of rock to explore.

About 3/4 of a mile up the slickrock ramp, head to the left side for a jaw-dropping view down into the narrows. You're 800 feet above the bottom of the wash. Pick your way higher up for additional viewpoints into the canyon.

There's about a square mile of open rock here, bounded on the north by cliffs above the San Rafael River, on the south by Black Dragon Wash, and on the west by breaking edges of Wingate sandstone cliffs.

View from a perch on Navajo sandstone high over the the narrows of Black Dragon Wash. The late afternoon sun is yielding to a crisp November chill.

One-way from Upper Trailhead:
1.8   Fork L, N 38° 54.991' W 110° 34.455'
2.7   Straight (L), N 38° 55.425' W 110° 33.708'
4.5   Straight (R), N 38° 56.479' W 110° 32.921'
6.2   Fork L (north), N 38° 56.468' W 110° 31.288'
6.7   Fork R (east), approx N 38° 56.8' W 110° 31.1'
11    Entering canyon
14.7 At lower trailhead

 Riding notes, Out-and-back:
Just head up the canyon narrows. Steepest section is between mile 3 and 4, after the canyon opens up. Keep on main trail (R) at fork around mile 2.7. Good turnarounds are mile 5 (across from freeway view area), mile 10 (Jackass Benches road), or mile 12 (gate where the climbing stops).
Slickrock ramp: At the lower trailhead, drop off the road into the wash. Go west 100 yards, then fork R. Aim for right edge of slickrock to get on ramp, then keep generally L to viewpoint 0.7 miles up. Climb further, or stay and play.
Getting there:  Eastbound on US-191, turn west (right) onto I-70. Nine miles later, cross the San Rafael River. Slow down and get ready! 0.3 miles later, watch carefully for a gravel turnaround between freeway lanes, with a dirt road leaving the freeway on the right. (The dirt road is hard to see until you're passing it. N 38° 55.531' W 110° 25.023') Go through the gate, turn L through the wash. At 0.6, keep straight (R). At 0.9, turn left and park 100 feet later. N 38° 56.239' W 110° 25.135'.

View down the slickrock area, looking east. The snow-capped La Sal Mountains can barely be made out in the distance.

Start the ride here for out-and-back, or go back to the freeway for a shuttle ride. Back at the freeway, turn right (west) and drive uphill 15 miles. Get off at Ranch Exit 129, and turn right (driving back east parallel to the freeway) on the road to the San Rafael River Bridge. At mile 2.6, keep straight (left). After passing The Sinkhole, turn right at the next fork and park to begin the ride (N 38° 55.742' W 110° 36.027').

For a condensed, printable one-page
riding guide to this trail, click here.

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Copyright 2002 Mad Scientist Software Inc

For additional information, including nearby lodging, rentals, camping, and current conditions, may we suggest:
Comprehensive info on Price/San Rafael area: http://www.castlecountry.com/     http://www.utah.com/price/ 
http://www.go-utah.com/San-Rafael-Swell 
 http://www.sunset.com/sunset/Premium/Travel/2001/10-Oct/SanRafaelSwell1001/SanRafael1001.html 
Goblin Valley:  http://www.outdoorsinutah.com/goblinvalley-camping.htm   http://www.utah.com/stateparks/goblin_valley.htm 
Capital Reef National Park:  http://www.nps.gov/care/    http://www.capitol.reef.national-park.com/ 
BLM site (overview): http://www.blm.gov/utah/price/SanRafaelDesert.htm
BLM San Rafael camping brochure:  http://www.ut.blm.gov/sanrafaelohv/campingbrochure.pdf