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Old 191 Paved Trail
By request, here's the dope on this paved bike route. Old 191 is the former path of Highway 191. Over the years, it degenerated into a broken dirt path with a few bits of remaining asphalt. It has now been rehabilitated and extended so it forms a nice bike path from the Colorado River to Highway 313. From the bike path, looking east at the bike bridge across the Colorado. These photos by Bruce in May 2011. |
| You'll see a lot of bikes on Old 191, both roadies and
mountain. Many riders like to start their bike rides directly from Moab.
For mountain bikers, Old 191 quickly puts you at the Brand
Trails or Gemini Bridges.
Crossing the river, northbound. |
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Old 191 follows the east side of Highway 191 for 7 miles, then crosses under 191 to the west side until it reaches Highway 313. Roadies will take Old 191 all the way to its end on 313, then continue their climb up towards Canyonlands. This route is very scenic and has both satisfying distance and reasonable vertical climbing. After crossing the Colorado northbound, turn left. This little stretch is also open to cars that are proceeding to the boat launch just east of the bike bridge. |
| To find Old 191, go to the north end of Moab. On the right
side of the road, the entry is just a few feet up Highway 128 (the road
that follows the Colorado River northeast of Moab). If you're in the car,
there's a big shaded parking area between 128 and the river. Find the bike
path, and cross the Colorado on the bike bridge.
We're now northbound in the canyon. You can see why Old 191 is popular as a ride all by itself. |
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Old 191 has connections under Highway 191 on both sides of the river. You can enter the bike path north of the river while southbound on 191, and after passing under 191, over the bridge, and under 191 again, you can exit the bike path on the right side of 191 southbound into Moab. Further up the canyon. We're away from the hustle of Highway 191, near the end of Deadman's Ridge. |
| When using Old 191 as your downhill path, remember that the
speed limit for bikes is 20 mph.
You'll overtake wrong-lane cyclists with ipods in their ears and Chattie Cathies walking three abreast. So pass with care. What's waiting for you on Old 191: Access to the Brand Trails system and a bike ride starting in Moab where you never get in your car. |
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Distances from Highway 128 parking area: Heading back downhill after a bike adventure. |
| Getting there: Colorado parking, east side of 191 north of 128. Turn into 128 eastbound and immediately turn left and descend to the parking area. 191 Tailings-area pullout. Turn into the pullout on the east side of 191 just a mile north of the Colorado River. Bar M parking. On 191 a mile south of 313 (7 miles north of the Colorado), turn east onto gravel road. Turn 90-degrees right and either park at the south end of the parking and pedal 1/2 mile on the dirt Bar M to Old 191, or drive the route at park at the kiosk near the underpass. Gemini Bridges. Across the road from Bar M. Private area, fee required. Highway 313. Parking on the north side of 313 across from the end of the bike path. |
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