by The Flatlander for
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Summary: The 4 rated Flat Iron Mesa combines some difficult 4-wheeling with some interesting scenery.
Location: The trail head is about 18 miles south of Moab on Highway 191. Flat Iron Mesa is the area south of Kane Creek and west of Highway 191.
Scenery: The view 700 feet down into Hatch Canyon is stimulating.
Click the small picture to view 640X480X16 million color version.
The
Trail: Obstacles include a steep loose rock hill, difficult ledges and a
nerve wrecking section of cliff edge with a very tight turn.
4X4NOW
Same Day
Jeep Safari Trail Report
Monday, Mar 30, 1999
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We met in the County Yard across from the Spanish Arena south of Moab. Brian and Becky Cannon welcomed the group of around 40 4x4s and lead us on our way to the trail head, about another 13 miles south on Hwy 191.
GPS coordinates were taken with my new Lowrance
GlobalMap 1600 and imported in to Topo
USA for display. The major way points and distances from the start of
the trail to each waypoint are listed below. Each pin in the map
represents a waypoint. The red pin at the beginning (northerly pin on Hwy
191) of the trail is WP1 while the red pin at the end (southerly pin on Hwy 191)
is WP21.
| WP # | Latitude | Longitude | Description | Mileage |
| 1 | N 38°21.474' | W 109°26.090' | Start at Hwy 191 | 0.0 |
| 2 | N 38°21.456' | W 109°26.321' | go right | 0.6 |
| 3 | N 38°21.648' | W 109°26.466' | optional obstacle | 0.7 |
| 4 | N 38°22.051' | W 109°26.979' | Rubble Hill | 1.6 |
| 5 | N 38°21.774' | W 109°26.990' | go right | 2.2 |
| 6 | N 38°21.455' | W 109°27.426' | start slick rock | 3.0 |
| 7 | N 38°21.382' | W 109°27.407' | back on two track | 3.1 |
| 8 | N 38°21.303' | W 109°27.397' | stay left | 3.2 |
| 9 | N 38°21.177' | W 109°27.323' | stay right | 3.4 |
| 10 | N 38°20.615' | W 109°27.815 | turn right on main road | 4.1 |
| 11 | N 38°20.710' | W 109°27.940' | turn right off main road | 4.2 |
| 12 | N 38°20.914' | W 109°28.284' | turn right onto main road | 5.8 |
| 13 | N 38°21.345' | W 109°29.704' | turn left off of main road | 7.3 |
| 14 | N 38°20.948 | W 109°29.708' | right turn to Tilt A Wheel Obstacle | 8.1 |
| 15 | N 38°19.972' | W 109°28.969' | go right | 9.8 |
| 16 | N 38°19.557' | W 109°29.105' | right turn to optional drop off obstacle (bypass left) | 10.4 |
| 17 | N 38°19.499' | W 109°28.995' | go right at T | 10.5 |
| 18 | N 38°19.351' | W 109°28.443' | go right | 11.3 |
| 19 | N 38°19.176' | W 109°28.515' | Mushroom Hill Obstacle | 11.6 |
| 20 | N 38°19.947' | W 109°27.317' | go right on main road | 13.6 |
| 21 | N 38°19.419' | W 109°25.604' | back at Hwy 191 | 15.2 |
Download the waypoints and track in the Lowrance GPS Data Manager file version or the DeLorme Topo USA / Street Atlas format for just the waypoints.
Views from the trail were varied and interesting.
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There is an optional obstacle soon after you begin the trail that used to give some people a hard time. But our group of about three dozen 4x4s drove right up just like it was another part of the trail.
Here
a Cherokee finishes the short slickrock section of the trail. The section
is short and easy but can be tricky if you're not familiar with it. It's
best to have someone get out and ground guide you.
Our
trail leaders, Brian and Becky Cannon, come down the "Tilt A Wheel"
obstacle. If the line isn't just right, especially for a long wheelbase,
the left rear tire will show considerable "air" when the right front
drops down.
Here
is the geological feature the trail is named after. It reminded the early
settlers of a flat iron.
The most exciting part of the trip is Mushroom Hill near the end
of the trail. Spotters are critical on this section of exposed boulders
and eroded grade. The driver cannot see the obstacles over his hood.
There is a bypass for this and the last obstacle for those with better sense.
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Just
past this minefield is a cliff section with an off camber turn that definitely
gets the driver's attention. The rock wall prevents him from getting as
far away from the ledge as he would like and the rough surface and turn
complicate things even more. A lapse in good judgement or concentration
could send a 4x4 down hundreds of feet into the canyon below. The view for
the passenger is great though.
34th Annual Easter Jeep Safari
(2000)
33rd Annual Easter Jeep Safari (1999)
32nd Annual Easter Jeep Safari (1998)
31st Annual Easter Jeep Safari (1997)
30th Annual Easter Jeep Safari (1996)
Moab, Utah, 4WD Trails Map with Links to all 30 Trails
Trail Difficulty Ratings
Utah Trail Guidebooks, Trail Maps, and Trail Videos
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