Rose Garden Hill Trail

by The Flatlander for

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Summary: The 4 rated Rose garden Hill Trail is a shorter and more difficult version of the Top Of The World Trail.

Location: A turn to the south on a dirt road begins the trail about 21 miles east on Highway 128 from it's intersection with Highway 191 near the Colorado River bridge just north of Moab.

Scenery: The trail allows breathtaking views down into Cottonwood Canyon after climbing Rose Garden Hill but the most beautiful and unique scenery is on an optional route on the return trip thought the Onion Creek Narrows.

The Trail: The trail winds through the Onion Creek Narrows on a maintained dirt road on the way in. Even then the scenery is quite striking. Toward the upper part of the narrows you may notice the peculiar onion odor the creek is named for. Not long after turning left onto the Cottonwood Canyon portion of the trail, the Rose Garden Hill obstacle is encountered. It is a long steep hill with bedrock steps and loose eroded rock making the ascent more challenging. After that the views down into Cottonwood Canyon cause you to watch the road closely so you don't end up down there. The trail then climbs onto the southern part of Waring Mesa and views the Dolores River Canyon in the near distance. The return route is the same way so you get to visit Rose Garden Hill twice and then experience the Onion Creek Narrows from the stream bed.

Flatlander's Trail Report, Tuesday, April 2, 1996:

Click the small pictures to view 640X480X16 million color versions.

Rose Garden Hill covers some very different country from what I have reported so far. This trail starts 21 miles east of Moab just off the Colorado River. Instead of relatively barren slickrock this trail is forested with Pinion Juniper and the road surface is dirt with some bumpy exposed and broken Rock. The trail is rated as a 4 because of Rose Garden Hill. These vehicles are just coming up to the top of this long steep hill with lots of exposed broken rock to make it more difficult. Without lockers and low gears the hill can be quite challenging.

There were three somewhat notorious 4X4's in our group of about 30. Shown here is the 4WD and Sport Utility "Project Wrangler". Steve Keys purchased it from them when they finished their articles on it a couple of years ago. It features a LT1 TPI 350 V8, Dana 60 rear, Dana 44 front, both with 4.56 gears and Detroits, and 35" tires. I don't think Steve hardly slipped a tire on this trail with his Project Wrangler.

Here is a Grand Cherokee candidate for Four Wheeler Magazine's Top Truck Challenge this year. It is the number 2 picture in their May 1996 issue. Phil Smith, the owner, is standing by his loaded leather upholstered truck. Now one might think a loaded Grand Cherokee might be a little on the wimpy side. But this one belongs to the Phil Smith who is the Behind the Rocks (4+) trail leader. He has already had it up White Knuckle Hill twice! That's the hill you see my Bronco II coming down on my home page. He has replaced both axles with Dana 44s with ARBs and 4.56 gears, lifted it 6+ inches with Tompkin hardware and National coil springs and is running 33" tires. I'm trying to talk Phil into offering Behind the Rocks backwards next year. He is hedging because of the attrition rate he had when he offered it last year. He started our with 23 4X4s and only 9 finished the trail. But if we all vote for him maybe he'll have to offer it again next year just to show everyone what his Top Truck can do.

This is Brad Morrison, our trail leader, in his Top Truck candidate Cherokee on another part of the trail. His picture is number 39 in the May 1996 issue of Four Wheeler. Brad's Cherokee was featured in 4-Wheel Drive and Sport Utility Magazine a few years ago. Brad is an excellent Safari Trail Leader. He'd appreciate your vote for his Cherokee.

This is just a typical shot along the trail. The scenery, as usual, is fantastic.

This is the Onion Creek Narrows. You actually drive in the creek with a steep walled canyon on both sides. I thought this was the most impressive and scenic portion of the trail.

Another shot of the Onion Creek Narrows.

Our group got through with little trouble and only a broken spring shackle and a couple broken shocks. The weather was pleasant but mostly cloudy today. Our trail leader was hoping it wouldn't rain as the road turns to muck when it gets wet. It didn't.

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