Lockhart Basin 4WD Trail
Moab, Utah

by Todd Adams

Please visit our Sponsor, CLICK on the Banner above

For the last four years, Labor Day weekend has been a camping trip with my son Jeremy and the Red Rock 4-Wheelers. This year I signed us up for the Lockhart Basin Trail the day I got the registration form. Ber and Charlotte Knight were going to be the leaders and Brad and Jean Morrison were gunning. Not only was I excited about going on a trail that I have talked about doing for over 20 years, but I would also be going with friends who are also some of the best off road drivers in the world.

Spanish Trail Arena Saterday Morning August 30th

The Labor Day Campout is a much smaller and a more casual event than the Easter Safari is. With somewhere between 150 and 200 vehicles for the 4 overnight trips and 8 day trips over the 3 day weekend. The overnight trips are limited to 25 vehicles each, which makes for a laid back-get to know your neighbor-kind of trip. Check in was at the Spanish Trail Arena at the South end of town just off of Highway 191, where a Continental breakfast was set out at 7:30A.M. on Saturday August 30th. Since our trail did not leave until about 8:45A.M. there was plenty of time to get re-aquatinted with old friends. In other words a B.S. session of the highest order when Jeepers get together.

Being the casual event that it is, Ber didn’t line us up until we headed out of the parking lot going North into Moab. Seventeen vehicles then turned left onto Kane Creek Road which leads towards Hurrah Pass.

Airing down on Kane Creek Road

Click on image for full screen version Top of Hurrah Pass Looking West at Dead Horse Point

Before making the climb, Ber gave us the chance to air down. At 10:A.M. we reached the top of Hurrah Pass, which gave us a spectacular view across the Colorado River. The Potash evaporation ponds in Shafer Basin were directly in front of us. Pyramid Butte to the South and Dead Horse Point State Park overlook in the background.

One of the interesting things that Ber pointed out was the anticline or uplift that was caused by salt deposits deep underground. The old Potash mine tunnels are now flooded with Colorado River water which is pumped out into the ponds where the potash is recovered.

The road coming down off Hurrah Pass is not difficult, but having your tires a few feet from a 300 ft. cliff always seems to make it interesting. There are also many rock spires and formations for those that dare take their eyes off the road. The distant views are breathtaking from this road as it winds down to the edge of the Colorado River.

Looking back out one of the cave entrances

Ber stopped us at a red rock sandstone formation that had been eroded in such a way that there were caves protruding into the center from the outside edges of this small butte. Jeremy got a flash light out of the jeep and one small cave we explored went in over 100 feet and ended in a large room. It was hard to gather the kids up to continue on as they were having such a great time playing in the small caves.

This arch is only a few feet thick but a long way down.

A short distance further we stopped to look at a unusual limestone arch located next to the road on a cliff edge. Unless you know where it is you would miss it as it is almost hidden. There were even a few of us to walk across it. Just pass this arch is the turn off to Chicken Corners, which we didn’t take.

Click on image for full screen version The beginning of the tougher section of trail.

This is where the trail turns more difficult, earning its 3 1/2 trail rating for about a mile. The trail climbs up through a small interesting canyon to the benchlands between the Colorado river and the higher cliffs to the East. The Lockhart Basin Trail stays on the benchlands until reaching pavement near the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park to the South. This trail also is basically on the same level as The White Rim Trail on the other side of the river in The Island Of The Sky District of Canyonlands National Park.

Click on image for full screen version Looking South West from the top of Cutler Pass

After a lunch stop near the top of this canyon, the trail went up over a small pass which Ber called Cutler Pass for the formation that it is in. From the top of this pass looking South is a spectacular view of the Abajo Mountains and the Needles area. To the East are the over 1000 foot cliffs of Hatch Point. We followed the road next to these cliffs until dropping down into Lockhart Basin. We then turned right down Lockhart Canyon to find our camping spot for the night.

The camp site that Ber chose required a short climb out of the bottom of the canyon to a flat bench area that well exceeded the 31/2 difficulty rating of the trail. Ber sent everyone a letter explaining the difficulty of this climb and to "please leave egos at home" and accept a strap if needed. This climb consisted of a steep loose dugway around a knoll and a much steeper intimidating hogsback with a small ledge at the top and very steep sides. Once over the hogsbackthere was an easy stretch for 100 yards next to a sheer cliff then a right turn up a short but very steep and very loose hill to the top. This last hill is where nearly all the un-locked vehicles took a strap to get to the top.

Going up the "Hogsback" looking into the sun.

This final hill gave some a little problem.

After everyone was on top we spread out to make camp. We had just set up camp and started cooking when a thunder storm hit. The lightning struck just above us on the ridgetops within just a few hundred yards. The hard rain lasted just over a half hour and we were all able to dry out during the warm night. After dinner was social hour for many of us to make new friends and reminisce with old ones.

Our camp for the night.

Some minor repairs before heading down the sand hill.

The second day of our trip started out by breaking camp. Some were entertained by rapelling down the cliff next to camp but most just watched.  The descent back into the canyon was down a steep sand hill that would have been even more difficult and even dangerous to go up, due to a sharp turn at the top next to the cliff edge. After the group made it to the canyon floor we headed down to reach the only spot in the area to get to the river. It was a bit muddy from the rain but we did not encounter any problems.

A look up the Colorado River from the bottom of Lockhart Canyon.

After a short stay at the river we headed back up Lockhart Canyon to finish the trail. Making a right turn to get back on the Lockhart Basin road which runs through Lockhart Basin. The views from the main road in this section offer Grand Canyon like vistas. Heading South we made another right turn off the Basin Road out to a small butte that Ber called Agate Butte due to all of the red agate surrounding it. Going past the butte we found a lunch spot with a great view of the Colorado River and surrounding area.

As we left the lunch spot it began to rain. For this trip I had decided to borrow my wife’s Jeep and just bring the bikini top. Jeremy drove so that I could sit back, relax and take in the views. As we hit the main road after lunch the temperature dropped 25 degrees and the wind blew the cold rain into the passenger side. We stopped long enough for me to grab a poncho. We stopped about 1/2 hr. later when the wind changed and Jeremy started to get cold. All this time the tires were flipping mud inside. Next trip I might take the Amigo which has a full top and air conditioning. With all this rain Ber was concerned about a river ford coming up to cross Indian Creek.

By the time we got to Indian Creek the weather had cleared and the ford was not deep enough to give us any problems. There was a waterfall next to the ford at which Ber stopped at so we take a look. It didn’t take long for the more adventurous in the group to test the water. There was a deep pool below the waterfall with rock overhangs of various heights ranging from just a few feet to over 30 feet in height We had a good time watching as the younger set jumped off into the chocolate colored water.

Wagons Ho.

After leaving the stop at Indian Creek it was just a few short easy miles to highway 211 and the official end of the trail. Ber, Charolette, Brad and Jean bid their farewells as the group departed. Some of the group headed to Moab for other trails on Monday and some stayed in the area to explore the Park on their own.

This trail is about 40 miles long without any side trips and we had racked up over 70 miles so far and it is still about 75 miles back to Moab on paved roads. There is gas and groceries available at the Needles Outpost just outside the Park entrance a few miles from where we ended the trail. You can do this trail in a long day, but to fully enjoy it you will need to camp out along the way. The Lockhart Basin Road is on B.L.M. land but the spur trails encroach into the Park and also the Indian Creek Wilderness Study Area. If you go make sure to tread lightly and bring out everything you take in.

Hurrah Pass, Jackson Hole, Chicken Corners & Lockhart Basin Trails, by Don Miller

Utah Trail Guidebooks, Trail Maps, and Trail Videos

4X4NOW Feature Page
4X4NOW Trail Reports | Moab 4WD Trails
4X4NOW "How-To"  | 4X4NOW Buildups
4X4BOOKS | MAPNOW

get Garmin at GPSNOW - Order by 5pm and have it Tomorrow!
Choosing | for Laptop/Pocket PC | Basic | Handheld Mapping | 2-way Radio | Automotive | Motorcycle | RV/Truck/Bus | Land & Water
Accessories
eTrex H | Legend | Vista | Venture HC | Summit HC | Legend HCx | Vista HCx
GPS 18 DLX | 60
Mobile 10 | Mobile 10 for smartphones
GPSMAP 60 | 60Cx | 60CSx | 76S | 76Cx | 76CSx | 276C | 376C | 378 | 478
MapSource City Navigator North America | US Topo | BlueChart
nüvi 200 | 270 | 350 | 360 | 370 | 650 | 660 | 670 | 680
Quest | Quest 2
Rino 110 | 120 | 130 | 520 | 530 | 520HCx | 530HCx
StreetPilot 2820 | 7200/7500 | c330 | c340 | c530 | c550 | c580
Astro GPS dog tracking system
zūmo 450 / 550
© 4X4NOW