Valley's of the Anasazi
Southeast Utah

by: Bob Norton
New Mexico 4-Wheelers

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Ever have an aspiration to 4-wheel in a secluded area which features abundant wildlife and dramatic scenery? Well, such a remote, seldom visited expanse of diverse terrain in Southeastern Utah exists that indeed meets those requirements. Easily accessible, surprisingly lonesome are Imperial Valley and Bull Valley. These are located south of Canyonlands National Park, near the Dark Canyon Wilderness Study Area and Beef Basin.

As the Bureau of Land Management has a hankering to close off all the existing roads in this area and to declare it a "wilderness", the Tres Amigos from the New Mexico 4-Wheelers (Arne, Bob T. and myself) decided we had better investigate.

Existing roads travel from what is known as Beef Basin westward, ultimately entering into Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Incidentally, the BLM has no jurisdiction closing access to routes within the NRA! Archeological sites abound throughout the region; these Anasazi ruins having stood some 700 to 1000 years. Nearby Ruin Park has particularly high concentrations of such sites. For detailed information on how to get to this territory via Beef Basin Road or Canyonlands National Park, refer to the Impossible Hill article at: http://www.4x4now.com/trutih.htm

As we travel through the southern portion of Beef Basin during our visit, we pass hundreds of deer browsing in the meadows and among the pìñons and cedars. Our appearance is not about to disrupt their meals! One buck circles behind us, as if to urge we move along straightaway.

We first explore Bull Valley. The road is easily followed in all but a few spots, those where quick growing grasses "conspire" to reclaim the meadows. The most southerly route stops short of the canyons adjacent to the Colorado River. However, wildly eroded sandstone hills do invite future exploration and hikes. The other branch road in Bull Canyon leads westward towards Gypsum Canyon. Suddenly the road ends, abrupt...a kaleidoscope of hues on the rock walls...of which reach a depth of 2000 feet in the distance. By the way, this might be a very choice camping location from which to enjoy other primitive, non-motorized recreational pursuits (hiking, horse-back riding, mountain biking, etc.).

Our next destination is Imperial Valley to the north. From the road's western terminus, a couple mile hike, likely strenuous, will lead to views of Cataract Canyon.

Traveling eastward through the center part of this valley, the road includes a hill climb with some exposed boulders that will exercise the 4-wd's suspension articulation a tad. (Admittedly, most of the roads we take are not difficult, but that is not the intention to visit here anyway.) A branch road exits Imperial Valley to the north. In about a mile after the turn, there is an inconspicuous spur to the left. Do not even think about skipping this! What awaits is a colorful vista of an enormous canyon and the Colorado River in the distance. From here, the branch road travels into and out of a wash for a couple of miles, eventually returning to the main road in Imperial Valley. Well watered, the weeds grow rapidly in the wash, hiding the track in places. Not often traveled!

At the point where the roads intersect, Arne spots something of interest in the distance. What he has spotted is an Indian ruin high up on a rock outcropping. We are able to drive a little closer and then hike over to this Anasazi "fort". And this fort is very well preserved, indeed. Atop this rock outcrop, the Indians were afforded an expansive view of the valley and the surrounding ridges. No doubt, a perfect defensive position. With their ladders pulled up, the fort could hardly be "seized". Other ruins dot the immediate area. Some were built into small sandstone overhangs along the ridge, another a free-standing unit.

The roads we traveled are shown by the GPS tracks on the included map, based on the topographical quads: Cross Canyon and Teapot Rock. Other references are noted on the map.

The Tres Amigos were ready for a bit of excitement to cap our visit. Our chosen return trip eastward would take us through a portion of Cross Canyon and then to the bottom of what is known as Impossible Hill. We were thwarted here on our first trip with the Cherokees (referenced in the article link earlier). Only Bob had made it up unassisted with his CJ-5 in our earlier visit. Since, having prepared by studying the video tape of our failed attempts, we were anxious to try new "lines" up this steep, loose, rock infested, and ledged climb. This time the Tres Amigos, each with well equipped Cherokee XJ's and with good spotting, successfully scaled Impossible Hill!

I would encourage you to visit this area and to share the incredible backcountry motorized recreational experiences that have become so memorable to us. Don't let "seldom visited" become an excuse for the BLM to implement "never again visited". Plan to camp, take time to explore the many Anasazi ruins nearby, and immerse yourself in the regions fantastic scenery.

Reduced Topographic Map of Route Taken (135 KB)

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