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Canyonlands and Potash Road USA

One of the most exciting roads you can drive with an SUV rental car is the Potash Road near Moab.
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The Potash Road, not for the faint of heart!

The Potash Road, not for the faint of heart!

04/2014 After breakfast we drive north on the 191 out of Moab and shortly afterwards turn onto the 279 towards Potash. Here you drive right next to the Colorado River. We actually wanted to go to Corona Arch. However, the climb is very steep and long up the mountain. We turn back because the rock arch is only in the shade during the morning and no nice photos are possible. We continue to Potash. The place only consists of a large potassium carbonate factory, also called potash. The paved road ends here and turns into a gravel road. The sign at the beginning of the gravel road “Fourwheeldrive and high clearance vehicle recommended” is a slight understatement. The route is not accessible with a normal road car. We venture onto the slopes with our standard SUV and receive astonished looks from other drivers of real off-road vehicles along the way.

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands National Park

TIP: If you have rented a four-wheel drive SUV and really want to test it out, then you should definitely drive Potash Road. In terms of scenery, the route is extremely beautiful. However, if it has rained heavily beforehand, the route is not recommended with any vehicle, no matter how good it is, as you have to repeatedly drive through sandy river beds. If everything is dry, that's not a problem. The Potash Road leads back and forth to the Colorado River with great viewpoints of the valley and the mountain landscape. If you stand with your back to the river, you can see the Dead Horse Point Overlook high above.

Mussleman Arch

Mussleman Arch

The Potash Road is essentially a kind of back entrance to Canyonlands National Park. Shortly after the park entrance we come across the White Rim Road, a narrow, unpaved road that runs right along the edge of the abyss. We drive to Mussleman Arch. Down here there are numerous groups of mountain bikers riding through the impassable terrain. We take a few photos and I dare to climb the delicate rock arch high above the abyss.

Shafer Trail Road

Shafer Trail Road

Then we drive back to the junction on Potash Road and take Shafer Trail Road up the mountain to the Canyonlands National Park Visitor Center. The Shafer Trail leads up the mountain in very narrow serpentines, sometimes very steeply. The road is usually no wider than a vehicle. Only for drivers with a head for heights, because on the slope side it goes down hundreds of meters. TIP: For this trip you should definitely fill up your tank beforehand. The Shafer Trail climbs so steeply up the mountain that you can watch the fuel needle go down rapidly.

Sunset at Green River Overlook

Sunset at Green River Overlook

At the top of the Visitor Center we first eat our sandwiches and fill up our water bottles at a drinking water tap. Then we continue on the paved roads of the national park to the various viewpoints. First we go to the Mesa Arch. Through the hole in the rock arch you can have a wonderful view of the canyon landscape in the background. Then we continue to Buck Canyon Overlook. The beautiful thing here is the snow-capped mountains in the background. When we visited, however, it was very cloudy and it looked as if it was about to rain or snow on the mountains. In my opinion, the best viewpoint in the park is the Grand View Point Overlook. Here you have a fantastic view in the afternoon sun. The Upheaval Dome, on the other hand, could have been given away. The meteorite crater is nice but not very special. The Green River Overlook, on the other hand, is beautiful. The view of the canyon is very good either in the morning or at sunset. The rest of the day the sun is directly over the Green River and you can hardly see anything because of the sun or you can't take good pictures. We watch the sunset at the Green River Overlook. After sunset we drive the paved road back to Moab. Our tank is almost empty when we get there. The off-road route in the morning alone consumed around half a tank of fuel, even though the distance was manageable.

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#Moab # Canyonlands # National Park # USA # travel