The Colorado River Byway by motorcycle
SR-128 leaves US-191 just north of Moab and follows the Colorado River upstream through a red-rock gorge, past Castle Valley and the Fisher Towers, to I-70 near the ghost town of Cisco. The whole road is the Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway, and it is part of the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway National Scenic Byway (Wikipedia). Locals call it the River Road.
The route at a glance
- Road: SR-128, two-lane paved (Wikipedia).
- Start: US-191 north of Moab. End: I-70 exit 204 near Cisco (Wikipedia).
- Length: 44.6 miles (Wikipedia; Discover Moab).
- Fees: none of our sources list a fee for the road. Some BLM campgrounds along it charge a fee and take reservations on Recreation.gov (BLM map, 2016).
- Best for: an out-and-back from Moab to the Dewey Bridge site, or a scenic way in or out of Moab from I-70 instead of US-191.
Mileposts
| Milepost | Place |
|---|---|
| 0.0 | US-191, north edge of Moab |
| 6.3 | Drinks Canyon view area |
| 8.1 | Big Bend view area |
| 15.5 | Castle Valley road (Manti-La Sal National Forest, La Sal Mountain Loop) |
| 20.2 | Onion Creek Road |
| 21.0 | Fisher Towers view area |
| 26.6 | Dewey Bridge rest area |
| 41.5 | Cisco Road (old US-6/US-50) |
| 44.4 | I-70 exit 204, toward Green River or Grand Junction |
Mileposts from Wikipedia's junction list. Discover Moab's stop list uses different mile numbers (it puts the Dewey Bridge site at 30.0), so treat the stops below as in order, not to the tenth of a mile.
Moab to Castle Valley: the gorge
The first stretch runs right beside the river between sandstone walls. Stops, in order from Moab: Lions Park at the start, the Grandstaff Trail to Morning Glory Natural Bridge, and the Big Bend area across from the river (Discover Moab). BLM campgrounds line this section: Goose Island, Granstaff, Drinks Canyon, Hal Canyon, Oak Grove and Big Bend (BLM map, 2016).
Castle Valley to Fisher Towers
The gorge opens into Castle Valley and Professor Valley, filming locations for western films and TV commercials (Wikipedia). Red Cliffs Lodge has the Moab Museum of Film & Western Heritage, and JJ's Mercantile sells groceries, coffee and food (Discover Moab). Castleton Tower stands above the valley. The Castle Valley road is where the La Sal Mountain Loop starts.
The Fisher Towers are dark red spires east of Castle Valley; the roadside view area is enough from a road bike (Wikipedia). The trailhead itself is about 2.2 miles up a graded dirt road (Discover Moab), so skip it on a heavy street bike unless you are comfortable on dirt.
Dewey Bridge to Cisco
The Dewey Bridge was a 1916 suspension bridge over the Colorado, Utah's longest until a fire destroyed it on April 6, 2008. The road has crossed on a newer bridge since 1988 (Wikipedia); the remains and a historical marker are at the rest area (Discover Moab). Past it the land flattens toward Cisco, a railroad ghost town, and the last 3 miles follow the old US-6/US-50 alignment from before I-70 (Wikipedia).
Before you ride
- Fuel: none of our sources list a gas station on SR-128. Fill up in Moab.
- Heat: this is a low desert canyon. Ride it early on summer days and carry water.
- Traffic: the road is narrow in the gorge, with river traffic, trailers and cyclists. Use the view areas to stop, not the shoulder.
- Rules for visiting riders (helmets, eye protection, lane filtering): Riding in Utah.
Join it up
- Moab base: Arches, the Potash road and the La Sal loop. Moab by motorcycle.
- Up on the mesa: Dead Horse Point and Island in the Sky (SR-313), off US-191 north of Moab.
- Coming from Salt Lake City: leave I-70 at exit 204 and take SR-128 into Moab instead of US-191. SLC to Moab.
- West on I-70: from exit 204 across the San Rafael Swell.
Rent a bike
Booking opens soon. Until then, use the ride guides to plan your trip.