La Sal Mountain Loop by motorcycle

The La Sal Mountain Loop is a State Scenic Backway in the Manti-La Sal National Forest. It is 60 miles, paved, and takes about 2.5 to 3 hours (USDA Forest Service). It leaves the desert south of Moab, climbs into the pine and aspen below peaks over 12,000 ft, drops down a set of switchbacks into Castle Valley and comes home along the Colorado River (Discover Moab). It is the mountain ride in a town known for desert ones.

The route at a glance

Road: La Sal Mountain Loop Road, then SR-128 (the River Road) back to Moab (USDA Forest Service).
Start: south on US-191 from Moab and turn left at the Ken's Lake / La Sal Mountain Loop Road sign. The Forest Service puts the turn about 8 miles south of Moab (USDA Forest Service); Utah's Canyon Country says six (Utah's Canyon Country). Watch for the sign.
Length: 60 miles for the whole loop (USDA Forest Service). The mountain road itself, US-191 to SR-128, is about 37 miles (American Southwest).
Surface: paved all the way, but narrow, steep and winding in places (American Southwest).
Height: the road tops out at about 8,050 ft (American Southwest). Mount Peale, the highest peak in the range, is 12,721 ft (Utah's Canyon Country).
Services: none on the loop. Bring fuel, food and water for at least a few hours (USDA Forest Service).
Not for: large RVs or trailers, because of the tight switchbacks on the Castle Valley side (USDA Forest Service). On a bike, those switchbacks are the point.

The ride, in the Forest Service's direction

US-191 to the mountains. Turn off at the Ken's Lake sign and follow the loop road up into the La Sals. At the first T-intersection, turn right (USDA Forest Service).
The high section. The road climbs out of pinyon and juniper, which start at around 6,000 ft, into the forest, reaching about 8,050 ft (American Southwest). Stop at the overlooks: the views run back over the desert to the canyon country around Arches (Discover Moab).
Warner Lake turn. About 10 miles along the loop, a graded dirt road climbs 5 miles to Warner Lake Campground (toilets, picnic tables, fee) (Discover Moab). Dirt; skip it on a road bike.
Down to Castle Valley. At Forest Road 207, turn left toward Castle Valley and carry on about 10 miles (USDA Forest Service). This is where the switchbacks are, and the road drops "sharply" into the valley (American Southwest). Castle Rock and the Priest and Nuns stand above the road, about 4 miles before SR-128 (Discover Moab).
Home on the River Road. At SR-128, turn left and follow the Colorado River back to Moab (USDA Forest Service). The Castle Valley road meets SR-128 at milepost 15.5, counted from the US-191 junction at Moab, so it is about 15.5 miles back (Wikipedia). Mile by mile: the Colorado River Byway guide.

You can ride it the other way round, out along the river first and up the switchbacks. Either way it is 60 miles.

Road work, 2024 to 2025

The Federal Highway Administration rehabilitated and widened two segments of the loop road, about 12.2 miles in all, between the Oowah road intersection and the Old Airport Road intersection. Work ran from May 20, 2024 into fall 2025; paving and striping are finished and the road is open (FHWA). Flaggers may still stop traffic while the last jobs (signs, seeding) are done (FHWA).

Before you ride

Fuel: fill up in Moab. There is nothing on the loop (USDA Forest Service).
Water: carry it. The Forest Service lists no potable water on the route (USDA Forest Service).
Cooler up high: at 8,000 ft it is much cooler than in town. Bring a layer.
Season: our sources give no fixed season or winter closure for the loop road. It climbs to 8,000 ft, so check conditions with the Manti-La Sal National Forest (435-636-3500) before riding in late fall, winter or early spring (USDA Forest Service).
Fire closures: Utah's Canyon Country warns that fire closures can affect parts of the area; check before you go (Utah's Canyon Country).
Cyclists: road cycling is a listed activity on the loop (USDA Forest Service). Expect riders on the climbs.
Rules for visiting riders (helmets, eye protection, lane filtering): Riding in Utah.

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