Potash Road by motorcycle
SR-279 is the Potash - Lower Colorado River Scenic Byway, known in Moab as Potash Road (Wikipedia). It leaves US-191 about 4 miles northwest of central Moab and runs down the canyon of the Colorado River, under 1,000 ft cliffs, to the potash works (American Southwest). Rock art, dinosaur tracks and three named arches along the way (Wikipedia). Short, paved, no park fee: a good morning before Arches or an evening ride when the canyon walls glow.
The route at a glance
- Road: SR-279, US-191 to the potash plant (Wikipedia).
- Start: off US-191 north of Moab; Visit Utah puts the turn four miles north of town (Visit Utah).
- Length: 15.2 miles by the mileposts (Wikipedia). Visit Utah calls it a 17-mile road (Visit Utah); the mileposts are the state's own count.
- Surface: paved to the potash works, past Jug Handle Arch. Beyond Potash it becomes a 4WD track across Shafer Basin up to Canyonlands' Island in the Sky (American Southwest). Road bikes turn round at the end of the pavement.
- Out and back: it is a dead end for a road bike, so plan on about 30 miles there and back from US-191.
- Fees: none of our sources list an entry fee for the road itself.
Mileposts
SR-279's mileposts count from the potash plant (0) up toward US-191, so they fall as you ride out from Moab.
| Milepost | Miles from US-191 | Place |
|---|---|---|
| 15.18 | 0 | US-191 (Moab / I-70) |
| 11.18 | 4.0 | Jaycee Park Recreation Site |
| 9.73 | 5.5 | Williams Bottom camping area |
| 9.39 | 5.8 | Dinosaur footprints view area / Poison Spider Mesa trailhead |
| 5.29 | 9.9 | Corona Arch / Bowtie Arch parking |
| 5.12 | 10.1 | Gold Bar recreation area and campground |
| 1.68 | 13.5 | Jug Handle Arch view area |
| 0.0 | 15.2 | Potash plant |
Mileposts from Wikipedia's junction list; the "miles from US-191" column is the difference. They match Visit Utah's "about 10 miles" to the Corona Arch trailhead and "13.5 miles" to Jug Handle Arch (Visit Utah).
What you see
- The tailings pile. The first stretch passes the Moab uranium tailings pile, which is being moved (Visit Utah).
- Wall Street. For about 3 miles the road runs along the base of sheer 1,000 ft cliffs, Moab's main rock-climbing wall (American Southwest). Climbers park along the road here and it gets congested (Visit Utah). Slow down and watch for people stepping out between cars.
- Petroglyphs. A panel of Fremont petroglyphs about 15 ft above the road, a short way past Wall Street (American Southwest), with marked pullouts about five miles from US-191 (Visit Utah).
- Dinosaur tracks. Fossil tracks on a fallen sandstone block, a short scramble up from the parking area, which is also the Poison Spider trailhead (American Southwest).
- Corona and Bowtie Arches. The trail starts across from Gold Bar and is about 1.5 miles each way; Corona Arch is 140 ft across (American Southwest). Bring shoes you can hike in if you want to walk it.
- Jug Handle Arch. At the mouth of Long Canyon, 13.5 miles from US-191 (Visit Utah).
- The railway. A single-track line built in 1964 carries potash and salt from the works. It runs beside the last six miles of road and goes through a 1.6-mile tunnel; only a few trains run each week (American Southwest).
Before you ride
- Fuel and food: none of our sources list any on the road. Moab is 4 miles away (American Southwest).
- Camping: the BLM runs Jaycee Park, Williams Bottom and Gold Bar campgrounds along the road; free primitive camping is not allowed (American Southwest).
- Heat: it is a desert canyon. In summer ride early or late, and carry water.
- Traffic: climbers' cars at Wall Street, trailhead parking at Corona Arch, and jeeps heading for the 4WD trails.
- Rules for visiting riders (helmets, eye protection, lane filtering): Riding in Utah.
More from Moab
- Moab base: Arches, the River Road and Dead Horse Point. Moab by motorcycle.
- Up on the mesa: Dead Horse Point and Island in the Sky.
- Mountain ride: La Sal Mountain Loop.
- Upriver: Colorado River Byway (SR-128).
Rent a bike
Booking opens soon. Until then, use the ride guides to plan your trip.