We had a four day weekend, so we decided to explore the Blanding, Utah area. Among the sites that we visited was a place called Muley Point, on the southern edge of Cedar Mesa. The point is within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area because of its proximity to the San Juan River, with flows just below the high cliffs, through the entrenched meanders of the Goosenecks area.

Moki Dugway

Muley Point

Near the top of the Dugway, before you reach the pavement again, there is an unmarked pair of roads that lead to the left, or west. The track to the south is the one that leads out to Muley Point Overlook. This is a bumpy, rutted road about four miles long to a rocky outcrop from which you can look down on the Goosenecks and out across to some of the spires of Monument Valley. This is the edge of Cedar Mesa and you can get great views of the entire area, including Sleeping Ute Mountain, Navajo Mountain, and all sorts of points to the south.

There were also several camps set up in the area, but it is not a formal campground. There are no facilities and, for sure, no water. The area is very exposed and what vegetation there is tends to be low, waste high shrubs. There are a few junipers and pinyons, but they don't cast significant shadows. The temperatures were pleasant while we were there, but I would imagine that in the summer months the exposed sandstone could be quite hot and uncomfortable.

It was also very windy out on the point and along the edges of the cliffs. There was a storm to the south and east, so maybe that was the cause, but it may be windy up there all the time. And, because the point is exposed, it might be a target for lightning strikes. Be cautious.

The dark clouds continued to build, and occasionally we could see lightning light up the clouds to the southeast.

We drove back along the road to the junction with 261, then drove down the Moki Dugway to a point near its base where another dirt road heads off to the east. This road is well marked for the Valley of the Gods.

Hite Crossing and Dirty Devil Campground

(Columbus Day)

On this trip to Blanding we had come in from the north, through Moab, but decided to drive home to Sandy through Hanksville. We drove west past the Comb Ridge once more, and the Bears Ears and Natural Bridges National Monument, out along Highway 95 north past Fry Canyon and Hite Crossing over the Colorado and Dirty Devil Rivers.

The scenery along there is amazing, spectacular, colorful, and indescribable. After crossing the bridge at Hite Crossing we pulled into the Dirty Devil Campground, just off of the road (where there are restrooms). It is quite obvious that Lake Powell is 96 feet below normal. The area around Hite almost looks like a river again.

Then we drove a little further up to the Hite Viewpoint (no restrooms). The entire area is amazing, and you can see portions of the lake to the south, and across the river to Hite and the various operations where the marina usually is. It looks like it is closed for now, because there would be no way to launch a boat, the water is too low. You can also see where the Dirty Devil River has its confluence with the Colorado River. The view is well worth the time to stop and look around.

11:26 a.m.
We stopped in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. There is a great overlook along the tops of the cliffs just across from the Hite Crossing boat ramps. It was 82 degrees.

We looked over the edge at the Colorado River, still flowing and obvious, now that Lake Powell has receded and left its amazing bathtub ring down near Glen Canyon Dam. From there we followed a narrow footpath along the tops of the rust red cliffs to another point where we could actually see the northern end of the lake.

Since our last visit to this spot, just a few years ago, the vegetation along the banks of the river has thickened and become more established. The concrete boat launch on the east side of the river seems out of place and useless. Hite looks to be closed, as far as a boat launch site. It’s an impressive view point just below the bridges across the Dirty Devil and the Colorado Rivers. It was 81 degrees out when we left.