Black Dragon Canyon Trail

Distance: 3 miles
Time: 2 hours
Elevation gain: 200 feet
Difficulty: 1
Overall: 8
Reference: Southeast-central Utah, about 15 miles west of the town of Green River.
User groups: Hikers, dogs, horses. Good hike for kids. No wheelchair access.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.

Directions

From Green River, UT, take Interstate 70 west approximately 15 miles. Turn north on a dirt road after mile marker 145, and go a little over a mile, turning west on another dirt road for about a half mile to the mouth of Dragon Canyon.

Maps

For a USGS topographic map, ask for Spotted Wolf Canyon.

Contact

BLM Moab District, San Rafael Resource Area, 125 South 600 West, Price, UT 84501; (435) 636-3600.

Trail notes

An easy hike in a deep canyon decorated with pictographs describes Dragon Canyon. Near the mouth, a large overhang, one you'll probably reach with your vehicle, offers a great campsite. An old jeep track provides a level walking surface for most the hike. About 200 yards past the overhang, you'll find a panel of exceptional ancient drawings, probably the reason most hikers come here. Beyond the panel, after less than two miles of walking below tall, sculpted sandstone walls, the canyon forks. The south fork heads back towards Interstate 70. The north fork offers more fascinating canyon walls.

Information courtesy of Buck Tilton, author of Utah Hiking.