It sounds like a double act, Muley Point and Moki Dugway are nothing to do with vaudeville but were two stops on our drive across the southern edge of Utah.
These tourist attractions are in the Bears Ears National Monument an area that attracts visitors Spring and Fall so we were out of season which always suits us. Even if it did get close to one hundred degrees outside GANNET2’s air conditioning.
The drive south of Monticello to Blanding was quite spectacular as is usual around here.
When we were in southern Mexico at El Rancho campground we met a couple of Canadians from British Columbia. They came north before us and told of a magical campsite on public land overlooking these Utah Canyons.
Muley Point they said, you can’t miss it so we didn’t. Even though we didn’t spend the night they were correct and we found it spectacular.
We arrived at the end of the five mile dirt approach road and found a tour van with three visitors onboard. Whoa! We weren’t alone…
They made a horrendous fuss of Rusty who leaned up against them as they ran their hands though his fur. I walked off leaving my traitorous dog in the hands of German strangers stealing my best friend. They were really nice people and we waved as they disappeared, without my dog.
This is BLM land, Bureau of Land Management an agency whose brief is to make the best use of this country’s public wilderness. Aside from commercial interests, mining grazing and logging, they open up the land for the public to enjoy. Incredibly cool, and if you want to camp you get two weeks free and you just drive in and find a previously occupied campground and never drive on pristine ground.
And they don’t nanny you. There’s a dirt road, it ends in a turn out and you either get out or you don’t. If you do you walk where you want and it’s special. This isn’t a national park with handrails and interpretive rangers, it’s just you and the void at 6400 feet.
It’s a thousand feet from the point to the canyon floor and another thousand feet down to the San Juan River and it is a little intimidating standing close to the edge.
One feature I noticed here and all the way to the Valley of the Gods were loose boulders perched at odd angles all over the place. How come they don’t all fall I don’t know.
On the horizon we could just about see Monument Valley which we visited last year.
Even from here the Monuments make their mark on the distant horizon.
Rusty is way smarter than you’d give him credit for. He snuck carefully up to the rim, took a look and backed away. No way he was going to the edge which eased my mind. He’s a great dog but I don’t think he’d fly very well, and I don’t want to find out. He skipped away.
Every way you look there is some interesting formation or another. It was too hot to camp and too hot to hang around drinking it all in. It is out of season of course and there is a reason for that.
That is GANNET2 cooking gently in the morning sun and all three of us were grateful for the shade.
It was time to go and there wasn’t a lick of shade at any of the open spots we could have camped in, and we could have taken any of them as no one was around.
Now the other half of the double act, a winding three mile fort road to the valley floor. The pavement ended right there and off we went.
The signs warn RVs and trailers to use caution on the gravel of the Dugway which is pretty smooth and mostly wide enough for two vehicles to pass.
Moki is the Spanish rendering of the name of the local Indian tribe and Dugway is apparently what you call a road dug into a cliff face.
In 1957 a zinc mining company needed to get ore through this area and there was no road so they built it. What they used for their ore trucks we get to drive now - for fun!
There was no great skill in managing the road with a small van but I didn’t envy the RV drivers as some turns required backing and forthing. The hairpin bends are paved though which must be a nice touch in winter.
The occasional narrow spot presented itself and had to be taken at walking speed by this old fogey wondering who was approaching round the corner.
There are no guardrails but there is a dirt berm and you never feel like you are perched on the very edge.
We got on pavement near the bottom and frankly I like a paved road. I’ll drive dirt to get somewhere but not just for fun. It’s tiring managing a 9,000 pound van avoiding holes slowing for washboard and listening to your home rattle and clank as you go.
My friend Bill from Jacksonville took part in the coast to coast rally called the Scooter Cannonball recently from Southern California, and came in the top ten arriving at Hilton Head unscathed. Before Covid he participated in a Scooter Cannonball when that year’s cross country route included the Dugway.
He’s a competitive guy and he was riding hard as he took a gravel slide on the Dugway. I was thinking about that as we zigged and zagged down the cliff face. He hurt his leg and ultimately had to drop out and ride the sag wagon. A tough place to hurt yourself and I’m glad this years ride included no dirt. I like my van.
Looking back at the cliff in the photo and now looking forward to lunch in the Valley of the Gods. It was a long day of driving dirt and it was great.
And as far as Muley Point is concerned here’s a bonus: the name refers to a cow without horns because it looks a bit like a mule or Muley.
I’m thinking I wouldn’t mind renaming myself. Muley Point, sounds pretty apt though changing my name to Moki Dugway appeals a lot more.
“Hi there Moki!” They’d say and if just give a knowing wink back.
