Crescent Junction Beta

From I 70 to Moab

Introduction to the Region

What you need to know when you are here

When to go: The Moab area is beautiful in March and April with mild to cool temperatures and bright sunny days.  October and November are also ideal times to visit. Summer is quite hot and is frequently above 100 degrees. It is dry though with scattered afternoon thundershowers. In the winter, you'll likely see snow but also lots of sun.

Must Sees

Crescent Junction  GPS: 38.93 N, 109.91 W;  Elevation: 4882 feet

website

blog/facebook/social media site

·         facebook page

Getting Oriented

·         At the intersection of Hwy. 191/6 and I70, this small town isn't even really a town, but simply a junction of two roads. To the north of the Interstate, you can see the uplifted cliffs that make I70 a beautiful (if barren) road to travel.

Practicalities

·         Parks

Did You Know? Why are the Rocks Red? Small amounts of oxide minerals, from metals like iron and manganese combined with oxygen, get trapped in the rocks staining them varying shades, depending on the mineral present.  Manganese oxides add pastel colors like lavender. Iron oxide, like rust, add red or yellow color.  

·         Restrooms

Crescent Junction rest area, accessible from the East, flush toilet, picnic area, tourist info. This is a nice, well kept rest area.

·         Grocery

Papa Joes Stop and Go: There is a small service center at the junction

·         Laundry

Cisco

A ghost town is all that is left. All that is left is a few crumbling structures and rusting vehicles.

Hwy. 128

http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/fo/moab/recreation/campgrounds/highway_128.html

The highway travels from just south of I70 (you can use exit 204 or 214 to get to 128, located between the two exits) to just north of Moab. Our first introduction to hwy. 128 was with our two year old daughter and her very severe car sickness. This is one winding road. It's beautiful with towering sandstone walls, but if you've got someone in the car who doesn't do well on winding and often blind curves, this is not the road for you.

This short 44 mile state highway follows the Colorado River and the spectacular steep gorges carved by the once might river, although many find the first 10 miles only mildly interesting. It is well deservedly designation the "Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway" and is also part of the Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway" (see additional information below). If you begin your route at the east end of the valley, off I70, you might notice a familiar red rock formation, 900 feet high Fisher Towers, which has shown up in many movies. The last several miles of the road before you enter Moab border Arches National Park to the north.

Travel Tip: Take Hwy. 128 from Moab to the Red Cliffs Lodge towards the end of the day. Get beautiful sunset views and enjoy the best parts of 128. At Red Cliffs, visit the film museum, walk the grounds, and have a glass of wine before heading back to town for dinner. Stream an old western (Son of Cochise, Warlock, Commancheros, Cheyenne Autumn, The Searchers, Wagon Master, to name a few) to your computer to end the evening.

Activities

·        Red Cliffs Adventure Lodge, MP 14, 435-259-2002, www.redcliffslodge.com, pool, hot tub, horseback riding, pet friendly rooms, 79 rooms, 30 cabins, 16 miles from Moab.

The lodge is probably in the most spectacular setting of any lodging in the Moab area. It's nestled among the red cliffs along the Colorado river, and the startlingly vibrant reds, blues and greens are so vivid as to appear almost false. This is the kind of lodging that you could make a destination resort (of course, there is so much to do nearby, that most wouldn't be able to stay long at the lodge), but there is enough to do to fill several days.

Accommodations range from mini suites to cabins and all include mini kitchens, air condition and attractive furnishings. rooms are furnished with sturdy pine beds, tables and couches. Some units are within 30 feet of the Colorado River.

The cowboy grill serves traditional western fare in a large airy rustic room with large windows overlooking the scenery. There is also a lounge for cocktails. Picnic lunches can be ordered for hiking or for more casual outside dining. And on mild days, the deck is used for meals. The restaurant soars with the views, while the food leaves a bit to be desired and tends to be high priced.

Movie museum is on site, see listing below.

Hiking trails start at the lodge and range from 1/4m to 5 miles up into the cliffs with spectacular views and overlooks. See the lodge website for descriptions http://www.redcliffslodge.com/pdf/trails-web.pdf.

Reservations can be made onsite for rafting, jeep tours, trail rides, golf and sightseeing.

Personal Opinion: the resort is in a gorgeous setting but the inconsistency of the service and the food do not make this a top of the line resort. At full price, the resort just seems too expensive, especially in this day of finding many, better options. Look for sales in the off and shoulder season (but not all amenities are available then).

·         Moab Film Museum, MP 14, at the Red Cliffs Lodge 435-259-2002, free.

This museum highlights the area's use for many westerns and commercials. The museum is heavy on film stills and not much else. There is a cut out of John Wayne and some turn of the century artifacts. Movies that are highlighted include lots of John Wayne features, Thelma and Louise, Back to the Future and Austin Powers, among others.

Wine, Beer and Cocktails

·         Castle Creek Winery, MP 14, 435-259-2002, www.castlecreekwinery.com, facebook page, open seasonally, complimentary

Lodging

Camping: there are at least 11 public campgrounds along the road available on a first come, first served basis, which can mean full campgrounds in the season if you do not arrive early. The ones closer to Moab are more scenic. All have vault toilets and picnic tables. Call 435-259-2100 for reservations for a few select sites.

·        The Dewey Bridge campground, 15m from I70,  has access to the Kokopelli trail and there is river access for small boats. Often a put in for rafting trips. Some treed sites.

·         Hittle Bottom Campground, 21m from I70,  features an historic homestead or, rather, the remains of a homestead in the form of a small dugout, and a boat ramp often used for rafting put-ins. The homestead was once the home of Frank Hittle, a farmer from Iowa who homesteaded the area in the 1920's. There is a nice shady picnic area and watch rafters float by. The 3m Amphitheater loop trail can be accessed here.

Amphitheater loop trail: the 3m trail climbs 250 feet with excellent view over the Colorado river to the west. Once you cross the highway, travel the loop to the right for better views of Castle Rock and Fisher towers. A small viewpoint is about 100 feet off the trail and overlooks the river. A shorter option is offered by a cut-off trail bisecting the loop (at the Y trail junction, the cut-off goes left). Rock formations feature Moenkopi and Cutler sandstone. In the spring and fall, you are likely to see wildflowers. Trail is marked by cairns and, at times, the trail appears to continue in the wash when, in fact, it does not. So keep an eye out for those cairns marking your turns. A BLM kiosk is at the trailhead with information.

·         Lower Onion Creek Campground, 22m from I70, requires a brief, 1.5m, travel along a dirt road (across the road from the sign that says "Fisher Towers") to a quiet, small campground at the convergence of Onion Creek and the Colorado River. There is a group site here as well. Yes, onion creek does smell like onions or at least like sulfur.

·         Fisher Towers Campground, 22m from I70 and then 1.2m on a dirt road, no shade, only suitable for small tents. A 2.2m one way hiking trail goes around the brick red towers formed of Organ Rock Tongue of the Cutler Geologic formation, a 225 million year old deposit of the Uncompahgre highland, uplifted as part of the Colorado Plateau (see Colorado Plateau section for more geologic information). Climbers can also access the towers. Views here are spectacular. Good place to stop and take a deep breath. Many movies have been filmed here including Wagon Master and Rio Conchos The area can be both hot and windy.  For a BLM brochure and map, go to http://www.docstoc.com/docs/85769062/FISHER-TOWERS-RECREATION-SITE

Fisher Towers Trail is 2.5m one way and is well maintained and marked. Plan about 3 hours to do the full 5 miles. Trail has no shade and can be brutal in the summer sun. Mornings or off-season hikes are recommended.  Keep an eye out for rock climbers scaling the 900 foot Titan, the tallest pinnacle of the towers. Climbing a ladder is required about 1.5 miles into the trail. Very striking pictures can be taken during this hike in the winter with the contrast of the snow, the red towers and the sky, but beware of slippery rock. Many rock formations are visible on this hike, not just the towers, and be sure to look behind you as you walk to catch the views from that direction.

Kid Alert: Most kids will like this level hike because they will enjoy the nooks and crannies in the rock formations. Some of the smaller rock formations look like little goblins. Encourage the kids to try and find rock climbers scaling the towers. Keep an eye on small children because there are some drop offs.

Climbers interested in doing the towers can find some great information at http://www.summitpost.org/fisher-towers-onion-creek-towers/153062. The climb is recommended only for expert climbers.

·         Upper Big Bend, 8miles from Moab, small, simple campground with some bouldering rocks

·         Big Bend campground, 7.4m from Moab, larger campground with large sites many along the Colorado River. Features accessible facilities.

·         Oak Grove campground, 6.9m from Moab, 4 of the 7 sites are walk in and no room for RV's or large vehicles. Some nicely shaded sites in this quiet campground

·         Hal Canyon, 6.6 miles from Moab, early summer shade and nice river and red rock canyon views

·         Drinks Canyon, 6.2m from Moab and is actually three mini-campgrounds. More limited facilities than others nearby.

·         Granstaff Campground, 3m from Moab, tent camping only, close to access to the Porcupine Rim mountain bike trail

Porcupine rim mountain bike trail, 15.6m trail for expert riders

·         Goose Island, 1.4m from Moab, great views, two reservable sites. Near Negro Bill Canyon and hiking to Morning Glory Arch (see Negro Bill Canyon hike below). Campground is on the Colorado river and has a nice screen of shade trees. Biking access to the porcupine rim trail (See Granstaff campground above). This is the best site for RV access. Traveler information is also available here.

Learn more about it: The Dinosaur Diamond Prehistoric Highway is a 480 mile long byway through Utah and Colorado showcasing dinosaur bones and tracks in museums and in the ground. This area is one of the most paleontological rich areas in the world featuring fossil quarries, museums and dinosaur tracks. The highway runs from Moab north on Hwy. 128 to I70 east with a stop at the Morrison Formation, a veritable treasure trove of Dinosaur bones, to Grand Junction Colorado and a stop at the Museum of Western Colorado . Backtracking to Hwy. 139, the trail heads north to Hwy. 64 and then west to Vernal, where there is another dinosaur quarry, and Dinosaur National Monument. Continue west on Hwy 40 to Price, for a stop at the Cleveland Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, and then south to Hwy. 50, returning to Moab. For detailed information, see http://www.dinosaurdiamond.net/about.php

·         Dewey Bridge, 18 miles from I70, rest area, park

Once cars rode across this now retired bridge, built in 1916,  to cross the Colorado River. Today, the bridge is part of a biking and walking trail. The bridge was damaged in 2008 when a child's campfire got out of control and efforts stalled for repairing the historic structure, the new bridge is on the drawing board. An old gas station is all that is left of the original town. You can still look at what remains of the bridge, its cables dangling in the river.

·         Negro Bill (Morning Glory) Trail, 3m from Moab turnoff, toilet, information kiosk

This six mile round trip trail is an out and back up a scenic canyon to Morning Glory Bridge, a natural bridge, 243 feet long. You'll see references to Negro Bill throughout the area. Bill was actually William Granstaff, a black rancher in the Moab area in 1877. The trail follows a stream so throughout the year you'll have the pleasure of plants and trees along the trail but you will also have to hop this creek about ten times during the hike. After the tenth crossing, you'll veer right up a side canyon to the Morning Glory natural bridge where a perennial spring seeps. The natural bridge is the sixth longest in the US. Surrounding the trail are the red rock canyons so familiar to this area. The trail is level at first but then starts to ascend. You'll find pockets of shade throughout the hiking depending on the time of day.

Kid Alert: this is a great hike to do with kids. They love the stream, particularly on hot days, and can wade in it. It also is home to quite a few creatures like toads or crawfish. But just keep a heads up for poison ivy.

·         Lions Park Trail and Transit Hub, intersection of Hwy. 128 and 191.

In progress, this transit hub is going to clean up a rather chaotic intersection of Hwy. 128 and Hwy. 191 where bikers, hikers and cars have to share the roadway. The transit hub will be on the south side of Hwy. 128 with an underpass connecting it to Lion's Park on the north side. Elevated paths will provide safe trails on the river side of the road wherever there is not room for bikers or hikers. The park will benefit from the addition of a bathroom, a covered picnic area and ample parking. Completion is planned for end of summer 2013.