Driving on I-70 through Utah means cutting across one of the emptiest and least developed regions of Utah, it is a long drive but there is beautiful country to see. It may surprise you how very scenic this road trip can be in any season, with access roads branching off to Moab, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park and numerous State Parks; the most popular being Goblin Valley State Park.
You will see jutting rock formations the Native American Indians called the silent cities, slicing into the sky, colors that burn your memory with visions of the Southwest. When you see a wide plateau crossed by two entrenched river systems and surrounded by a ring of upturned strata; this is the San Rafael Swell. It is an arid, very scenic area, with mesas, cliffs, buttes, springs and canyons. The Swell itself is an oval shaped uplifted area of layered rocks, most of which has been eroded away forming the mostly flat central plateau, while the strata at the edges are left exposed and angled near vertically. In the San Rafael Reef are found most of the spectacular canyons especially in the southeast section.
Devils Canyon is a beautiful slot seen in a section of the San Rafael Swell to the north of the highway. Access is relatively easy. Devils Canyon roughly parallels I-70 on the west side of the Swell. Take Exit 114 (Moore Cutoff) and drive south from the freeway onto Justensen Flat. The road winds east and then south as it drops down the cliff face into Devils Canyon but it is only for four wheel drive vehicles, trucks should stick to the rest stop pull-out overlooks to enjoy the view.
The San Rafael Knob is the highest point in the San Rafael Swell. From the top you have amazing views out over some of the most ruggedly beautiful parts of the Swell. It is easy to include the Knob in a hike going east up Devils Canyon if you do have a chance to get out and get some exercise and are so inclined.
It is a little scary getting into the overlook points in the winter if the snow piles up. But during other months of the year there is truck parking up the hill into the overlook and I usually find another truckers stopped there too. Drivers can get out of the cab to stretch or even walk down the trails to the rim. At the pull out view points the Native Americans also sell their wares and tourists stop for pictures.
Goblin Valley State Park, the most visited site in this area is a photographer’s paradise. Near the park area, history buffs can discover rock art left by ancient Indians and ruins left by early prospectors, miners, and ranchers. I will need to explore this area in a four wheeler to scout out if semi trucks dare venture deeper into any of these places. Most of us are so busy and on such a fast track that there is no time to stop but only enjoy what we see from the highway as we go
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