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Burro Pass
(Whole Enchilada, segment 2)
The Burro Pass trail starts at 10,300 feet in the La Sal Mountains. It
crosses a saddle at 11,200 feet elevation before descending to Warner Lake
campground. Most riders will do the Burro Pass trail as part of "The Whole Enchilada,"
an epic ride 26.5 miles long with 7000 vertical feet of downhill.
Note: 2017
La Sal Loop road closure information
Chad descends a typical steep section
of Burro Pass. September 3, 2007. |
| If you're doing the Whole Enchilada, you'll reach the
Burro Pass trail via the Geyser Pass singletrack,
1.5 miles from the Geyser Pass trailhead. Just follow the "WE"
signs for navigation.
You can also do Burro Pass as a loop ride of about 10 miles with around 2000 feet of climbing. The loop ride starts
at 10,300, peaks at 11,200 feet in the La Sal Mountains, then loops around
past Oowah Lake. Burro Pass is only for very strong, skilled,
and adventuresome riders. Season is Mid July through September. The
catch is, we haven't done the entire trail route described here. But it
exists on our maps, so help yourself and good luck. |
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First on the agenda: a long commute from Moab. The Burro Pass trailhead
is almost 30 miles and 6000 vertical feet away. The Burro Pass trailhead is remote
and may not be drivable after a rain or in early summer. The last 1/2 mile
to the official trailhead is steep and rutted. Most riders therefore will
start their ride at the Geyser Pass trailhead, from which you can connect
to Burro Pass via the Geyser Pass singletrack, or
via FR 071 (Geyser Springs road).
From the official trailhead at 10,400 feet, you'll ride uphill 800
vertical feet in 1.2 miles. Unless you're superhuman, there will be some
hike-a-bike sections. (20% slope at 11,000 feet is tough!) Enjoy the
beauty. Later on, you'll be too busy flying downhill and trying not to
crash.
Chad and Mike climb uphill toward
Burro Pass.
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At the top of the ridge, ignore the hiking trail that
goes steeply uphill on your right. Head straight across and downhill.
After crossing the ridge, you begin a steep switchback descent. This is fun
stuff, with some technical challenges involving loose rock, roots, and
very tight switchback turns.
After a couple of miles, the trail mellows. You're riding
through fir with occasional meadows and aspens. You'll plunge through the
creek a few times.
Burro Pass. Elevation 11,200 feet. |
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As you reach the aspen zone, you may actually have to pedal a bit. When
you reach a water-diversion ditch, you're almost done with Burro. We took
the trail over the ditch and uphill across a small mountain. It looks like
you can ride along the ditch and meet the trail later near Warner Lake.
For the Whole Enchilada: At the 4-way intersection, keep right
and go past Warner Lake to the Warner Campground. Find your way through
the campground, where WE Segment 3 (Hazard County)
awaits you on the paved road just outside.
For the loop ride: At the 4-way intersection, keep left. The trail descends on
singletrack to join the gravel Oowah Lake road. Proceed to the right past Oowah lake
and find the continuing Boren Mesa singletrack.
Bruce drops over a root section. Photo
by Mike. |
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There's some push-a-bike steep climbing as you head south away from the
lake. At the fork with the Clark Lake Loop Trail, stay on the Boren Mesa
trail (right fork). At the next intersection about a mile later, leave
Boren Mesa and go left on the wider (double-trackish) trail heading
southeast. (The Boren Mesa trail gets very nasty here, but is a longer and
meaner loop option.) Begin climbing southeast and uphill toward the Geyser Lake road. You'll go about two miles.
When you reach the Geyser Pass road, turn left and follow the road back
to where you parked your car. Chad hits the water
on one of many creek crossings. |
Note: Alternative loops include
(1) start at Warner Lake and head 1/3 mile to the intersection then down
toward Oowah Lake.
(2) start on the Geyser Pass road at Geyser Pass. Use the Geyser
Pass singletrack to head for the Burro Pass trailhead.
(3) use the Ooway Lake or Warner Campground roads as returns from the
Burro Pass trail (lots of dirt road and substantial climbing).
Dominic skirts a small meadow. |
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Burro Pass, counter-clockwise loop
0.0 Start uphill through the trees N38 29.801 W109 13.034
Step through the gate
onto ST
1.2 Ridge, cross and start downhill N38 30.214 W109 13.654
Switchbacks, loose, steep
3.2 Fork L downhill N38 30.701 W109 15.143
3.8 Cross ditch R uphill N38 30.53 W109 15.68
(approx)
4.8 Fork left on ST N38 30.989 W109 16.437
(Lake = to Warner
Campground)
Further mileage is approximate, based on topo map of area!
6-ish Join DT L to Oowah Lake
7-ish Pass R of Oowah Lake and find Boren Mesa ST
8-ish Fork L southeast on DT
9-ish L on Geyser Pass road
11-ish L to Geyser Pass ST
12-ish L uphill on road to TH
Mike flies over roots among the large
firs. |
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Getting there:
On Moab's Main Street, head south on US-191. Zero your odometer at Center
Street Center Street and drive 8.2 miles. Turn left toward Ken's Lake - La
Sal Loop Road. At the T intersection 1/2 mile later, turn right. Stay on
the paved La Sal Loop Road to mile 20.6, then turn right on gravel Geyser
Pass road. After several miles the road narrows to a single lane. Drive 8
miles on Geyser Pass road (to mile 28.6). Here you come to a fork, with a
small turnaround on the left just before the fork. This is Geyser Pass (N38 29.122 W109 13.940).
Go left (you should see a "Burro Pass 1.2" sign as you curve
around the fork), then keep right at the fork that immediately follows.
1.2 miles later (mile 29.8) turn left off the main road on an eroded
doubletrack climbing steeply up the mountain, with a sign "Burro Pass
TH" (N38 29.408 W109 12.906). Go 1/2 mile up the mountain (4-wheel
drive strongly suggested here) and park where the DT disappears into some
fir trees. The sign indicating the singletrack trailhead, and a
step-around squeeze gate, is in those trees uphill from you.
Note: Most riders will park at Geyser Pass (the formal trailhead 1.2 miles from the spur leading up to the singletrack trailhead). If so,
add 1.7 miles to the mileages on the riding guide. If you parked on the
road below the spur (1/2 mile from the singletrack trailhead), add 0.5
miles. |
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