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Inside Passage
Inside Passage is a short trail starting at the southern parking for
the Klondike Bluffs riding area. It
connects back to the Klondike Bluffs trail
after 0.4 miles. It bypasses much of the doubletrack trail that you'd
share with motos.
View west as a rider hits the dips
north of southern Klondike Bluffs parking. Photos and trail review by
Bruce on October 24, 2013.
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| Just so we're clear, the parking area where the trail
starts is 2.8 miles from Highway 191 on the Klondike Bluffs Road. You'll
find the trail at the northern corner of the fence.
Looking north from near the
cattleguard marking the transition between the Klondike Bluffs Road and
the Klondike Bluffs Trail. The squeeze-gate is too narrow to ride
through, probably to keep motos off the singletrack.
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The trail climbs slowly over a low hill along the skirts
of the bluff to the north. There's about 70 feet of altitude gain before
you descend back to the main trail.
Looking northeast as we climb up and
over the low rise. |
| The trail is very easy technically. It's suitable for
beginning riders.
An older rider from England is
enjoying the cruise back to his car. We're looking northeast.
"Great little trail." he says, "All we've got is mud in
the UK."
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The base of the trail is clay of the Brushy Basin member
of the Morrison Formation. This clay may be green, purple, pink, or
white depending on the location.
From the top of the knoll, we're
looking southwest toward the parking area. |
| Cap-rock from the bluff litters the side of the trail and
makes the ride visually interesting. From the spot where the trail
reconnects to Klondike Bluffs, it's about 0.2 miles to the Jurassic
singletrack (on your left). It's another 0.2 miles on Klondike to the fork with Copper Ridge
Road and the Dino Flow trail.
Among the Buckhorn Conglomerate
boulders, the trail zips down through an armored wash crossing. The
conglomerate is more sandstone-like here than on upper Sovereign.
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I'd recommend that you take this trail whenever you're
heading out from (or back to) the Klondike Bluffs area from the southern
parking area. It's not long or tough enough to add much effort to your
ride, and it sure beats riding doubletrack with motorcycles and jeeps.
We're at the junction of the
singletrack with Klondike Bluffs on the northern end, looking southwest. |
Getting there:
Starting at the Colorado River, drive
15 miles north from Moab. Look for a turnout with parking on the right and
a sign for Klondike Bluffs Road. There will
usually be cars parked there (GPS N 38° 44.452' W 109°
44.037'). For a longer ride, park here and ride up the road. Most cyclists will choose to go through the gate and drive 2.7 miles. Keep left at
the fork. At 2.8 miles, park your car in the broad parking area by the
fence. Look for the trail at a break in the fence at the north corner.
From the north: As you head southbound, all trails will funnel
into the Klondike Bluffs Road. After going through the sandy wash,
you'll pass Jurassic on the left, then
reach Inside Passage about 0.2 mile further on.
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