 |
Sovereign Singletrack
The Sovereign Singletrack has become one of the top trails of the Moab area. This narrow
singletrack trail combines dirt, open rock, ledges, climbs, and views. Consider this an
intermediate
to advanced trail, moderately strenuous.
Riders cruise along narrow singletrack,
heading for the next section of technical rock. Photos by Bruce,
May 5, 2003. Updated 2009.
|
|
The newer Salt Wash Singletrack
to the west of Sovereign is connected to Sovereign in multiple spots,
offering many different ride options. Salt Wash actually displaced
portions of Sovereign, so in 2008 things got a little more
confusing. There are several riding options, depending on your taste
for adventure (and on your tolerance for sand). |
| North to South is easier,
and all of the riders I encountered on my exploration rides were going
that way. Some went up Dalton Wells Road to catch the southern 6 miles of
the singletrack, others forked left from the upper parking area to claim an
extra 2.3 miles of singletrack. Most elected to make the return loop by
means of the highway. But this is a new trail -- riders are going to vote
for the best ride option with their bike tires. Section of open rock on the southern
end of the trail. The trail is marked with blue spots painted on rock.
|
|
 |
My recommendation for advanced riders is the 16.5-mile
Lariat Loop from Willow Springs Road. From the trailhead (2 miles from the
highway), ride the awesome singletrack 6 miles north. At Dalton Wells
Road, cross into the small wash and follow the singletrack another 2.3
miles. Turn right on dirt road, forking off the larger road after 0.4 miles. After a
mile on DT, you enter a huge tilted slickrock area. Play all you want,
then exit on the Dalton Wells Road about a mile southwest. Turn off the DW
Road back onto the singletrack to do the first 6 miles of trail in the
opposite direction!
Barrel cactus in full bloom along the
Sovereign Trail.
|
| If you absolutely MUST ride a loop, I suggest the 10.5 mile Sovereign
to Salt Wash loop (see the Salt Wash page) for
advanced riders. There's also the 15-mile
Pipeline Loop. This loop offers a bit more riding on the slickrock area,
but you'll spend your last 2 miles bombing down a rocky pipeline service road. This
loop can be shortened to 11 miles by turning right on Dalton Wells Road at
mile 6.
The 14-mile Dalton Loop runs the singletrack from north to
south, returning via an often sandy doubletrack (very fat tires and thighs of
steel recommended), or by riding to the highway on Willow Springs Road and
heading up to Dalton Wells Road 1 mile north.
Rolling onward along the trail...
|
|
 |
And of course, you can ride the trail from either trailhead as an
out-and-back. Or you can bring a second vehicle and ride it as a one-way.
View to the west. The singletrack may
keep your eyes from noticing the scenery.
|
| You'll ride through layers of rock from the middle to late
Jurassic Period (208 to 144 million years ago). The white Curtis Formation
sandstone caps the underlying Entrada. You'll ride through ledges and
shales of the Summerville Formation, to the chunky caprock of white Salt
Wash sandstone from the Morrison Formation at the high point of the ride.
View to the north, just before
dropping down to the Dalton Wells Road. The broad area of white rock is
the far side of the lariat loop -- we'll skirt the west side of it on the
way out, then cross it on the way back. In the distance, Entrada sandstone
protrudes near the border of Arches National Park.
|
|
 |
The big green mountain at the north end of the ride is shale and clay from
the later Morrison Formation, capped by the dark rough Buckhorn
Comglomerate of the early Cretaceous Period.
Bruce descends towards Dalton Wells
Road. |
| This ride has a good sampling of every type of riding --
fast singletrack, technical sections, sand digs, steep drops, stiff
climbs, open slickrock. You're going to like this trail!
Handlebar view on the open slickrock
section. Stay and play. You can find some ledge drops and technical
challenges in the washes that cut through this area. |
|
| For strong riders, the Cedar Mountain
Upper Sovereign Loop can be added. This is narrow rough singletrack,
and isn't for everyone.
If you're northbound on Sovereign, the old trail is now a
connector to Salt Wash. You'll see "don't climb this" signs
facing you at the connector (intended to keep motorcycles from digging it
up). I suggest you switch over to Salt Wash to climb over the bluff. |
 |
On
your way back, if you dare, you can descend the steep loose switchbacks.
Caution - you've got to know what you're doing to clean these turns. If
you want to avoid the plunge, a connector takes you back to Salt Wash (see
map).
View down the steep stuff. At upper
left, there's the continuing trail, and you can make out a connector to
Salt Wash heading to the right. |
| Five different Sovereign Singletrack Ride options: |
Easier ride, lariat-shape, stops above
Dalton Wells:
0.0 Continue E on road
N 38° 41.876' W 109° 39.868',
alt=4350
0.1 Fork L on DT
0.6 L on ST as DT crosses wash
N 38° 42.277' W 109° 39.485'
1.1 Salt Wash ST crosses, follow blue dots
N38 42.597 W109 39.431
1.8 Connector, keep R, N38 42.907 W109 39.511
2.5 Connector, keep R, N38 43.247 W109 39.440
3.4 L onto connector N38 43.695 W109 39.378
3.6 R on Salt Wash, N38 43.864 W109 39.590 |
4.0 Stiff climb onto mesa
(Consider turnaround here)
4.3 Fork L, N38 43.864 W109 39.590
5.1 Hard R onto Sovereign
N38 44.083 W109 39.351
5.8 Fork R on connector N38 43.736 W109 39.527
6.0 Fork L on Salt Wash N38 43.864 W109 39.590
(Begin retracing route)
6.7 Fork L on connector N38 43.864 W109 39.590
6.9 R on Sovereign N38 43.695 W109 39.378
10.3 Back at parking |
Lariat Large Loop (Willow Springs Rd):
Do the best part both directions!
0.0 Continue E on road
N 38° 41.876' W 109° 39.868',
alt=4350
0.1 Fork L on DT
0.6 L on ST as DT crosses wash
N 38° 42.277' W 109° 39.485'
1.1 Salt Wash ST crosses, follow blue dots
N38 42.597 W109 39.431
1.8 Connector, keep R, N38 42.907 W109 39.511
2.5 Connector, keep R, N38 43.247 W109 39.440
3.4 L onto connector N38 43.695 W109 39.378
3.6 R on Salt Wash, N38 43.864 W109 39.590
4.0 Stiff climb onto mesa
4.3 R on connector N38 43.864 W109 39.590
4.4 L on Sovereign N38 43.736 W109 39.527
5.3 Descend to X-over, altitude 4850 ft
L and downhill (R=steep Salt
Wash)
N38 44.083 W109 39.351 |
6.0 Cross Dalton Wells Rd
N 38° 44.154' W 109° 39.820',
alt=4500
Follow small wash 0.1, then
exit R (N)
6.5 Arrive at open rock, veer L
7.1 Fork after stiff climb,
straight (L)
N 38° 44.489' W 109° 40.125',
alt=4675
1/4 mile of sand
8.2 R on road
N 38° 44.180' W 109° 40.370'
8.6 R at road fork, L at next fork
9.4 Slickrock - head R - no trail markings
10.0 R off slickrock onto L fork Dalton W Rd
(smallish flat-topped red hill
at rock edge)
N 38° 44.448' W 109° 39.533'
10.3 Join R fork of Dalton W Rd
Continue downhill
10.5 L onto original trail, begin stiff climb
16.5 Back at trailhead. |
Pipeline Loop (Willow Springs Rd)
0.0 Continue E on road
N 38° 41.876' W 109° 39.868',
alt=4350
0.1 Fork L on DT
0.6 L on ST as DT crosses wash
N 38° 42.277' W 109° 39.485'
1.1 Salt Wash ST crosses, follow blue dots
N38 42.597 W109 39.431
1.8 Connector, keep R, N38 42.907 W109 39.511
2.5 Connector, keep R, N38 43.247 W109 39.440
3.4 L onto connector N38 43.695 W109 39.378
3.6 R on Salt Wash, N38 43.864 W109 39.590
4.0 Stiff climb onto mesa
4.3 R on connector N38 43.864 W109 39.590
4.4 L on Sovereign N38 43.736 W109 39.527
5.3 Descend to X-over, altitude 4850 ft
L and downhill (R=steep Salt
Wash)
N38 44.083 W109 39.351
6.0 Cross Dalton Wells Rd
N 38° 44.154' W 109° 39.820',
alt=4500
Follow small wash 0.1, then
exit R (N) |
6.5 Arrive at open rock, veer L
7.1 Fork after stiff climb, straight (L)
N 38° 44.489' W 109° 40.125',
alt=4675
1/4 mile of sand
8.2 R on road
N 38° 44.180' W 109° 40.370'
8.6 R at road fork, L at next fork
9.4 Slickrock - head R - no trail markings
10.0 Pass L fork of Dalton Wells Rd
N 38° 44.448' W 109° 39.533'
10.6 Find R fork of Rd on edge of rock
N 38° 44.224' W 109° 39.426',
alt=4600
Turn L, head E along edge of
rock
11.4 Fork L (R goes to valley -- m3.5)
N 38° 43.925' W 109° 38.860'
12.1 R at 4-way
N 38° 44.015' W 109° 38.357',
alt=4900'
12.3 Pass pipeline pumphouse
14.8 Pass outbound ST in wash
15.4 Back at parking |
Dalton Loop
(from Dalton Wells Rd)
0.0 L fork from parking
N 38° 43.584' W 109° 40.783',
alt=4450
(Consider R fork 1.1 miles then
R on ST,
to shorten ride by 2 miles,
skip some sand)
0.4 Straight up slickrock, L onto road
0.9 DT comes in from L
Begin looking for ST on R at
N 38° 44.180' W 109° 40.370'
2.0 Straight (R) at fork
N 38° 44.489' W 109° 40.125',
alt=4675
2.6 Veer R on rock, down wash
3.1 Cross Dalton Road, begin climb
N 38° 44.154' W 109° 39.820',
alt=4500
3.6 Top of climb, R then L on Sovereign
N38 44.083 W109 39.351 |
4.2 L, begin descent, becomes hairy
4.6 Keep L on Sovereign
5.7 Connector, keep L
6.2 Connector, keep L
7.0 Cross-over, follow blue dots
7.5 R out of wash on DT
N 38° 42.277' W 109° 39.485'
8.0 R on Willow Springs Road
8.1 Straight past parking
8.3 R on DT
N 38° 41.833' W 109° 40.094'
(Alternative: straight to highway, R 1 mi,
L on Dalton Wells Rd., add 0.4 mile)
12.6 L on Dalton Wells Road
N 38° 43.640' W 109° 40.576'
12.8 Back at parking |
 |
From the north, Dalton Wells road is 17 miles
south of I-70, on your left. Willow Springs Road is exactly 1 mile further
south, also on the left. Coming north from Moab, Willow Springs Road will
be on your right, 1.8 miles past the junction with Highway 313 (Canyonlands
and Dead Horse Point).
Getting there, Willow Springs Road Trailhead:
On US-191 north of Moab, turn east on dirt Willow Springs Road. Keep L at
fork at mile 1.3. At mile 2.0, park in the rock-outlined area on your left N 38° 41.876' W 109° 39.868', just before a
natural gas pump building on the R. Start the ride by continuing down
Willow Springs Rd.
Getting there, Dalton Wells Road Trailhead: On US-191
north of Moab, turn east on dirt Dalton Wells Road. As the cindered path
turns R, go straight onto the dirt road. Reclose the gate at mile 0.2, and
cross the broad sandy wash. At mile 1.7, park at the fork in the road N 38°
43.584' W 109° 40.783'. The L fork takes you to the top of the
trail for the Dalton Loop. The R fork (straight) takes you on ATV track to
the junction where Sovereign drops off the bluff, where you can connect to the southern 6 miles of trail. |
Copyright 2003 Mad Scientist Software Inc
Updated 2009
|
