Long Canyon Road (Pucker Pass)
Potash Road
Length
8 Miles
Time
1-1.5 Hours
Difficulty
Moderate
Rating
Season
All Year (except snow)
Fees
None
Route Type
Point to Point
About This Trail
A dramatic canyon climb beneath a fallen boulder, connecting Potash Road to the Island in the Sky highlands.
Local Tip
Drive it bottom-up in the afternoon and pair it with Dead Horse Point: you top out 15 minutes from the park entrance right as the light gets good over the river gooseneck. The boulder at Pucker Pass looks like it can't possibly fit a full-size vehicle — it can, slowly, and it's been doing so for decades.
Trail Description
Long Canyon Road is the connoisseur's shortcut: a backcountry route that climbs from the Colorado River corridor up a deep red rock canyon to the plateau near Dead Horse Point, gaining over 1,500 feet along the way.
The signature moment is Pucker Pass, where the road squeezes directly beneath a giant fallen boulder wedged against the canyon wall — one of Moab's great photo ops. Above the pass, the switchbacks ease and the road tops out on the UT-313 plateau with the La Sals filling the horizon behind you.
It's a quieter alternative to the Shafer Trail with a similar bottom-to-top canyon-climb feel, and the two combine into one of the best backcountry loop drives in the area.
Trailhead & Staging Area
Bottom entrance: follow Potash Road (UT-279) along the Colorado River about 13 miles from US-191; the signed Long Canyon turnoff is on the right shortly before the potash plant. Top entrance: from UT-313, watch for the signed dirt road on the east side a few miles before the Dead Horse Point entrance. No fees for Long Canyon itself.
Drive Route
About 8 miles point-to-point from Potash Road to UT-313; allow 1-1.5 hours. High-clearance 4WD recommended for the rocky ledges below Pucker Pass, especially driving uphill. Avoid when wet or icy — the upper switchbacks get slick. Combine with the Shafer Trail for a full canyon-country loop from Moab.
Interactive Map
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