US-UT-Beef+Basin


 * =Birding in Utah=

San Juan County
=Beef Basin= Monticello, UT 84535 Beef Basin webpage

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Beef Basin
Coordinates: 37.9915131, -109.8719937 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Beef Basin
Beef Basin is a relatively small and remote geographical area south of Canyonlands National Park in San Juan County, Utah. It is approximately 47 miles southwest of Moab, Utah; 32 miles west-northwest of Monticello, Utah; and 34 miles northwest of Blanding, Utah; as the crow flies.

Practically speaking Beef Basin is encircled by the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park to the north, the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area (Lake Powell) and Dark Canyon Instant Study Area (ISA) Complex Wilderness Study Area (WSA) to the west, the Dark Canyon BLM Natural Area to the south, the Manti-La Sal National Forest to the south and east, and the Butler Canyon WSA to the east and north.

There are only two roads into or out of Beef Basin. The easiest is the Beef Basin Road (San Juan County Road (CR)104, Forest Service Road (FS)093) which enters Beef Basin from the south descending the slopes of Horse Mountain. The Beef Basin Road can be accessed from the east by turning off of Utah Highway 211 onto the Bridger Jack Road (CR107, FS088) or from the south through the Abajo Mountains on the Elk Ridge Road (CR224, FS088). It is approximately 90 miles from Moab to Beef Basin via the Bridger Jack and Beef Basin Roads. It is at least 52 miles depending on the chosen route to get to the Beef Basin Road from either Monticello or Blanding. Due to snow accumulation on the slopes of Horse Mountain and the rest of the Abajo Mountains, this route is closed during the winter months (Approximately November to April depending on snowfall and average temperatures for that particular year).

The other more difficult route is via the Elephant Hill 4WD Trail through the Needles which enters Beef Basin from the north ascending the challenging hill out of Bobby’s Hole. It is approximately 80 miles from Moab to the Elephant Hill Trailhead. It is approximately 55 miles to the same point from Monticello. It is then another 11 miles on the Elephant Hill Trail to the south boundary of the National Park, and a further 10 miles for a total of 101 miles from Moab, 76 miles from Monticello, to the trail register in Middle Park from which all distances were measured. This route is generally accessible year round and when the road over Horse Mountain is closed the Park Service will allow you to go through the Needles without paying the entrance fee if you agree not to stop anywhere while in the Park.

There are also several hiking trails that enter Beef Basin. Two trails go between Beef Basin and the Dark Canyon Plateau to the south. On the west end of Beef Basin at the head of Gypsum Canyon is the Fable Valley Trail. This trail goes through Fable Valley, a tributary of Gypsum Canyon, to the head of the canyon on the Dark Canyon Plateau. The other established trail goes from the east end of the Beef Basin Wash Road (CR199) up to the Crystal Spring Trailhead on the Dark Canyon Plateau. Another hiking route that traverses the area is a small section of the Heyduke Trail that enters Beef Basin from the north through the Needles and Butler Wash and exits to the west via the Fable Valley Trail. From Beef Basin webpage

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media type="custom" key="29039211" || L1446177 US US-UT US-UT-037 37.9915131 -109.8719937 Beef Basin