Overview: Beautiful Desert hike through a river bed with breathtaking views as well as ancient Anasazi ruins. The drive alone is worth it going across wild desert vistas!

• Trail Head: Take I-70 East to the Moab HWY 191 exit, approximately 175 miles. Travel south about 103 miles (approximately 3 miles south of Blanding) to the SR 95 turnoff (west). As you drive the last leg on SR 95, take in the rugged beauty of the surrounding desert. Follow this 19.5 miles to the Mule Canyon Parking area which consists of a rest area and information about the canyon. After you have spent some time at the Information area, travel back on SR 95 about ½ a mile the way you came to Arch Canyon Road. Follow this dirt road about 3/10^th of a mile. You will see the trailhead on the left. There is limited parking off the side of the road.
  
  
• Coordinates: 37˚32'14.69"N 109˚43'55.062"W
  
• Coordinates to Rest/Information area: 37˚32'25.57"N 109˚44'33.82
  


• Distance: 10-12 miles round trip, depending on how far you want to go.
  
• Difficulty: 2
  
• Trail Condition: Dirt and sand trail through river a river bed (unmaintained). Depending on weather and time of year, you may need to cross water.
  
• Season: Year round, depending on weather.
  
• Fees: A BLM Backcountry Permit is required and can be paid at the self serve station located at the trailhead.
  

Detailed Description: Mule Canyon runs to the Northeast and has several Anasazi ruins throughout the hike. These ruins have never been officially excavated, but other visitors over the past 800 years seem to have taken off with most if not all of the artifacts that may have been left here by this mysterious tribe. Depending on what time of year it is, there may be water running though this canyon and after a spring storm you may have to wade through this. There is little danger of flash floods, but it has been known to happen here so be sure to pay attention to any weather alerts. The Hike can be separated into two segments, Lower Canyon and Upper Canyon.

• Lower Canyon: This segment will be the most interesting if you are into ancient American history since this is where the ruins are located. As you leave the parking area the trail travels to the northwest. The trail will meander along the bottom of the canyon following the stream bed. You may pass a pool of water or two and if so, you may find a number of desert creatures including the Desert Shrimp. The most famous ruin you will see is the Mule Canyon Ruin #3 aptly named House on Fire (See image below) due to the way the rock of the roof spreads out on the top. This is about 1.25 miles from the trailhead on the right hand side of the canyon along the cliff, about 25 to 30 yards off the trail. Further on you will come across another half dozen ruins along the northern side of the canyon. These ruins have withstood thousands of years so please be respectful so future generations can enjoy this as well.
  
  
• Upper Canyon: After you pass the last ruin you will notice that the canyon walls have increased in size as the river has cut through this area. The trail will also be come more rugged as there is less and less foot traffic as you travel. The fun part of the upper canyon is the many side box canyons to explore along the way. Early in the year, many of these have running springs that bubble up out of the desert. The rock along the upper portion of the canyon will turn lighter and then as you near the end of the canyon the red sandstone will reappear. If you are adventurous you can climb out of the canyon following the bottom of the wash until you get to the top of the mesa, which will be the only big elevation gain on the trail. You may have to find your own way to the top of the mesa following game trails and bushwhacking so make sure you bring a compass not to loose your way. At the top of the mesa you will have a great view of the deeper Texas canyon to the east, and Navajo Mountain to the southwest, and various mesas in the vicinity.
  
  

Additional information: The Visitor area has a Pit toilet which is nice to take advantage of before you start. It also has restored ruins here to explore and learn more about the ancient Anasazi of this region.


Maps:

Lower Mule Canyon