This web page identifies significant canyon overlooks, accessible via existing roadways, that are scheduled to be closed to motorized vehicles and bicycles as per the BLM Labyrinth Rims Gemini Bridges Travel Management Plan.

Disclaimer; Please note that I am not an expert on these matters. I am just a citizen and an enthusiastic naturalist who enjoys visiting these viewpoints and who feels the locations should remain accessible to mechanized transportation. All of the info on this web page is posted in good faith. The info reflects the best of my knowledge and understanding, but I acknowledge that I may be mistaken or incorrect with regard to some or any details. I encourage you to corroborate, confirm, clarify, or correct the info you find here.

Anyone is permitted to walk to the overlooks described here. There are dozens of additional viewpoints, found along the rim of the Labyrinth Canyon network, which are not accessible by road. The majority of viewpoints can only be reached by hiking overland. There are countless opportunities to walk in search of new views and unique perspectives. All of the overlooks are accessible by walking, hiking, or scrambling over the sandy dunes and rocky terrain, but only some are accessible by road.

The existing county roads have historically been recognized and included in the BLM inventory of motorized access routes. Approximately 42 of these roads provide accessibility to awe inspiring viewpoints, but approximately 25 of the roads that access viewpoints are slated to be closed, while 17 will remain open. You may scroll to the bottom of this page to inspect a copy of the BLM Travel Plan Map that I have marked with numbers to illustrate how I arrived at the estimated count of overlooks currently accessed by existing county roads. The roads will be closed for the arbitrary purpose of denying motorized vehicle and bicycle access to the viewpoints to minimize the number of humans who are able to visit the locations.

If enacted, the BLM Labyrinth Rims Gemini Bridges Travel Management Plan will close the roads and force users of motorized and bicycle transportation to walk to these overlooks rather than enjoy their preferred, or necessary modes of travel.

This web page is intended to illustrate the vistas that will be denied to a great number of Americans and visitors. Some participants are families with children too young to hike several miles in the desert environment. Some are the elderly, who deserve the chance to enjoy the scenery without arbitrarily imposed effort. Some are invalids, otherwise in the prime of their life. Have you ever contemplated the root of the word "invalid" and considered the cruelty associated with invalidating someone's existence, interests, and rights? Many people are not capable of walking the distance, climbing the slopes, or enduring the weather.

If you believe that the roads to these viewpoints should not be closed please share your thoughts with your local, state, and federal officials

Thank you.

This awesome view of Taylor Canyon, the famous Zeus and Moses rock formation, and the road to the Taylor Canyon Trailhead is located just outside the border of Canyonlands National Park. The viewpoint is a few hundred feet from the historic parking spot at the end of San Juan County County Road D5313SJ, which is the continuation of Grand County County Road D1026.

If the 3-mile length of County Roads D1506 / D5313SJ is closed to the use of vehicles and bicycles, visitors will be forced to leave their transportation and walk a round trip of 6 miles, with approximately 480 feet of climbing, to access the traditional parking spot.

This pictures shows a portion of the road that leads to the Zeus and Moses overlook.

The road is in good condition. It seems to be utilized by cars and trucks equipped with common street tires. There is little evidence of destructive or careless behavior being caused by users of this road.

This overlook, located near the southwestern tip of Horsethief Point, is one of several that occur a few hundred feet from the historic parking spot at the end of San Juan County County Road D1855SJ, which is the continuation of Grand County County Road D1019.

This view of Taylor Canyon and Buck Mesa is one of many that can be enjoyed by walking along the rim of the canyon to the varied outcrops and sandstone plazas found in the near vicinity of the parking area.

If the 2.5-mile length of County Roads D1019 / D1855SJ is closed to the use of vehicles and bicycles, visitors will be forced to leave their transportation and walk a round trip of 5 miles, with approximately 440 feet of climbing, to access the traditional parking spot.

This amazing viewpoint is at the tip of Mineral Point. It is located a few hundred feet from the old parking area at the end of County Road D1395. The parking area and the immediate surroundings are set upon gentle flat ledges of the Kayenta geologic strata. This area is particularly comfortable to walk around while enjoying vistas from the rim.

If the 2-1/4 mile route, made up of portions of County Roads D1394, D1398, and D1395, is closed to the use of vehicles and bicycles, visitors will be forced to leave their transportation and walk a round trip of 4-1/2 miles, with approximately 750 feet of climbing, to access the traditional parking spot.

This viewpoint is near the tip of Mineral Point. It is located a few hundred feet from the old parking area at the end of County Road D1395. The parking area and the immediate surroundings are set upon gentle flat ledges of the Kayenta geologic strata. This area is particularly comfortable to walk around while enjoying vistas from the rim.

If the 2-1/4 miles, made up of portions of County Roads D1394, D1398, and D1395 are closed to the use of vehicles and bicycles, visitors will be forced to leave their transportation and walk a round trip of 4-1/2 miles, with approximately 750 feet of climbing, to access the traditional parking spot.

This breathtaking vantage point, located at the western tip of Deadman Point, is a 0.75-mile walk from the historic parking spot at the end of County Road D1506.

If the 0.7-mile length of County Road D1506 is closed to the use of vehicles and bicycles, visitors will be forced to leave their transportation and walk a round trip of 1.4 miles, with approximately 125 feet of climbing, to access the traditional parking spot.

This viewpoint is just a few feet from the historic parking spot located at the end of County Road D1510.

If the 0.9-mile length of County Road D1510 is closed to vehicles and bicycles, visitors will be forced to make a 1.8-mile round trip hike, with approximately 125 feet of climbing, instead of driving or riding to the long-established parking spot right next to the overlook.

This section of road is a typical example of the two-track routes found on Deadman Point. It is one of the existing roadways that some claim are being destroyed by an onslaught of reckless off-road vehicle enthusiasts.

Most people who visit this area with a vehicle are doing so to enjoy the beautiful scenery and natural settings, so they stay on the official routes and make a minimal impact.

Advocates of closing these roads make all sorts of claims to justify their motivation. Many of the reasons presented as facts can not be evidenced by observations made in the field. The primary reason some work to hinder others from experiencing the back country is a vehement opinion that the land should not be visited by humans.

These vistas are located at the end of County Road D1515. The viewpoints at this location are a couple hundred feet from the parking area. The terrain is varied with many outcroppings and ledges that invite visitors to explore the locality and seek out uniquely framed scenes of the Green River, the Labyrinth Canyon, and the Bowknot Mesa.

If the county roads leading to this viewpoint are closed visitors will have to walk approximately 1.8 miles and climb 245 feet to make the round trip hike from the nearest road access.

This viewpoint is located at the end of County Road D6859. The viewpoints at this location are a couple dozen feet from the parking area. The Labyrinth Canyon and an adjacent side canyon are rimmed with gently stepped ledges of Kayenta sandstone that visitors can walk along while enjoying views of the Bowknot Bend and the historic Spring Canyon Road. A highlight at this viewpoint is the opportunity to look across the canyon into the Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness and admire the ledge road and abandoned mining operation that remain on the cliffside. This mine was accessed by a ferry that crossed the Green River to connect the Spring Canyon Road with the Bowknot Mesa. Several pieces of mechanized equipment rest on the ledge, and serve as a testament to the hardiness and persistence of those who lived and worked here.

If the county roads leading to this viewpoint are closed, visitors will have to walk approximately 2 miles and climb 290 feet to make the round trip hike from the nearest access point.

These viewpoints are located at the end of County Road D2015, which is a continuation of County Road D2014. The parking area is on a flat layer of rock that caps a narrow peninsula flanked on either side by dramatically eroded side canyons. The Kayenta deposit found in this vicinity is a thick monolithic layer of sandstone that transitions smoothly into the underlying Wingate Sandstone. Numerous buttresses, strutting from the sidewalls have been carved into surreal deformations of the capstone that document a high energy erosion event that likely preceded the preeminent channelization of the nearby Spring Canyon.

The wild shapes are powerfully distracting, and are sure to cause pause during the short walk to the tip of peninsula, where cliff hanging views of the Green River, the Bowknot Bend, and the historic mining operation that occurred in what has recently be redefined as the Labyrinth Canyon Wilderness are revealed to the visitor.

If the county roads leading to this viewpoint are closed visitors will have to walk approximately 1.8 miles and climb 150 feet to make the round trip hike from the nearest road access, but the statistics are more complicated than it might seem at first glance.

Due to the closure of County Road D2031, which is a roadway that also leads towards the viewpoint and can be traversed with a sport utility car or light duty truck, visitors will have to choose between two roads that require highly capable 4x4 vehicles or mountain bicycles to get to the nearest point to begin walking. Visitors without specialized transportation and who are unable to walk 5 miles and climb 350 feet for the next shortest round-trip hiking option are effectively denied access to a viewpoint that has historically been accessed by driving directly to it.

These overlooks are located along County Road D2016, which is accessed via County Road D2018 or County Road D2014. The parking area found here is adjacent to a wash and a spillover. Visitors climb out of this low spot, over Kayenta ledges, sandstone boulders, and heaps of Quaternary alluvium to reach the viewpoints.

The motivated visitor can scramble 1/2 mile to a point that overlooks the convergence of Spring Canyon and the Green River, as well as the northernmost arc of the Bowknot Bend. Sharp eyed visitors will notice the ore chute of the historic Aileen Uranium and Vanadium Mine that is constructed at the bottom of the cliff.

If the county roads leading to this viewpoint are closed visitors will have to walk approximately 1.8 miles and climb 130 feet to make the round trip hike from the nearest road access, but the statistics are more complicated than it might seem at first glance.

Due to the closure of County Road D2031, which is a roadway that also leads towards the viewpoint and can be traversed with a sport utility car or light duty truck, visitors will have to choose between two roads that require highly capable 4x4 vehicles or mountain bicycles to get to the nearest point to begin walking. Visitors without specialized transportation and who are unable to walk 5 miles and climb 350 feet for the next shortest round-trip hiking option are effectively denied access to a viewpoint that has historically been accessed by driving directly to it.

The Keg Spring Bottom Overlook is located on a Navajo sandstone bluff at the terminus of County Road D2658. This county road is also known as the "Very End Jeep Trail."

Dramatic viewpoints occur right at the traditional parking area. There are many other views just a few hundred feet further away.

The terrain at this location is remarkable. A thick accumulation of the Kayenta Formation forms a dramatic series of ledges that dominates the foreground of the scenes enjoyed here. The Kayenta rocks are greatly varied in composition and depositional circumstance so they are eroding into a multitude of shapes. The display of its many members, made apparent by the carving action of the Green River is exceptionally detailed and fascinating.

Here the river is still wearing through the Wingate Sandstone. To the north of the prominence the river has not exposed any of the lower formations such as the Chinle, Moenkopi, Cutler, or Organ Shale formations that appear down river. To the south of the overlook, the river is just beginning to reveal the characteristic sloping shape of the colorful Chinle.

This viewpoint provides a unique opportunity for visitors to witness a stage in the canyon's evolution that has already occurred downstream, and will not occur upstream on a timeline scaled to a human experience. This is a special spot to visit.

If the 2.1-mile length of county road D2658 is closed, visitors to this spot will be forced to make a minimum 4.2-mile round trip hike, with approximately 400 feet of climbing, rather than driving or riding directly to it on the existing road.