The San Rafael Desert, a place of discovery, adventure and history.

The Wild Bunch ran there, the Roost is there.   Cattlemen still run cattle part of the year.  The river bottoms, old homesteads and ranches where people have lived and worked, can still be seen.

Gillies inscription (April 8,1906) by Horse Bench Reservoir on the San Rafael Desert.  The Gillies family ran cattle in the desert for many years.  They would stay at the ranch for weeks at a time, coming into town for supplies when necessary.  The road was sandy, in places just wheel ruts.  It was difficult to travel taking hours.  Today, we take minutes to travel the same route.

The West side of Canyonlands National Park is accessible from Haun's Flat Ranger Station, where a ranger is always on duty.

Some of the most scenic and rugged areas of Canyonlands can be experienced, when following the trails into this magnificent area, by hiking, biking, ATV, four-wheel or horse back.

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Pictures by Henry

Down the river road south of Green River, Utah.  For more information on this route, come into the Information Center at the John Wesley Powell River History Museum, 885 East Main, Green River, Utah.

More of down the river road

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Horseshoe Canyon, down the river road or off from Highway 24

The San Rafael Reef

Evidence of the huge uplift which occurred on the west side of the San Rafael Desert, pushing

More Horseshoe Canyon

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