long canyon

We have taken Long Canyon several times for its spectacular views, easy access, pleasant drive and beautiful, desert terrain. Right outside Moab, well-marked and easy to find. Highly recommended.

Road began paved, then graveled, then dirt and then " is this a road? " . Beautiful scenery all the way but you must travel slowly. Were treated to the sighting of three desert bighorn sheep just after we cleared the huge rock. Would say part of "Pucker Pass" had a pucker factor of 11 out of 10! Dry weather driving only.Great trip.

Wow. Glad my 4x4 guide was experienced. Would not have done it in my own vehicle. It was an awesome road with great views and twists and turns.

A friend and I wanted to take a scenic route from Moab to Canyonlands. I found this on the map and didn't do any research, aka, finding photos/videos of the bat$&*# crazy road and deciding the path more traveled would be juuuuust fine. Cut to about an hour in (going up hill in a Subaru) and our bank of four-letter words was severely taxed and our shorts certainly soiled. When we came to the arch/tunnel/fallen rock thing we were passed by 2 Jeeps going downhill. Thank the GODS we were on a part of the road that was wide enough for them to pass! A few more insane blind cliff-hugging curves up and we were at the top of the mesa where my nerves were absolutely shot. My not-that-bothered-by-heights had me going into cold sweats every time I saw a dirt road for the rest of the trip. I give it 1 star if you're not ready for it. 5 stars if you're into pucker-clenching drives. (Is that why it's also known as Pucker Pass?) So an average of 3... which is the number of years my life has been shortened by driving that crazy road. And for background/context purposes, I drive a Pontiac Vibe in Chicago. Haha! WTH was I doing on that road.

The drive down from Dead Horse state park is a taste of Canyonland 4 wheeling without the need for 4 wheel. High clearance definitely recommended. The descent is easy if you "take it easy". Not in wet weather! You'll end up in Moab after descending to the Colorado river.

You would think you were in the Grand Canyon. I guess that is why many movies use this location to substitute for the Grand Canyon. Best to drive a 4wheel drive vehicle. Take the drive from top to bottom for the best views. The canyon opens up in front of you. Take your camera!!!!!

We drove this as a loop drive. We started on the Shafer Trail/Potash Rd. We had trouble finding it on Potash. Long Canyon is not marked. It just starts in the parking lot for Jug Handle Arch. It was a little concerning at first because we did not know if we were on the right road or not. We knew for sure when we saw the rock over the road. As far as the rock pictures, I think they look best when driving from the bottom up. The scenery was beautiful! The entire loop drive the the highlight of our time in the area. We drove this in an F-250 crew cab. We did not have any trouble but it would be best in a Jeep. We did see someone driving a mini-van. I would not recommend that though!

Drove it both ways in my 97 Jeep Wrangler. Passed people both ways up and down the pass. The main attraction, the rock that you drive under is closer to to the Moab side off the Potash road. It can be rough in spots and a vehicle with good clearance (SUV, Outback, Forester, Cross over is plenty). I drove it in my 97 Jeep Wrangler. No problems, no 'tipping over' as one person mentioned. Just a dirt and gravel road with some rocks, but also with some awesome canyon scenery and that ever present drive under rock. Unless you are driving a car with it's undercarriage scraping the ground this road is not a problem if you go slow.

This is a fantastic canyon. If you have a 4x4 this is a Moab must do. The guide book recommends to do this from the top down; the views are better this way.

We didn't have a lot of time after driving down from Salt Lake and visiting Dead Horse Point. We could see the light was fading but we wanted a nice off-road drive on our first day. Long Canyon was perfect. We didn't see any other vehicles the whole way down and got to enjoy Potash Road for a good ways after joining up with it. No part of it is too difficult. I put the Jeep in Low 4WD just for stability but could have driven the whole thing in 2WD. It's fun to go under a big boulder that looks like it could smash your car at any time. I would be nervous driving this road if it had been raining a lot. The bottom of the canyon is narrow and the streambed is right next to the road. They obviously get a lot of water in there because there are lots of areas that have been washed out creating deep gullies. Sometimes they have rock slides that cause the road to be closed. Just be aware of it and you may have to turn around if you encounter one. All in all though the road is well maintained but you still get the off-road experience.

Traveled down the Colorado River & up Long Canyon in a rented Rubicon to go to Canyonlands National Park & Dead Horse, then out on Shafer Trail. This drive provided great fun, spectacular views. Great way to spend 6 hours in Moab

I took a Ford Explorer up from Highway 191 to Gemini Arches, then continued on to Dead Horse State Park, then took the Long Canyon road, through Pucker Pass and down into the Canyon - a great experience, especially driving under a bus sized and shaped boulder hanging on the drop off side of the road soon after entering the pass. Some of the washouts at the bottom were a bit steep and close, but no clearance problems - your Prius wouldn't make it! Easy trip on the Potash Road back to Moab. I would do this drive again in heartbeat

We have been going down Long Canyon for several years. It's our favorite road. We Jeeped it last time we were there in August of 2013. Loved every minute. Not too difficult. Seems they have filled in the sandy area with some rocks. Can't wait til next year to drive it again!

I asked the ranger at the canyonlands visitor center and she told me that that the only challenging part is after the first curve (going downhill) till about when you go under the big boulder. I parked the car at the curve, and walked down to check the road out. Walking back up as quite a hike.....I decided to go for it with my 2013 subaru outback, and it was great. There are a few very steep curves and the road is very bumpy and very inclined. You do need a high clearance vehicle. I felt that the 9" of the outback were just enough, but less would have been trouble.Surprisingly the harder part was at about the end, when we had to cross the riverbed. You have to go through a nearly vertical crossing. I scratched a bit the bottom part of the rear bumper but went through without problems. The drive was great with my subaru. Keep in mind it I did it downhill. I think the car could have made it uphill as well, but it is definitely more challenging that way. The drive is fantastic, and I think it is definitely worth it.

This road is a great alternative to going back to Moab from Canyonlands or Dead Horse point.Timing: - evening is good to see the fins of the Behind the Rocks area, but by then most of the canyon itself will be in the shade - during the day will be best to see the canyon itselfFinding the road: - quite easy on Google maps or even the Canyonlands park map - just off road 313, heading due eastThe road itself - first 3 miles are flat and gravelly. nothing much interesting - next three miles are steep with switchbacks and gravel. If you are going down, limit yourself to about 10mph, otherwise momentum will lead you to skid when you break - final 4 miles are easy with a gentle slope. Look out for Jug handle arch on the left as you get onto the main road - allow about 45 minutes, which is about the same time as going via the paved road - there is a massive boulder in the road but any car can easily pass under it. Not technical at all, just like going through a tunnel, but will make for great pictures of you driving under it.I wouldn't pay much attention to the single negative review. Common sense needs to be exercised: - don't go on an unpaved road without checking conditions with the Moab visitor centre (don't ask any of the national park rangers, they will always try to discourage you from doing anything exciting) - Try this road going down rather than up. There is a 2000ft elevation difference in the space of 7 miles. Anyone attempting it upwards with no experience is a fool. - the road is considered easy by 4x4 standards as there are no obstacles and no technical skills are required. Just drive slowly.