 | Little Canyon Rim
-- Eagles Nest, Metal Masher The Little Canyon Rim ride visits the highest point above highway 191, in an area called the Eagles Nest. The ride is long, but is big on views and puts great Moab terrain under your tires. It can be done as a lariat-loop ride from the Gemini Bridges trailhead. After doing the loop, take a side trip to Gemini Bridges. As described below, this combination ride is 27 miles with 2200 vertical feet of climbing. But it's not as hard as it sounds, because 18 of those miles are on easy dirt road. |
| Out-and-back loop from 191, with side trip
to Gemini: 0.0 Cross tracks and veer L N38 39.385 W109 40.667 4.7 Fork R, up sloppy loose hill N38 36.004 W109 40.404 5.3 Fork R (L=Bull Canyon under arches) N38 35.807 W109 40.868 6.1 Fork R toward Metal Masher N38 35.773 W109 41.623 (leave Gemini Bridges Road) 6.9 Keep straight (R) N38 36.207 W109 42.062 7.3 Fork R (L=clockwise loop) Metal Masher N38 36.525 W109 42.234 7.8 Viewpoint on R N38 36.896 W109 42.030 7.9 Keep R N38 36.944 W109 42.006 8.0 Fork R downhill N38 36.973 W109 41.980 8.9 Fork L (R=alternate) N38 37.133 W109 41.363 | 9.7 Viewpoint on R N38 37.354 W109 40.964 10.9 Gets tougher 11.3 T - fork R for Eagles Nest N38 38.204 W109 40.320 11.7 View area, turn around N38 37.913 W109 40.163 12.2 Back at T, straight (R) 14.3 Keep L (R=Metal Masher) N38 38.201 W109 42.073 15.6 Straight (R=bailout from Metal Masher) N38 37.291 W109 42.604 15.7 Keep L N38 37.166 W109 42.728 16.6 Straight (pass Metal Masher entry) 17.4 R to Gemini Bridges 18.8 At Gemini, veer L past viewpoints Trail N38 35.222 W109 42.600 Backtrack downhill 26.3 Back at parking. |
 | Getting there: Drive south on US-191 for 22 miles south of I-70 (about 7 miles north of the Colorado River at the edge of Moab). Spot the parking area on the west (right as you head toward Moab) side of the road. GPS N 38° 39.381' W 109° 40.672'. Park in front of the railroad tracks, and head out west on the road toward Gemini Bridges. As of 2009, a $5 fee is required to park here (it's private land). But you can park across the road in the Bar M lot, ride south to the tunnel under 191 and follow the paved bike path back to the the Gemini Bridges Road. Copyright 2009 Mad Scientist Software Inc
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