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The Shafer Trail between the Island in the Sky mesa and Potash Road, is also closed this week after heavy rains made the trail impassible. Paul Henderson, assistant superintendent of the Southeast Utah Group for the National Park Service said the trail had been closed over the weekend and subsequent rainfall in the last few days has made the road conditions very muddy and hazardous to navigate.
“Under the best conditions, we recommend a high-riding four-wheel-drive vehicle,” said Henderson. “But we haven’t had prolonged dry conditions really since last August. Parts of that road drop dramatically over the edge, and you really need to have good conditions to be safe.”
Henderson said that it usually only takes a day or two for the roads to dry out and open again. Parts of the Shafer Trail will be under construction June 1-July 14 to improve road conditions. Park officials warn motorists to expect 15- to 20-minute delays.
Katie Stevens of the Moab Bureau of Land Management office said BLM camping areas are open and unaffected by the rains. However, popular camping areas in the Manti-La Sal National Park are still under snow. In fact, Oowah Lake and Warner Lake campgrounds were under 5 feet of snow on May 24, and both lakes are still frozen, according to information from the U.S. Forest Service. Geyser, La Sal, and North Creek passes are also still snow covered and Buckeye Reservoir campground will be closed until early August due to construction, officials said.
Read more: Moab Times-Independent - High water rains force trail closures
The Shafer Trail between the Island in the Sky mesa and Potash Road, is also closed this week after heavy rains made the trail impassible. Paul Henderson, assistant superintendent of the Southeast Utah Group for the National Park Service said the trail had been closed over the weekend and subsequent rainfall in the last few days has made the road conditions very muddy and hazardous to navigate.
“Under the best conditions, we recommend a high-riding four-wheel-drive vehicle,” said Henderson. “But we haven’t had prolonged dry conditions really since last August. Parts of that road drop dramatically over the edge, and you really need to have good conditions to be safe.”
Henderson said that it usually only takes a day or two for the roads to dry out and open again. Parts of the Shafer Trail will be under construction June 1-July 14 to improve road conditions. Park officials warn motorists to expect 15- to 20-minute delays.
Katie Stevens of the Moab Bureau of Land Management office said BLM camping areas are open and unaffected by the rains. However, popular camping areas in the Manti-La Sal National Park are still under snow. In fact, Oowah Lake and Warner Lake campgrounds were under 5 feet of snow on May 24, and both lakes are still frozen, according to information from the U.S. Forest Service. Geyser, La Sal, and North Creek passes are also still snow covered and Buckeye Reservoir campground will be closed until early August due to construction, officials said.
Read more: Moab Times-Independent - High water rains force trail closures
