Moki Dugway — Cedar Mesa Switchback Descent on Highway 261

The Moki Dugway is a graded dirt stretch of UT-261 that peels off the south edge of Cedar Mesa in a stack of tight switchbacks. Texas Zinc Company built it in the late 1950s so ore trucks could run from the Happy Jack mine to the mill at Mexican Hat. It’s about three miles, with a grade around 10 percent, and no guardrails on most of it. The view south over Valley of the Gods and out toward Monument Valley is the payoff. There are pullouts to stop and gawk, so use them rather than stopping in the lane.

Any careful driver with a stock rig can do it when it’s dry. Rain turns the surface greasy and the drop-offs stop being scenery. Downhill traffic yields to uphill, and oncoming vehicles squeeze past on the switchback corners. Signage warns off heavy rigs and long trailers, so read it at the pullout before committing a big camper. The Muley Point turnoff sits near the top, and Valley of the Gods Road ties in at the bottom. Check current conditions with the BLM Monticello Field Office before you go. Have a dirty day.

Uranium-era switchbacks off Cedar Mesa