Page Updated: May 16, 2023
Moki Dugway Scenic Backway
Moki Dugway - Valley of the Gods UT
When you talk to the locals, you learn things. Recommended to us by a national parks ranger on our visit to Hovenweep National Monument, “Since you’re going to Monument Valley, you’ve got to see the Moki Dugway, “ she said. “And go down it, not up it. You’ll get better views!” Her suggestion added an hour of drive time to our day, but she was not wrong. If you ever find yourself in southeast Utah, the Moki Dugway should be on your must do list!
Carved into the cliff face of Cedar Mesa, the Moki Dugway Scenic Backway is a 3mile stretch of Highway 261 where the blacktop fades into a series of dirt road switchbacks on an 11% grade. Constructed in 1958 as a quicker route of transporting mined uranium from Fry Canyon to the Halchita uranium processing mill in Mexican Hat, the Backway now has 3 designated pullouts for stopping and enjoying views overlooking the Valley of the Gods.
We chose to skip pullouts on our drive down in favor of recording the experience in one stretch. In retrospect, once we reached the bottom, we should’ve retraced the drive and stopped to enjoy them ourselves. Even though we’ve already experienced the wonder of the Dugway, it’s already inked down for our return trip to the area.
The Moki Dugway is part of the greater National Scenic Byway known as the Trail of the Ancients. The Byway is hundreds of miles long and weaves around the U.S. Four Corners area; pathing through portions of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Recognized for its archaeological sites, the Trail passes through the cultural terrain of the Ancestral Puebloan people and offers glimpses of the early culture with ancestral cliff dwellings and/or rock art.
Part of a Bigger Picture
scenes from Moki Dugway
-b&b
Hovenweep Ruins Trail
Valley of the Gods Scenic Drive
