Wagon Box Mesa is a prominent feature on the west edge of the Waterpocket Fold, in the center of the Circle Cliffs and east of the Stud Horse Peaks. Historian Edison Alvey states that the Hole-in-the-Rock Expedition abandoned a wagon here.
The hike follows an abandoned road all the way to the top of the mesa and that road completely crosses the mesa. Walking is easy but offers little in the way of changing scenery. The views from the top, however, cover much of southeastern Utah.
| TIME: | 2-4 hours round trip to the top of the mesa. Add time for exploring the mesa and checking views. |
| ELEVATION GAIN: | 350 feet. |
| DIFFICULTY: | Easy. |
| MAPS: | Wagon Box Mesa |
| GEOLOGY: | Regional features at your feet. Not much close up. |
| CIRCLE TRIP: | No. |
| ACCESS: | From the Visitor Center drive 9.2 miles east on Utah Highway 24 to the signed Notom Road. Turn south and drive 13.6 miles to the Sandy Ranch Junction. At that junction bear right and drive 19 miles to the signed Burr Trail Junction. Turn right (west) and drive 5.3 miles to the signed Park boundary. From there continue 0.8 miles to the top of a hill just past a cattle guard. The old road to Wagon Box Mesa goes south (on top of the bank) from the top of the hill (S). |
Once on the old road, amble south through the Pinyon/Juniper landscape toward the ever visible mesa ahead. The main low plant along the road is common Snakeweed.
The road follows the fence for a ways then swings right (west). Where it returns to the fence there are some large leafless Mormon Tea bushes on both sides of the fence.
The light brown rock the road is traversing is part of the Moenkopi Formation. In most places in this area the Moenkopi is predominantly red brown. The light brown is not typical.
The Wagon Box Mesa quad shows the road ending at the oil exploration well. Not so. Near the point where the well pipe is first visible there is a faint split in the road. The left (east) fork goes to the well; the right (west) fork goes up to the top of the mesa (E).
The steeper slope leading up to the top has more bushes and the main one that is now growing in the road is Cliff Rose.
Much of the climb is over the more typical red brown Moenkopi rock. The boulders on the slope and the top layer of the mesa are made of the Shinarump Sandstone which is the layer most of the Uranium came from in this part of Utah. The road was built to search for the uranium. The Shinarump is also the bottom member of the Chinle Formation,
Once on top, the road crosses the mesa nearly three miles to the south end. The walk is not at all difficult and offers views in all directions at one time or other. Most of the views can also be seen by climbing to the top of any hill along the way. The views include close and distant (on a good day) features. Closest would be the three or more hills to the west and north: the Stud Horse Peaks. Completely circling the Mesa at a somewhat greater distance are the Circle Cliffs. The most prominent feature is the Henry Mountains to the east. Looking from close to the north end of the mesa the Abajo Mountains near Monticello and Blanding, Utah are peaking out just south of one of the Henry Mountains. South of them a ways a few of the typical Monument Valley Monuments are visible. To the southeast the large rounded dome is Navajo Mountain. The long ridge to the west is the edge of the Kaiparowits Plateau and Fifty Mile Mountain.
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23June2017
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