Goosenecks State Park is a small, primitive State Park in Utah, that relatively few visit, but offers great views of the San Juan River that meanders over 1000 feet below. The San Juan River joins the Colorado River at Lake Powell over fifty miles downstream of Goosenecks State Park. There is no hiking involved here, unless you want to scramble down from the ledges for a little bit, then it becomes too steep.
Goosenecks State Park Hike Details
Distance – N/A
Approximate time – 15 minutes to an hour, no hiking involved, unless you want to wander around below the ledges
Elevation at trailhead – 4980 feet
Difficulty – Easy
Trail – Gravel
Amount of water recommended – 1 liter
Bathrooms – At the parking area
Seasons to visit – Year around
Permits: None needed
Satellite view of Goosenecks State Park, courtesy of NASA. The Goosenecks viewpoint is seen at the bottom in the middle
How to get there:
From Moab, UT, head south on Main Street (which is US-191) for 74.6 miles to the small town of Blanding, UT, where US-191 becomes Center Street. At the intersection of Center and Main, turn left. There are signs for US-191 that you will follow. Once you turn left, you’re now on Main Street, but still on US-191. Continue south for 24 miles on US-191. You’ll arrive in Bluff, UT, where US-191 turns into US-163. At about 16.5 miles southwest of Bluff on US-163 you’ll see a sign for Goosenecks State Park. Turn right on to UT-261, and go one mile, then turn left at another Goosenecks State Park sign onto UT-316. Take UT-316 for 3.5 miles to the parking area for Goosenecks.
Hitting the Trail!
This is the pathway that leads down below the rock wall. You can do some scrambling down below before it becomes too treacherous
As mentioned above, this really isn’t a hike, but it is a place that you will want to see. It is very undeveloped and primitive, but the views are impressive! There are rock walls along only parts of the ledges overlooking the San Juan River, so keep a close eye on children, it is over 1000 feet to the river below. There is a little bit of scrambling that the average person can enjoy below the rock walls, and a “path” is found near the rock wall to squeeze down.
This is a great place to take a break, and stretch your legs while driving from Moab to Monument Valley. Goosenecks State Park is actually an ideal location to stay the night if you have a camper. While there are vault toilets, there is no running water faucets at the park, so be sure to bring your own water.
Even though I’ve been here several times, I always come back to visit on my way to Monument Valley which is only 33 miles away, or about a 50 minute drive. Each time I come here, I’ve never seen more than three cars, and most of time, I’m the only one.
For upcoming hiking and survival posts, follow the Your Hike Guide Facebook page!
Another Gooseneck
Enjoying the views
