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07-01-2022, 04:15 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,431
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Canyons of the Ancients
Has anyone visited Canyon of the Ancients?
We have plans to visit Monument Valley and Valley of the Gods in a couple of weeks and when I was looking at Google Maps to find an interesting way to get back to southern Arizona I noticed Canyons of the Ancients. Going from Monument Valley to Canyons of the Ancients and then through Cortez would give us an interesting road back, but I don't know if the road through Canyons of the Ancients (Colorado 10, I think) is paved, dirt or gravel.
We will be towing a Jeep and will drive through Monument Valley and Valley of the Gods in that Jeep, but I don't want to take our RV on a dirt or gravel road so it would be a help to know what the road through Canyons of the Ancients is like. If it is paved then perhaps we should add it to the trip. If it is dirt or gravel I would not want to do that.
Can anyone tell me about that road? If so, thank you.
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2020 Regency Ultra Brougham, Island Bed Model
2022 Jeep Wranger 2 door Sport S toad
Roadmaster baseplate and tow bar
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07-01-2022, 05:19 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Myrtle Beach
Posts: 1,334
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Have you tried the satellite view on your GPS program? If you're using tRV Trip Wizard it will indicate if a chosen route is dirt or unpaved.
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Big enough, DH, me and the greys!
2016 Thor ACE, 30.1.
2014 CRV
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07-01-2022, 06:12 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,431
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Charming
Have you tried the satellite view on your GPS program? If you're using tRV Trip Wizard it will indicate if a chosen route is dirt or unpaved.
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I did try the satellite view on Google Maps before I posted the question. The problem is that the image was not clear enough to tell what type of road it is.
I have not tried the RV Trip Wizard as I don't have that app, but I will download it and look. As I said, Google Maps was no help.
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2020 Regency Ultra Brougham, Island Bed Model
2022 Jeep Wranger 2 door Sport S toad
Roadmaster baseplate and tow bar
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07-01-2022, 07:11 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Myrtle Beach
Posts: 1,334
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Sorry, I missed that.
I did a look see on RV trip Wizard, it has the dirt road icon on it. I did a Google Maps and it looked pretty rough. Perhaps someone who has visited the area will post soon.
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Big enough, DH, me and the greys!
2016 Thor ACE, 30.1.
2014 CRV
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07-02-2022, 01:03 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Enjoying the Western States!
Posts: 19,674
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This is an excerpt from the Monument website:
"Do I need a four-wheel drive vehicle to visit the Monument?
Which roads are paved, and what is the condition of the other roads?
That depends… several county roads leading to the Monument are either paved (CR 10)
or graveled. Most roads within the Monument have dirt surfaces. The need for a fourwheel drive vehicle varies according to the road surface and weather conditions. A
sudden rainstorm can turn a dry road into slippery mud, making travel difficult and
dangerous. In the winter, roads can be covered with snow, ice, or mud. During dry
conditions, generally a two-wheel drive vehicle with high clearance is enough on most
roads."
Here's the whole article:
https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/fi...cients_FAQ.pdf
Additional questions... call the office:
https://www.blm.gov/programs/nationa...f-the-ancients
or the Visitor Center:
https://www.blm.gov/visit/canyons-an...ter-and-museum
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Full-timed for 16 Years . . .
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Diesel
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th wheel
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07-02-2022, 02:23 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,431
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I did what I probably should have done first. I called Canyons of the Ancients and spoke with what I believe was a Park Ranger. I asked if Colorado 10 was paved, dirt or gravel and he told me that it was almost all paved in one form or another, although there were "short" stretches that were dirt or gravel. When I asked what he meant by "short" he said that the sections that were not paved (in one form or another meaning, I think, that it was not all asphalt) were perhaps 1/4 mile in length sections, although he then said that he thought that it was now all paved.
He described what he meant when he said "paved", and I got the impression that he meant that some parts were tar and shell or some other improved topping. He also said that he has an RV and has no problem taking it on that road, so perhaps it is OK.
__________________
2020 Regency Ultra Brougham, Island Bed Model
2022 Jeep Wranger 2 door Sport S toad
Roadmaster baseplate and tow bar
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07-02-2022, 04:35 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Enjoying the Western States!
Posts: 19,674
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Even if not completely paved you should have no issues driving on a good gravel road. We took our 40' motorhome on unpaved forest service and BLM roads approx. 20 mi. from pavement.
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Full-timed for 16 Years . . .
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Diesel
& 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th wheel
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07-02-2022, 04:52 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,431
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twogypsies
Even if not completely paved you should have no issues driving on a good gravel road. We took our 40' motorhome on unpaved forest service and BLM roads approx. 20 mi. from pavement.
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I guess we are probably not quite that adventurous.
We boondock a lot and that means that we are frequently on dirt and/or gravel roads getting to the boondocking space we want, but we rarely drive more than about one mile on that kind of road. 20 miles seems like quite a bit of "shake, rattle and roll".
If the sections that are not paved are only about 1/4 mile then I don't really see an issue, but my concern is that if it has rained heavily, then those roads might well be in very bad shape.
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2020 Regency Ultra Brougham, Island Bed Model
2022 Jeep Wranger 2 door Sport S toad
Roadmaster baseplate and tow bar
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07-03-2022, 11:10 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Monrovia, CA
Posts: 970
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"my concern is that if it has rained heavily, then those roads might well be in very bad shape."
It has been raining there heavily this last week. That red dirt turns into siliconized dinosaur snot. We were there last fall just after a rain and I went 300 yards on a virtually flat road in my 4WD Tremor with locking diffs and big knobby tires and turned around.
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Gammel - 2020 ORV Backcountry 21RWS
2021 F350 Diesel Platinum Tremor
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07-04-2022, 06:09 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Myrtle Beach
Posts: 1,334
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gammel
"my concern is that if it has rained heavily, then those roads might well be in very bad shape."
It has been raining there heavily this last week. That red dirt turns into siliconized dinosaur snot. We were there last fall just after a rain and I went 300 yards on a virtually flat road in my 4WD Tremor with locking diffs and big knobby tires and turned around.
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LOL, That is a vision I will have difficulty erasing from my brain!
__________________
Big enough, DH, me and the greys!
2016 Thor ACE, 30.1.
2014 CRV
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07-04-2022, 07:46 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Where we are parked at
Posts: 332
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We just did both in past several weeks. AWD CR-V I took 3-5 lbs out of tires in monument valley but still had bike load bike rack in back. MV crews were fixing a section of dirt road as we left. Had been heavy rains
Canyon of the Ancients gravel sections were washboard roads. Very jarring if going to slow. I’m used to blowing down these type roads while aired down for rock crawling. About 30 mph smoothed out but I do not recommend trying it if never down before. If you ever wheeled just north of Florence little dirt road just before train tracks. Leads back to box canyon and other trails.
Worse road was northern part on road CC past the left turn onto road 10. 10 had couple of three sections of gravel. Couple of washboard section but not as bad as on CC. I didn’t air down for canyon of Ancient.
Phoenix is our domicile and still in Cortez/ Durango for another handful of weeks
Enjoy. Beautiful country. Look at million dollar highway Silverton to Ouray. Safe travels
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2021 Fleetwood Discovery LXE 40M
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07-05-2022, 08:55 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,431
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DerekF
We just did both in past several weeks. AWD CR-V I took 3-5 lbs out of tires in monument valley but still had bike load bike rack in back. MV crews were fixing a section of dirt road as we left. Had been heavy rains
Canyon of the Ancients gravel sections were washboard roads. Very jarring if going to slow. I’m used to blowing down these type roads while aired down for rock crawling. About 30 mph smoothed out but I do not recommend trying it if never down before.
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Thank you for the information. I guess I will give it a pass.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DerekF
If you ever wheeled just north of Florence little dirt road just before train tracks. Leads back to box canyon and other trails.
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Yes. I drove that road some years ago, although I did not try to get through the narrow part where you have to do some rock climbing. I like off roading but I have a stock Jeep and draw the line where I can not go without modifications, and where my wife says "I am not going there. You can let me out here".
Quote:
Originally Posted by DerekF
Enjoy. Beautiful country. Look at million dollar highway Silverton to Ouray. Safe travels
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We were at Ouray perhaps 10 years ago, and it is a beautiful place with a beautiful, but twisty, road getting to it.
Safe travels to you, as well.
__________________
2020 Regency Ultra Brougham, Island Bed Model
2022 Jeep Wranger 2 door Sport S toad
Roadmaster baseplate and tow bar
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07-05-2022, 09:40 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,784
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The road thru Valley of the Gods is excellent for a jeep
[IMG] [/IMG]
And don't forget to jeep the nearby Moki Dugway:
[IMG] [/IMG]
If you've never been, consider boondocking at Goosenecks State Park, which provides easy access to both of those sites:
[IMG] [/IMG]
Looks like you'll be getting back to AZ about the same time I am leaving on a long trip to the midwest and back east.
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Jeff, Catherine and Turner|2008 Damon Outlaw 3611|W24 w/ 8.1L Chevy hauling in the garage 3 quads,2 dirtbikes,2 CanAm Rykers,1 Rzr900xp, 1 smart42 & 1 sewing machine based in central AZ
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07-09-2022, 12:05 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 1,431
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffAZ
The road thru Valley of the Gods is excellent for a jeep
[IMG] [/IMG]
And don't forget to jeep the nearby Moki Dugway:
[IMG] [/IMG]
If you've never been, consider boondocking at Goosenecks State Park, which provides easy access to both of those sites:
[IMG] [/IMG]
Looks like you'll be getting back to AZ about the same time I am leaving on a long trip to the midwest and back east.
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The last time we were at Goosenecks State Park there was nothing there, and I do mean nothing.
We do a lot of boondocking so I am not concerned about camping at Goosenecks state park, but I am concerned that if we bring a toad and if we leave the RV unattended while we are off Jeep-ing someplace, then someone might break into the RV. When we were last at GSP we were the only ones there and I fear that leaving an RV in a place with no one else around is just too much temptation for some people.
I thought we might camp at Mexican Hat or Bluff and take the Jeep to both Valley of the Gods and Moki Dugway. I especially want to see the latter because it is the shortcut from Natural Bridges south and I have always been tempted to take it, but have not because of worries about how that part of the road is for an RV.
__________________
2020 Regency Ultra Brougham, Island Bed Model
2022 Jeep Wranger 2 door Sport S toad
Roadmaster baseplate and tow bar
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