Smoky Mountain Road
South · Big Water → Escalante (GSENM)
Intermediate–Advanced
| Distance | ~78 mi dirt |
| Duration | Full day–overnight |
| Camping | Multi-day |
Crosses the emptiest quarter of Grand Staircase–Escalante from Big Water on US 89 to Escalante town. The Kelly Grade is the crux, 1,200 feet of shelf-road switchbacks climbing onto the Kaiparowits Plateau with big exposure. Clay surface up top is genuinely impassable when wet, and afternoon monsoons strand riders every summer. No water, no fuel, no cell for the full 78 miles; smoldering underground coal seams near the top are a real curiosity. Fuel in Big Water and Escalante. Dispersed camping on the plateau. October–May; check GSENM road conditions before committing.
Map & Navigation
Markers are reference waypoints (start, finish, and key points) not a turn-by-turn track. Ride with real GPS tracks and offline maps; "(approx)" points are close, not exact.
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Waypoints (GPX)
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