The Henry Mountains and Dirty Devil area is a stunning and remote southern Utah landscape. Stretching from Capitol Reef to Canyonlands and down to Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, these rugged public lands are the heart of redrock country. A trip to this corner of the state offers a true escape, complete with star-filled skies, striking sunsets, and blissful quiet.
This expansive area is made up of several distinct regions, ranging from the sinuous redrock canyons leading to the Dirty Devil River to the sweeping badlands surrounding Factory Butte to the lush, alpine peaks of the Henry Mountains. Cultural sites reflect thousands of years of human history. The varied topography provides endless opportunities for hiking, canyoneering, camping, seasonal boating, and exploring with family and friends.
The future of this remarkable place hangs in the balance as the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) develops a new travel management plan for the Henry Mountains and Dirty Devil area. This plan will determine where off-road vehicles are allowed on nearly 1.5 million acres of public lands for decades to come.
A new plan that strikes a thoughtful balance between motorized and non-motorized recreation is urgently needed. The use of off-road vehicles in Utah—including all-terrain vehicles, dirt bikes, and side-by-sides—has skyrocketed in the last decade, and these new vehicles are faster and louder than ever before, reaching farther into the backcountry.
These machines can have a big impact on the land and other recreationists. Off-road vehicles harm streams, generate dust, damage cultural sites, and create tremendous noise (you can often hear them coming well before they appear). Because of the damage they often cause, it’s critical that off-road vehicle use is carefully managed and reasonably controlled.
For decades, the BLM prioritized off-road vehicle use at the expense of cultural and natural resources. That failure, coupled with lax enforcement of existing travel plans, has led to significant and increasing damage throughout much of Utah. Off-road vehicles are driving deeper into remote locations, often creating new routes through fragile soils and desert streams, and making it difficult to escape the sight and sound of these vehicles.
Only recently has the BLM finally started to grapple with the overwhelming presence of off-road vehicles by trying to balance motorized and non-motorized use. For example, a travel plan finalized in 2023 for the Labyrinth Canyon and Gemini Bridges area near Moab will help protect cultural sites, riparian habitat, and the experience of non-motorized recreationists while still allowing for motorized recreation on more than 800 miles of dirt trails and routes.
Despite the serious impacts from off-road vehicles, the BLM is under extraordinary pressure to expand their use, even in the remote Henry Mountains and Dirty Devil area. The agency is considering proposals to substantially increase the number and mileage of off-road vehicle routes, threatening to forever transform these lands from quiet redrock backcountry into motorized-dominated playgrounds.
It’s critical that the BLM get things right in the new travel plan—by ensuring access to trailheads, scenic overlooks, and recreational opportunities, while also protecting the very reason people want to visit such remote places in the first place: to enjoy the unspoiled beauty of Utah’s public lands.
For more information and to submit a public comment on the Henry Mountains and Dirty Devil travel plan, click here. Comments are due Friday, October 25, 2024. Defend the Dirty Devil!