Dino Bone to Recapture 3.5

See a large dinosaur bone, petrified log, cliff dwelling and uranium mine along a challenging Jeep trail.
This trail starts south of Blanding then makes a loop to the east and ends at Recapture Reservoir north of Blanding.  6-7 hours for the loop.

The trail can probably be run in either direction when dry, but going counterclockwise allows you to go down Bradford Hill.  Some friends tried it uphill when it was wet and could not make it.

There is a GPS - gpx track file at the bottom of the page.
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Dwelling along trail
A little ways into the trail is a short spur to the right.  Park at the end and look for the rocks in this photo.  No more than 50' from the end of the road.  The dinosaur bone is behind the man in a blue jacket, and the log is just below it by the fellow with the white hat.
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Bone by blue jacket, log in canyon
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Dinosaur bone
You will drive on Jeep trails through stands of juniper alternating with wide graded roads.
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Through juniper
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Along graded roads
There are many 2.5 - 3.0 obstacles scattered along the Jeep trail portions.
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Rocky hills
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Eroded hills
There are three 3.5 rated obstacles along the trail.  The first is what we are calling "Cave Canyon Hill".  This is a badly eroded stretch that will certainly get worse every year.  It contains a narrow road section, a squeeze by a boulder and a deeply eroded gully.
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Cave Canyon Hill boulder squeeze
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Cave Canyon Hill gully
The second 3.5 obstacle is a fairly high, steep ledge about 3 miles beyond Cave Canyon Hill.  Did not get photos because we were winching a mostly stock Jeep up over it.  We called it "Deadman Ledge".

​The third obstacle is "Bradford Hill'.  Look it over carefully for the ledge at the top.
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Bradford Hill from above
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Bradford Hill from below
The dwelling in the introductory photo is located a short distance beyond Bradford Hill.  Look to your left, 30-50' below the cliff top.

The final attraction is a spur to Dixie Number 1 and Bradford #7 uranium mines.  We simply drove to a wide turn-around spot at the bottom and then left.  There may be more beyond this spot.  We could see several shafts on the opposite canyon wall.
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One shaft
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Another shaft
The road soon becomes wide and graded all the way to Recapture Reservoir.

Page updated 2017.
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