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Show Red Cloud Loop-- Your access flo High Uinvas if you are the type of person who doesn't like to go back the same way vou came and you have assess to a wheel drive, a trip around the Red Cloud Loop wi" De an enjoyable afternoon. Actual driving time is three hours, hut you'll want to pack a lunch and nlan for more time because there are Inany nooks and crannies along the trip to investigate. To begin your Red Cloud Loop tour, travel north on U-44 from Vernal. Just outside of the Ashley Valley is Steinaker Reservoir, which is part of the Vernal Unit of the Central Utah project. Still traveling north, Red Fleet Reservoir is off to the right. It is bragged to be the only fleet of bat tleships with a reservoir built around them. You can get a better view of the red rock battleships from Windy Point at the start of your climb. Also from Windy Point you can see the phosphate plant owned by Chevron Chemical. Continue north from Windy Point as the paved highway winds up the mountain. moun-tain. Watch the canyon wall for wildlife, but not if you're driving. Soon you enter the Ashley National Forest. The paved highway continues to Flaming Flam-ing Gorge, but to gain assess to the Red Cloud Loop, turn left at the East Park turnoff . The pavement continues to East Park which is a prime camping camp-ing and fishing area. For the Red Cloud Loop turn left before East Park on a dirt road. Now your adventure begins. The road is sometimes rough at this point through the remainder of the trip and 4-wheel drives are recommended. Rich forests of Lodge Pole Pines intermingled inter-mingled with Quaking Aspen mark your way. Sometimes the forest floor is covered with sage and other times with grasses and wild flowers. A favorite campground is Iron Springs. North of the campground are the old Dyer Mines, the only major deposit of mineral found in the Uinta Mountains. Further down the road is a side trail to Big Brush Creek cave. Even during the summer, the entrance to the cave has interesting ice formations. It is a one-half mile walk to the cave. The Red Cloud Loop continues ahead to Kaler Hollow, where there is a steady stream of drinking water. The junction to the south goes back to Vernal over Taylor Mountain. A winding wind-ing road to the right before Oaks Park F - '..," r' i? - ,C -J . . . 'vk;'-: 1 ?. - -W- .'-, X v; V-. . , - vV:. BIG LAKE, on the Red Cloud Loop, is a popular area for camping but may require a 4-wheel drive to gain access as do many other areas on the loop. ' " " ' -'W -. ' 1 .-v , - ,i- " - " . "' - $ I - . ' . i . ( . ; - r- .;,.'. ",", ( ' . t ROADS ARE clearly marked, but at times may be rough and muddy along the Red Cloud Loop. Road to Iron Springs Picnic area is one of the many diversions the loop has to offer. will take you to Anderson Creek and the Dyer Mine smelter. Remains of the old smelter and lodging areas for workers can still be seen. Oaks Park is one mile off the Red Cloud Loop and offers good fishing and camping areas. Further along to the south is the Taylor Mountain Overlook, a two-mile hike to the top of Taylor Mountain where you can perch on a lookout station sta-tion and see Oaks Park, Trout Creek Park and several peaks over 10,000 feet in elevation. Trout Creek Park is the northernmost northern-most end of the Red Cloud Loop. From there you gradually continue south to North Fork of Ashley Creek. A trail along the creek will take you south to where the creek meets with South Fork. Both are excellent fishing streams. The Loop continues south through Brownie Canyon. The Brownie Canyon Overlook is a typical view of the High Uinta Range that includes the pine and aspen forest with deep canyons. ca-nyons. Descent begins into Brownie Canyon, which drops several thousand feet in just a few miles. The Red Cloud Loop continues to Dry Fork Canyon and follows Dry Fork Creek to above the settlement. Numerous cottonwood and willow trees grow along the creek bottom as well as a few pines and aspen. Dry Fork Creek gets its name from the fact that the creek goes underground at several points, leaving the creek bed dry. The center of Dry Fork Settlement was in the early days of settling Ashley Valley one of the most sizeable settlements set-tlements in the area. The Loop jogs left after the settlement. Turn off to the right for Sadie McConkie's Ranch and Indian petroglyphs. Remember the Maine Park to the left is a nice picnic area and the Loop goes through the Maeser area back to Vernal. Although the trip may not meet everyone's fancy, it is a colorful drive especially in the fall when the aspen leaves begin to turn. |
