Dome Plateau & Yellow Cat Areas
November, 1, 2009
Since I had changed my mind about camping in the San Rafael Swell the day before, my Sunday was now free to go exploring elsewhere. I didn’t want to get too far away from home, so I ended up heading out to the Dome Plateau & Yellow Cat areas north of Arches and Moab to explore some other trails and spurs in the area I had not been on yet. I started out heading towards Moab on UT 128, but turned off a few miles before the old Dewey Bridge onto Wood Road.
Early section of Wood Road
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167406-2/IMG_1354.jpg)
Nice views over Yellow Jacket Canyon and Squaw Park
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167382-2/IMG_1357.jpg)
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167385-2/IMG_1363.jpg)
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167388-2/IMG_1366.jpg)
After following a section of the Kokopelli Trail, I turned off and found some good dinosaur footprints….actually some of the best I have seen so far.
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167394-2/IMG_1379.jpg)
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167397-2/IMG_1382.jpg)
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167400-2/IMG_1385.jpg)
This would have been a great view of the Fisher Towers and the La Sal Mountains if it wasn’t so hazy…
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167316-2/IMG_1388.jpg)
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167323-2/IMG_1393.jpg)
Soon I connected up with the Yellow Cat Trail and passed by these cabins again.
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167403-2/IMG_1396.jpg)
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167327-2/IMG_1403.jpg)
When I reached the Dome Plateau Road (aka The Highlands Road), I took a left and followed it to the end.
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167330-2/IMG_1416.jpg)
On my way back from the overlook at the end, I took the short Winter Camp Ridge Trail to it’s end at the Arches National Park boundary. Delicate Arch was only a little over a mile away from there, it might be cool to try to hike to it from this direction sometime.
A lot of this road was sandy and fun to drive
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167336-2/IMG_1427.jpg)
Jug Rock at the park boundary
![](http://myxj.net/DomeYellow2009/IMG_1439.jpg)
On my way back from the end of this spur, this caught my eye along the side of the road, so I had to stop and take a few photos…
![](http://myxj.net/DomeYellow2009/IMG_1481.jpg)
![](http://myxj.net/DomeYellow2009/IMG_1486.jpg)
There is also a slot canyon just below the Winter Camp Ridge Trail that I need to head back to and checkout sometime. After heading back out to the Yellow Cat Trail, I continued on to follow the short spur that ended at an overlook of Salt Wash.
Loading up on some ore
![](http://myxj.net/DomeYellow2009/IMG_1515.jpg)
On my way to the overlook of Salt Wash….Arches National Park in the distance
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167357-2/IMG_1530.jpg)
When I reached the Yellow Cat Trail yet again, I took a right onto the Salt Valley Gorge Road that would take me right into Thompson, where I could fill up on fuel again before heading home.
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167360-2/IMG_1541.jpg)
Of course I didn’t just want to hop on the interstate to head back home, so I continued up to Sego Canyon and stopped at the pictographs.
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167363-2/IMG_1550.jpg)
![](http://myxj.net/g2/d/167366-2/IMG_1562.jpg)
Then I took the Sagers Canyon Trail that follows along the Book Cliffs before descending to Sagers Canyon and heading back to the highway.
![](http://myxj.net/DomeYellow2009/IMG_1568.jpg)
![](http://myxj.net/DomeYellow2009/IMG_1572.jpg)
I made it back home with plenty of daylight still to spare, even after the time change earlier in the day 🙂