Valley of the Gods

At the south side base of Cedar Mesa in southeast Utah, as you finish the scary descent of the Moki Dugway, there is a graded gravel and dirt road winding 17 miles through an area of carved sandstone monuments called the Valley of the Gods.

The Valley of the Gods is a miniature of the nearby and more famous Monument Valley, and doesn't seem to get as much attention. No visitor center, gift shop, or bus loads of tourists.

I thought the road through here would make a good bike ride. It is reasonably smooth but has a lot of twists and turns and roller coaster ups and downs at the wash crossings.

Some of the formations have local names, like Castle Rock, Battleship Rock, and Rooster Butte. Some of the formations here are comparable to Monument Valley, but most are not as massive.

The terrain here is difficult desert. The clay in the soil prevents very much from growing. At the west end of the route is the Valley of the Gods Bed and Breakfast. It's probably very peaceful there.

(There is another post on a hike up the Lime Creek in the east part of  Valley of the Gods. Use the labels to find it.)