Southern Utah holds some of the most iconic scenery in the country and some of it can be explored in an OHV. The Barracks Trail lies just outside of Zion National Park near Mt. Carmel Junction and the Coral Pink Sand Dunes.

This trail is typically run from south to north because of the significant sand hill which drops down to the Virgin River. But it can be run in either direction.

We used the trail head at the southern end at Elephant Cove Road and Coral Pink Sand Dunes Road (GPS 37.02453, -112.80315). The first 1/3 of the trail is sandy with lots of washboards. Once you drop into the canyon, you will cross the East Fork Virgin River about 20 times before reaching Mt. Carmel Junction. Belly of the Dragon tunnel is at the Mt. Carmel Junction side of the trail (GPS 37.21121, -112.68495). From pavement to pavement, this trails is about 25 miles long. If you want to make a loop out of it, there are a few options for trails back around and you can even swing into Coral Pink Sand Dunes.

Trail Closed? BLM will soon put out their Trail Canyon Travel Management Plan. The Barracks Trail is slated for closure! Now is the time to get involved with saving this wonderful trail.

Resources:
Utah Public Lands Alliance: https://utahpla.com/
BlueRibbon Coalition: https://www.sharetrails.org/

Once the comment period opens (Spring 2024), we need everyone that enjoys this trails to make substantive comments to BLM regarding their experience with this trail and why it should not be closed.

This trail has existed for decades and the land should have never been put into the Parunuweap Canyon Wilderness Study Area. The Wilderness Act of 1964 defines it as “an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.” The Parunuweap Canyon Wilderness Study Area had miles of existing trails in 1964, thus not meeting the definition of “untrammeled by man.”

Now is the time to get involved, or we will lose access forever.