Utah State Route 313 - Route Description

Route Description

See also: List of state highways serving Utah state parks and institutions

The highway begins at the overlook in Dead Horse Point State Park's parking lot (22 miles south of Moab). Gaining its scenic byway designation, SR-313 heads northward, along the ridges of Dead Horse Point. The highway climbs in elevation, reaching a height of 6,000 feet (1,800 m). Soon after, all drivers exit the park and have to pay a toll. After the high peak at 6,000 feet (1,800 m), SR-313 heads slowly downward, continuing along the ridges in the park. There is an intersection with a local road, and the highway begins to turn to the northwest. The elevation along SR-313 fluctuates for several miles, until intersecting with Long Canyon Road. Long Canyon Road is a connector that heads through Long Canyon and intersects with SR-279. The route continues in a stretch of area known as the Big Flat, where it intersects the entrance to Canyonlands National Park. Soon after the westward turn, SR-313 intersects with Island in the Sky Road, a local road that heads southward from the main highway.

The Knoll, a nearby mountain, is visible as the highway makes a turn to the north. The route has left Dead Horse Point State Park by now, and progresses northward through Grand County. At the intersection with Little Canyon Road, SR-313 turns to the northwest once again. However, this pattern straightens out to a northward one. At Gemini Bridges Road, the route turns to the opposite direction, heading to the northweast. The highway continues along in this direction for some time, passing Mineral Bottom Road, and drops down in elevation. The route makes a hairpin turn in the mountains, entering the South Fork of the Sevenmile Canyon. While traversing the canyon there are several view areas along the highway overlooking both Sevenmile canyon, Dead Horse Point, and two rock formations called the Monitor and the Merrimack, both named after warships in the American Civil War. Running along the canyon, SR-313 terminates at an intersection with U.S. Route 191 about 9 miles (14 km) north of Moab.

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