Henry Mountains Road is the western gateway to the ruggedly beautiful Henry Mountains of Southern Utah. Beginning at the “Sandy Junction” area off of the Notam-Bullfrog Road the road travels through the Water Pocket Fold which is a very colorful geologic warp in the Earth's crust. As you leave the Water Pocket Fold the Henry Mountains Road climbs up and along the lower ridges of the Henrys, offering amazing views, fantastic campsites, and connections to other trails such as “Nasty Flat”, “Bull Creek Pass” and “Lonesome Beaver” to name just a few, that lead deeper up into the mountains. The only downsides to this road, as you climb in elevation, are the narrow “Shelf Roads” and the steep mountain grades.

The Henry Mountains were officially named in 1871 for the first secretary of the Smithsonian Institution Joseph Henry. The Henrys were the last mountain range to be added to the map of the 48 contiguous States. Also, and before their official naming in 1871 they were sometimes referred to as the "Unknown Mountains." In Navajo, the range is still referred to as Dził Bizhiʼ Ádiní ("mountain whose name is missing"). The Henrys loom tall and gray to the east of the trail. Made of igneous minerals that extruded through the surrounding sandstone sediments, the mountains range from 23 to 31 million years old. The western slope of the Henrys hosts one of only three genetically pure herds of buffalo left in the United States. Kept at an optimal 350 head, additional buffalo above the 350 are sent to replenish the breeding base of other herds. Visitors keep a sharp eye out in hopes of spotting the herd but are more likely to spot a few of the dense population of deer that inhabit the mountain range.

The trail ends in the shadow of the Horn, a stony butte below the immense and towering Mount Pennell. A drive along Henry Mountains Road is always an adventure.

Official Road Name: BLM 14002
Highest Elevation: 8179 ft

The BLM Office in Hanksville has an excellent trail map of the Henry Mountains. Here is their contact information:

Mailing Address:
380 South 100 West
Hanksville, UT 84734
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 435-542-3461
Hours:
8:00 - 4:30
https://www.blm.gov/office/henry-moun...

And remember..."You won't know if you don't go!"...Cactus Hill