An aMAZEing Trip to Color Country - The Maze, Escalante, and Zion - Flint Road and Teapot Canyon Jeeping - April 2007

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Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Road

(Waterhole Flat to "The Plug")

The Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Road (I believe it is also called 'the Dollhouse Road') leads from Waterhole Flat to the Dollhouse, passing through the Land of Standing Rocks along the way. It is one of the more difficult and rough roads in the Maze, and definitely requires a reasonably high-clearance 4wd vehicle. A vehicle with a low-range gearbox is also recommended (although I can imagine it being possible without -- at the very least, you need a 4wd system that has a locking center differential between front and real axles).

What makes this road tough is one particular section in an area known as Upper Teapot Canyon. The road in this section goes in and out of the tree-like shallow drainages at the head of this canyon - and the road runs over bare bedrock in these areas. There are bedrock ledges, uneven elevations, and short dips and rises -- all of which require care and spotting if you don't have oodles of ground clearance. For reference, I did this road with a stock Jeep Liberty and managed to do it without any incidents. With a stock 4wd vehicle, you'll want a spot for several areas.

Waterhole Flat
A view across Waterhole Flat. [enlarge]

The road starts at the Junction of the Hite Road and the end of the Flint Trail Road. There's a 4-way junction here, and it is well-signed. Initially, the road leads east across the flats of Waterhole flat, and all is easy. Soon, though, you approach upper Teapot Canyon, and things get much, much rougher. The pictures will illustrate.....

courtesy LWard

Teapot Canyon Roughness
The start of some of the more challenging sections of the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Trail. [enlarge]

Spotting
Sophie spots for Luke on the way to the Land of Standing Rocks. Taken along the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Trail. [enlarge]

Everybody's out

We're going slow along the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Trail. So slow, that everybody is out doing a bit of spotting and picture-taking. [enlarge]

Ewart points the way
Ewart directs Luke over a height-of-land on the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Trail. [enlarge]

Traversing Ledges

A section of the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Trail in upper Teapot Canyon, where the road traverses along solid rock ledges. This section is rough, although it may not look it from this picture. [enlarge]

After a while, you'll notice a pattern emerge. The road will be not so bad for a while; then, it will curve in to meet the bottom of a shallow tributary drainage of Teapot Canyon. The road will go from gravel to bare sandstone, and will then climb up or down some edges, lumpy bits of protuding sandstone, or some sharp dips and rises. It'll then go back to a gravelled and relatively smooth one-track for a short distance, and then the whole thing repeats again.

Nearing a rough section

Nearing a rough section along the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Trail in Teapot Canyon. [enlarge]

Nasty Dips

Luke and Jenn wait to spot for Luke along a section of tricky ups and downs in the bedrock. It doesn't look as bad in the photos.... something to do with a lack of 3-D, I think! [enlarge]

Surmounting obstacles
Luke scrabbles for traction as he attempts to surmount a ledge on the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Trail. [enlarge]

In many places, you'll see where people have carefully piled up stones into crude ramps to help ease the passage over higher steps or in awkward uneven spots that would otherwise be likely to cause undercarriage scrapage. Again, good spotters are your friends, and if you "drive slow in 4wd-low", and exercise a bit of spatial perception, you'll probably do ok.

Upper Teapot Canyon

A tamer section of the road through Teapot Canyon. [enlarge]

Carefully, carefully
Luke edges over a high point, carefully avoiding any scraping of the undercarriage. [enlarge]

A few steep sections
One of a few steep bits along the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Trail. [enlarge]

The road through Teapot Canyon doesn't have a super large amount of vertical elevation change -- just short ups and downs. On the whole, it is relatively flat.

A few steep sections

One of a few steep bits along the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Trail. [enlarge]

Bumps and Ledges

Luke inches over some uneven bedrock on the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Trail. [enlarge]

Approaching mother and child
A view looking east along the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Trail. The double-pinnacle in the center is known as the 'Mother and Child'. This spot is not far from where the lower end of the Golden Stairs Trail ends. Also, if you are travelling east, this is where the very rough section along Teapot canyon comes to an end. If you are travelling west, this is where it starts to get rough. [enlarge]

If you've been looking up, you'll have noticed a distinctive twin-tower formation known as the mother-and-child. You can use this formation as a marker -- when you get to it, the rough stuff is basically over, and the more gentle terrain of the Land of Standing Rocks is not far beyond.

If you drive slowly and employ spotters, then the whole Teapot Canyon section will probably take you about 2 to 3 hours.... to go about a total of about 12 miles (20km)! If you go faster, then you'll take less time -- but you may also be missing several pieces of your undercarriage.

Mother and Child

A view from below the Mother and Child. [enlarge]

Canyonlands NP Boundary

Finally, after 5 hours of jeep road driving, we reach the boundary of the Maze District of the park. Whew... this is remote! [enlarge]

Soon after the mother-and-child formation, you enter, officially, the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park. You are now in the area of the Land of Standing Rocks. Get out and enjoy the scenery -- you've certainly earned it getting here!

The Wall Campsite

A view of Elaterite Butte from along the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Trail. The small sign points to 'the wall' backcountry vehicle camp site. [enlarge]

The Land of Standing Rocks
Approaching the Land of Standing Rocks. Amazing, isn't it? Ekker Butte is the large Butte visible in the background. [enlarge]

Elaterite Butte
Large and Jagged Elaterite Butte rises not far away to the North. Taken from along the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Trail. [enlarge]

This bit of text only describes the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Road up to the Land of Standing Rocks. The road, however, continues on to the Dollhouse area, where the road ends. This section of road is covered off on the next page of this report. Also, see page 6 of this report for pictures of the route in reverse -- from the Dollhouse to Waterhole Flat.

Below is a google-based map of the Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Road, from Waterhole Flat to the Land of Standing Rocks (specifically, up to 'The Plug'). The actual track is marked in red on the map. Double click on the map to view a larger version, with clickable icons for each picture that was taken along the drive.

Interactive Trackmap, Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Road (WH Flat to Plug) - click map to view

Interactive Trackmap, Land of Standing Rocks Jeep Road (WH Flat to Plug) - click to view

Land of Standing Rocks Road, Waterhole Flat to The Plug - Drive Data

Start Time: 11:59a.m.

End Time: 3:54p.m.

Duration: 3h55m

Distance: 24.41 km (15.17 mi)

Average Speed: 6.2 km/hr (3.9 mph)

Start Elevation: 5526ft (1684m) *

Max Elevation: 5634ft (1717m) *

Min Elevation: 5221ft (1591m) *

End Elevation: 5494ft (1675m) *