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

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Hans Flat Road

(Utah Highway 24 to Hans Flat Ranger Station)

The Hans Flat Road is one of the primary access roads into the Maze (the other being the road in from Hite, described elsewhere in this web writeup). It is also the fastest and most direct way to reach the Hans Flat Ranger station -- the administrative 'hub' of the Maze district. If you're heading to the backcountry of the Maze, it's quite likely that you'll need to stop at the ranger station for your permit and 'briefing'.

The Hans Flat road also provides access to the northern end of the Flint Trail, as well as a few other roads leading to northern destinations in the area, like Horseshoe canyon, for example.

The Hans Flat road starts off of Utah Highway 24, about 30km (18 miles) north of Hanksville. There is a small brown sign at the start of the road, listing the mileages to various points in the area of the Maze District.

Directions to the Maze
The sign at the junction of the Hans Flat road and Utah highway 24. We are heading all the way to the Maze. [enlarge]

The edge of civilization
Here we are, poised to drive off of paved roads and into one of the most remote corners of the contiguous U.S.A. - the Maze district of Canyonlands National Park. [enlarge]

courtesy LWard

Heading off pavement
Stopped for a shot at the last bit of paved road we'll see for many days. This is the start of the Hans Flat road that leads to the Hans Flat ranger station. [enlarge]

The road starts off by crossing the large flat expanse of the San Rafael Desert. As of the time of writing of this report, the road is wide and well-graded. It is essentially regular road-width (i.e. lots of room for opposing traffic) for its entire length to the Hans Flat Ranger Station. Pretty much any vehicle can make it on this road (well, maybe not a Lamborghini or something, but you get the idea).

the San Rafael Desert

The thin ribbon of the Hans Flat road cross the flat expanses of the San Rafael Desert. [enlarge]

A few dunes
A small field of sand dunes along the Hans Flat Road. [enlarge]

Hans Flat Road

A section of the Hans Flat Road. The road is well graded and wide, like this, for its whole length. [enlarge]

Hans Flat Road
A section of the Hans Flat Road. The road is well graded and wide, like this, for its whole length. [enlarge]

Across the wide flats

Heading towards the Hans Flat ranger station on the Hans Flat road. [enlarge]

Across the wide flats
Heading towards the Hans Flat ranger station on the Hans Flat road. [enlarge]

After a long stretch of relatively flat driving, the road starts climbing, but nothing steep, and it is all fairly gradual. There's a small area of sand dunes that gets passed, and a few sandstone outcroppings are visible here and there. Mostly, though, its fairly flat and open.

A jeep plume
A plume of dust trails away from Luke's Jeep on the Hans Flat road. [enlarge]

Dusty Roads

Luke cruises along the Hans Flat Road. [enlarge]

courtesy LWard

Entering Glen Canyon NRA
The first National Park unit one enters when driving to the Maze is not Canyonlands NP, but rather the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. The boundary of Canyonlands National Park is much further along. [enlarge]

As you near Hans Flat, the road enters a pinyon-pine forest, and shortly thereafter, the Hans Flat Ranger Station.

Hans Flat Ranger Station
A view of the Hans Flat Ranger Station [enlarge]

Bright morning at Ranger Station
It is a bright, clear morning at the Hans Flat Ranger Station. [enlarge]

Green power source
The Hans Flat Ranger station complex has a very neat self-directing solar power array. [enlarge]

Below is a google-based map of the Hans Flat Road, from Utah 24 to the Hans Flat Ranger Station. 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, Hans Flat Road - click map to view

Interactive Trackmap, Hans Flat Road - click to view

Hans Flat Road - Drive Data

Start Time: 6:49a.m.

End Time: 8:20a.m.

Duration: 1h31m

Distance: 72.3 km (44.93 mi)

Average Speed: 47.7 km/hr (29.6 mph)

Start Elevation: 4972ft (1516m) *

Max Elevation: 6551ft (1997m) *

Min Elevation: 4970ft (1515m) *

End Elevation: 6546ft (1995m) *