HIKING HAPPENINGS - April 2025

Looking for something athletic, short, and starting and ending practically in town? At the north end of Moab, the Prospector Trail’s double pathways crisscross private property on a steep, rocky west-facing slope looking down on U.S. Highway 191. You can begin this trail from either of two ends: just north of the Moab Rock Shop or at the Raven’s Rim Zipline Tours parking area. The lower route splits, offering a higher option for hikers, trail runners, and mountain bikers.

But what about the trail name? The Moab area has a long history of prospecting: people searching for gold, silver, copper, and coal. We also have a potash mine currently operating southwest of town. Hungarian-American prospector Alexander Ringhoffer (1869-1941) was an early booster of tourism based from Thompson Springs, a former railroad stop. (Amtrak stopped its flag-stop service there 30 years ago.) In the late 1800s, gold, silver, and copper were looked for and mined in the La Sal Mountains. But the mineral that made Moab famous—and its discoverer perhaps its most famous prospector, for a time at least—was uranium.

In the summer of 1952, the Texas prospector and geologist Charlie Steen (1919-2006), discovered a particularly valuable form of uranium about 30 miles southeast of Moab: pitchblende, a black, dense, pitchy form of the crystalline uranium oxide mineral uraninite. As he developed his Mi Vida (“My Life”) Mine, a “Uranium Rush” of prospectors into the region soon followed, swelling Moab’s population from 1,200 to 7,000 in less than a year. (Moab’s current population is around 5,100.) The boots he was wearing when he made the discovery are on display at the Moab Museum. The Sunset Grill a reconfiguration of the Steen family home, also has a giant replica of the boots on display. In February, the Moab Museum opened “U92: Moab’s Uranium Legacy,” an exhibit that describes the effect this discovery had on our community and the world.

To get to Prospector, I drive north from Moab on Main Street/U.S. 191) to the rock shop (600 North) on my right/east and pull into a dirt lot lined by cottonwoods and willows about 200 feet north of the shop. The trail starts at a short bridge of Marston mat or matting, a modular pierced steel planking creating airstrips that supported Allied airpower in World War II. Prospector’s northern trailhead is at Raven’s Rim (998 North) parking area, just off the paved bike path. Be sure not to block access to either of these businesses.

I walk through the willows and start up the several switchbacks, then traverse north across rock faces and down into and out of various gullies, the contours raggedly parallel to and above Highway 191. The trail is narrow, so a group will need to travel single-file, and exposure and loose rocks require careful foot placement. The trail then splits into high and low routes. On this brisk morning, I stay on the low route.

Weeks later, I take the high road as I join Trail Mix workers for Wednesday Trail Work. Armed with rakes, McLeods, picks, shovels, pry bars, and loppers, we clear debris and repair the damage done by last summer’s monsoon rains. I truly enjoy the twists, turns, and traverses as we traipse across rocky slopes and dips into gullies, plus the expansive western vistas from below the Steen family’s former mansion. Originally carved into the hillsides by city crews and Trail Mix volunteers, landowners including the Steen family allowed the use of their land for this trail at no cost to Moab. The lower trail is about a mile in one direction, but, because you can also choose to add the upper loop, you can get a couple miles of travel. Because Prospector sits on fully exposed, western-facing slopes, I find it a perfect, short hike in our early spring weather. Though perhaps pretty hot on a summer afternoon, this trail’s various ravines can offer shadows and respite from the heat. So close to town and yet a fun, athletic challenge: prospect this trail for some hiking gold.

Trail Mix invites the public to participate in the Moab Spring Spruce-Up inaugural volunteer event held to maintain, build, and clean up non-motorized trails and other highly-impacted areas in Grand County to help offset impacts in the 2025 season.

Volunteers will be working on equestrian, hiking, mountain biking, and climbing approach trails throughout Grand County. The event is all day Saturday, April 12 with a variety of work projects followed by a volunteer appreciation party with drinks, food, and music. Orientation and registration will be the evening of Friday, April 11.

Colin Topper, chair of the TrailMix committee, said of the event: “Moab is known for our world-class non-motorized recreation. Grand County’s TrailMix is dedicated to making sure these trails and additional resources are well-built and accessible to everyone. Last year, we had a great response from Moab visitors and residents alike who wanted to contribute to the improvement and maintenance of our trails in Grand County. If you’d like to spend a beautiful April weekend getting dirty and making a difference for the trails and recreational areas you love, please join us at Spring Spruce-Up!”

Interested volunteers can pre-register for the event at www.grandcountyutah.net/1284/Spring-Spruce-Up. Registration for specific projects will take place from 5pm to 7pm on Friday, April 11 at the MARC (111 E 100 N, Moab UT).

Volunteer projects will run from 9am-3pm on Saturday, April 12, with a breakfast from 7am-8:45 am beforehand at the MARC. Participants will have the opportunity to make their own brown-bag lunch. At 9am, participants will board a shuttle van for transportation to their respective volunteer project location. Volunteers will be returned to the MARC around 3pm. Later Saturday evening from 5pm-6pm there will be a social and snack hour for volunteers to get to know each other and relax after a long day of volunteering. At 6pm, there will be a celebration for all volunteers including live music, food, drinks, raffle prizes, games, and more!

Projects for Moab Spring Spruce-Up will be led by Trail Mix, the City of Moab, Grand County Active Transportation and Trails, Friends of Anonymous Park, Rim to Rim Restoration, and Backcountry Horsemen Canyonlands Chapter. All volunteers must register prior to participating in the event. Participants under the age of 18 will need to bring a parent or guardian to sign activity waivers.

For a complete event schedule and more information, visit the www.grandcountyutah.net/1284/Spring-Spruce-Up or email trailoutreach@grandcountyutah.net