Bridger Jack Mesa

The Bridger Jack Mesa trail is a rougher, more scenic alternative to the graded Beef Basin Road, winding around the west side of Bridger Jack Mesa. Most of the road is a narrow and rocky shelf road following a terrace on the side of the mesa with spectacular views down into Dry Fork Canyon and Lavender Canyon. While not recommended for those uncomfortable driving shelf roads, the road is wide enough for full-size vehicles and never gets dangerously narrow or off-camber. It is rough and rocky the whole way, but there are no major obstacles, and it should be passable to stock 4WD vehicles, though it will be more difficult for them.

This is an excellent overlanding trail, as it has abundant camping opportunities and can be combined with multiple other trails as part of a multi-day trip through Beef Basin and over Elk Ridge to Hotel Rock and Arch Canyon. The trail's northern end has a cluster of free designated campsites in the Bridger Jack Dispersed Camping Area, complete with picnic tables and fire rings, offering panoramic views of the Indian Creek area. This area makes a perfect basecamp for exploring the Indian Creek area and the Needles District of Canyonlands. There are also several established campsites near the southern end of the trail and a flat mesa top near the middle that would be a good area to camp as well.