Big Thompson Mesa Road-BLM12200

Big Thompson Mesa Road-BLM12200 is a 9.2-mile point-to-point trail rated 3 of 10 located in Garfield County, Utah on the southernmost section of the Henry Mountains. This is a dirt single-track trail that starts and ends on Burr Trail Road (BLM12000). A key feature of this trail is a stop at Halls Creek Overlook. Looking across the Grand Gulch Waterpocket is the Capital Reef National Park and the Capital Reef Fold (cover photo). Big Thompson is a good starting point for a looping ride through the southern mesas of the Henry Mountains. There are many active mining operations throughout the area as well. The Henry Mountains and the surrounding deserts are located in south-central Utah, just north of Lake Powell. Here, almost 2 million acres of public land are administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The Henry Mountains is also notable for the free-roaming herd of bison that live there, one of only four such herds in the country (the other 3 are in Yellowstone Park). The population was established in 1941 after relocation of 18 individual bison from Yellowstone National Park. Today the herd is estimated to be between 250 and 400 bison. There are more than a thousand miles of off-highway trails available throughout the Henry Mountains. Cell phone service is intermittent to non-existent and the nearest services are in Hanksville to the north. There are several gas stations along Highway 276 between the Bullfrog Marina and Hanksville.