Trail Overview

Starting from Highway 143, the trail starts out as a nice forest service dirt road. Roughly 4 miles in it turns into a single-lane dirt track as it descends the plateau. The trail becomes very rocky as you descend down the switchbacks and stays fairly rocky for the rest of the drive. Some parts are narrow and the possibility of dragging brush down your paint is present. The trail ends at Yankee meadows lake. A beautiful mountain lake that can be used for day use only.

Photos of Markagunt Plateau

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Difficulty

The trail becomes quite narrow when descending the switchbacks down the plateau. There is lots of loose rock as well as some small rock ledges.

Technical Rating

Lara Nelson

Aug 22, 2025

Open

beautiful trail. i actually started from the opposite end coming out of parowan, so my descent was really an uphill climb. the terrain was rugged and uneven, with plenty of rocky stretches that kept things interesting. my average speed was 5.6 mph, and one of my favorite moments was driving through a small stream. we stopped along the way for lunch and walked down to the water, taking it all in. the views—whether climbing up or heading back down—were absolutely breathtaking.