Oil Well Road

Total Miles
9.8

Elevation

1,796.88 ft

Duration

1 Hours

Technical Rating

2

Easy

Best Time

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Trail Overview

Oil Well Road is a 19.6-mile out-and-back rated 2 of 10 located in Wayne County. This is a destination trail that leads into the heart of Robbers Roost an area was made famous by Butch Cassidy. Located a short hike off the trail are the remains of his cabin (38deg21'40.00"N, 110deg21'57.00"W). There is an area to camp at the western end of the canyon leading to the cabin (see coordinate below). Continuing to the end of the trail is the Oil Well Overlook into some of the most remote canyons in Utah and the reason the outlaws hid here. The road is a well-packed dirt road with some occasional sand blown across. It is generally suitable for most 2WD and any high-clearance vehicle except at times of inclement weather. There are quite a few connector trails to the north, but vehicles are kept out of the wilderness study area to the south. Robbers Roost is a remote area of desert country in central Utah, cut by a maze of spectacular canyons. Named from its history as a hideout of the Butch Cassidy gang, the Roost is located between Hanksville on the west and Canyonlands Maze District on the east, with most canyons draining into the Dirty Devil River, or north into Horseshoe Canyon. The area is very isolated, there are miles and miles of canyons and routes, there is a low probability of encountering others, and the canyons are not patrolled regularly. Other than some identified trailheads there are no developed facilities in the Roost area. Blowing sand dunes or precipitation can degrade the road condition at any time. The Ranger Station south at Hans Flats is normally staffed year-round. The nearest services are in Hanksville (south on Highway 24) or in Green River (north on 24). Both are well over 50 miles away. There is no cell service in the San Rafael Desert.

Photos of Oil Well Road

Oil Well Road
Oil Well Road

Difficulty

This is a county dirt road with infrequent or light maintenance after rain or snow, high clearance light duty 4WD may be required.

History

Between the Colorado, Green, and Dirty Devil Rivers lies a wild stretch of land crisscrossed with steep-walled canyons and hidden draws. For over 30 years this inhospitable terrain served as a hideout for outlaws of every description. "Robbers Roost" was the nickname given to the canyon and surrounding area in southern Utah where the infamous outlaw Butch Cassidy and his "Wild Bunch Gang" would often meet up and hide out after one of their big heists in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Needing a place to avoid the law and plan their next robbery, the Wild Bunch would often spend up to a month or more living within these canyons and hills that most lawmen didn't know how to navigate well. Robbers Roost was kept very secretive, with only a very select number of visitors ever being brought to the hideout--mostly just women who were romantically involved with the outlaws. It was in the secluded protection of Robbers Roost that Butch Cassidy and his friends actually formed their Wild Bunch gang. The outlaws were sworn to secrecy and their hideout was never discovered by lawmen. The original Wild Bunch corral still stands in Robbers Roost. They also used the area to hide supplies and weapons until death and capture eventually disassembled the gang and Robbers Roost was abandoned.

Technical Rating

2

Status Reports

There are no status reports yet for this trail.

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