SAN RAFAEL REEF UTAH

Updated May 2022

The San Rafael Reef

Do you know what a reef is? It is an upheaval of land in the surrounding low-lying area.    You are probably familiar with the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia. There is another off the coast of Belize in Central America. However, you might be surprised to learn that there is one in the middle of Utah. This feature, when above land, is more correctly known as a swell. San Rafael Reef is a wall across central Utah. It is 120 km (75 miles) in length. It is a natural feature made of sandstone, shale, and limestone pushed up during the Paleocene era 60 to 40 million years ago.

Great Basin Desert

  The San Rafael Swell covers an area of 121 by 64 km (75 by 40 miles).   The San Rafael Reef is the eastern edge of the swell. The swell is located in the Colorado Plateau, part of the Great Basin Desert. Unlike the Sonora or Mojave or other deserts, the Great Basin is a high elevation desert and gets very cold in winter. I was there in early November when the temperature was well below freezing. In January, the average daytime temperature is slightly above freezing, with night-time temperatures well below freezing. In mid-summer, it can be sweltering. The best time to visit is during Spring and Autumn.

  

A Road through the Reef

Space was blasted through the wall to allow the passage of interstate 70 from Green River, Utah. This gives access to points west and interstate 15, which runs north and south from the Canadian border to Arizona. The San Rafael Swell was used as a background for the planet Vulcan in a Star Trek movie. Parts of the reef are protected as wilderness study areas, but most of it has no special protection and is open to off-road vehicles. The area attracts hikers, horseback riders and other outdoor enthusiasts. The Green River passes through the reef, and there are campgrounds and a unique park called Goblin Valley State Park. Surprisingly, there are lakes and rivers with plenty of road access in this moon-like landscape. Activities in the area include:

•  rafting down the Green River
•  exploring by ATV or in some places accessible by 4-wheel drive trucks.
• hiking
• camping
• fishing at remote lakes
• photographing spectacular scenery
• climbing
• wildlife viewing

Unlike the national parks, the San Rafael Reef is a natural wonder mostly unknown to travellers.   It is like going to another planet. So get off the beaten path and explore San Rafael country on planet Utah.