The Edge of the World, on SR 261

Looking East Toward the Valley of the Gods

Imagine driving through a forest of dwarf pinyon pines; the road meanders over the gently rolling terrain, generally making good southward.

Suddenly, the pavement slips out from underneath you, and you find yourself on a dirt road, making for a cliff. At the last second, the road jogs to the left. On one side of you are the pinyon pines, to the other, only empty space. Eleven hundred feet down is arid desert.

This is Mokee Dugway.

This is just one of those places on the road where Utah just decides to throw you for a loop. With little more than a twist in the road, you find that the terrain has changed around you. One minute you're in forest, the next, atop a cliff looking down upon a desert. Snap your fingers, and the world changes around you.

Unless you've been there, you almost don't know what it's like.

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