Escalante: Neon Canyon and Islomania Dome advice?

[wohl]

powderglut: Thanks for the description. I don't see a road at that exact location; perhaps you mean here? Also, I see that in a thread you started earlier this year you mentioned a "road closed" sign somewhere along Old Sheffield Rd. Where is that intersection? I assume it's not in the way of driving to either the parking spot you mentioned above, or the recommended trailhead for Islomania Dome? (The discussion of the road closure beyond Harris Wash trailhead is also in that thread: there's at least one claim that the road was not marked as closed earlier this year.)

 

[Nick]

powderglut: Thanks for the description. I don't see a road at that exact location; perhaps you mean here? Also, I see that in a thread you started earlier this year you mentioned a "road closed" sign somewhere along Old Sheffield Rd. Where is that intersection? I assume it's not in the way of driving to either the parking spot you mentioned above, or the recommended trailhead for Islomania Dome? (The discussion of the road closure beyond Harris Wash trailhead is also in that thread: there's at least one claim that the road was not marked as closed earlier this year.)

That is the end of the road that I've been to. Lots of soft sand down that way.

 

[powderglut]

powderglut: Thanks for the description. I don't see a road at that exact location; perhaps you mean here? Also, I see that in a thread you started earlier this year you mentioned a "road closed" sign somewhere along Old Sheffield Rd. Where is that intersection? I assume it's not in the way of driving to either the parking spot you mentioned above, or the recommended trailhead for Islomania Dome? (The discussion of the road closure beyond Harris Wash trailhead is also in that thread: there's at least one claim that the road was not marked as closed earlier this year.)

The green arrow is correct for the west side hike.
This spring, there was a sign at the intersection where (on this google map you posted) Spencer Flat rd goes straight and you head for the west side hike. The sign was in the middle of the road leaving you maybe a mile short of the parking for the east side hike to the volcano. I did see tire tracks and wondered if going down that way was legit.
The sign was there again this fall (this time off to the side) suggesting foot and horse traffic, however it appeared that everyone was still using this extra mile down the road for access to east side hikes to Red Breaks and Spencer Canyon (Kelsey's name for it). As far as I know, since I was there in October, you can drive as far as your google map says the Spencer road goes. These would be both accesses I was referring to.
We did a dinner last nite with the hiking crew from last spring. We got to look at all the pics (everyone took) of our spring trip. I am so ready to go back. Hope you have fun over there.

 

[regehr]

I hiked to the navel with kids 6 and 8 around Labor Day this year. We parked maybe 0.5 miles short of the end of the Sheffield Road and walked the sandy part, but like people are saying it wouldn't have been a big deal to drive. I probably didn't route-find too well and we did some extra up and down; it ended up being a longish day for the kids but they did fine. Plenty to see on this route besides the navel itself: moqui marbles, we saw some nice big triops in the potholes, plenty of chippings at an overhang near the navel, etc.

 

[wohl]

Nick, powderglut, and regehr: Thanks for your responses.