Utah, Green River: Horse Bench

[hatchcanyon]

Horse Bench​

is a patch of badlands 12 miles south from Green River.

Go from Main Street to Long Street at 12S 0572615 4316405 About .3 miles later left onto Green River Avenue, after addditional .1 miles crossing the railroad on Airport Road.. Two and a half miles toi 12S 0570422 4312648 where Green River Road begins. This one is good gravel, normally suitable for all types of vehicles. Be careful on wet conditions!

At the beginning landscape is more or less dull. In spring some area is covered with a yellowish green hue. Desert Trumpets are blooming. We found it difficult to get good pictures of this.

Patches of Desert Trumpets

Isolated Desert Trumpets

Desert Trumpet with these tiny flowers, associated with Halogeton glomerus

Halogeton is poisonous, at least for sheep. It invaded the United States since the 1930ies.

We are on County Road 1010 and at 12S 0568527 4302173 it descends to Horse Bench Reservoir. The Reservoir was constructed by CCC in the early 1940ies. Here the Painted Desert starts. It might not be large, but it has interesting details.

Some layers are bright white

Frothy texture

It is Morrison Formation

Be careful, some rocks have sharp edges like knives

We love these little hills!

Red, white and black

Red, white and a hue of blue!

Slopes to the North

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Desert Mules Ear

Seems to be an Astragalus species?

Horse Bench Reservoir - dry!

Sometimes it looks like holding some water, but in the last 10 years we found it always dry.

These Rocks are the reservoirs's distinctive mark

Morrison Formation

Morrison is well known for it's follsils. So called Fossil Point is nearby.

Fossil Point

A short and easy leisure trip.

 

[Glasterpiece]

"Go from Main Street to Long Street at 12S 0572615 4316405 About .3 miles later left onto Green River Avenue, after addditional .1 miles crossing the railroad on Airport Road.. Two and a half miles toi 12S 0570422 4312648 where Green River Road begins."

That's funny. The first time I wanted to go to the Maze, 1977, I asked for directions to that road. "Go to the Chow Hound, turn right. When you see the RR tracks, cross them and you're on your way." The Chow Hound is still there after all these years.

I love this report. I have spent more nights than I can count at the reservoir. All times of the year. In summer the frogs are awesome. The large flat areas during the full moon are a sight to behold. My sister came out from Michigan and when we entered the Horse Bench area she commented that it looked like we were on the moon.

Thank you for sharing.