SR 261 · USA
Moki Dugway
Utah’s SR 261 drops off the edge of Cedar Mesa in a stack of switchbacks carved into the cliff, with Valley of the Gods and Monument Valley in the distance.
Counts are from Turini’s pace-note engine on this route. Heights come from terrain data and can differ from signposted figures by a few tens of metres.
Where is the Moki Dugway?
The Moki Dugway is in the USA, on SR 261. Also known as Utah 261. The route on this page: Cedar Mesa down the Moki Dugway towards Valley of the Gods, Utah, 8.8 miles.
Why the Moki Dugway is famous
The dugway was built in 1958 by a mining company to truck uranium ore down from the mesa to the mill at Mexican Hat. Its three miles of switchbacks are unpaved graded gravel, with steep drops and no guardrails.
Moki Dugway hairpins
Over 14.2 km Turini calls 6 hairpins and 33 corners graded 1 to 6, plus 1 crest. That is 42 calls in all, one every 338 metres on average. Grade 1 is the tightest, 6 is nearly straight (how to read pace notes). On Turini’s ranking of the twistiest famous roads it comes 50th of 61.
Moki Dugway elevation profile
From 1,972 m at the start to 1,479 m at the finish, with a highest point of about 1,980 m. Red marks are the hairpins.
Moki Dugway pace notes, first few miles
The first 25 calls, exactly as Turini reads them, with the distance from the start.
Left 6Right 6Left 2 very long tightensGravelRight 3 longLeft 3Hairpin leftRight 4 long tightens over crestRight 3 long opensHairpin rightLeft 2 longRight 3Left 1Right 2Hairpin left very longRight 2Left 5Hairpin rightLeft 6Left 5Right 3 tightensLeft 2Hairpin rightRight 5Right 5That takes you to 6.54 km. 17 more calls follow over the remaining 7.7 km.
Before you drive the Moki Dugway
Open all year, but snow and heavy rain can make the gravel section dangerous or close it.
The switchbacks are gravel: take them slowly, and stay off in heavy rain or snow. Long trailers, big motorhomes and heavy trucks are advised not to use it. There are no services between Mexican Hat and Natural Bridges.
How to drive the Moki Dugway with Turini
Set the route before you leave and Turini saves its notes on the phone, so it works with the screen off and no signal. On the road it reads each call about 4.5 seconds before the corner, timed to your speed, and you never touch the phone. It plays through the phone or the car speakers. If pace notes are new to you, start in Simple mode (Easy, Medium, Hard) and switch to the 1–6 scale once it feels natural.
Always drive within the law, the conditions and what you can see. Turini tells you what the map says; the road is what counts.
The Moki Dugway: questions
Is the Moki Dugway open all year?
Open all year, but snow and heavy rain can make the gravel section dangerous or close it.
Where is the Moki Dugway?
The Moki Dugway is in the USA, on SR 261. Also known as Utah 261. The route on this page: Cedar Mesa down the Moki Dugway towards Valley of the Gods, Utah, 8.8 miles.
How long is the Moki Dugway?
The route on this page, Cedar Mesa down the Moki Dugway towards Valley of the Gods, Utah, is 8.8 miles (14.2 km) long, with about 0 ft (0 m) of climbing.
How many hairpins does the Moki Dugway have?
On this route Turini calls 6 hairpins and 33 corners graded 1 to 6: 42 pace-note calls in all, about 4.4 corners a mile. Signposted counts can differ, since Turini only calls a hairpin where the road really doubles back.
How high does the Moki Dugway go?
The highest point on this route is about 6,500 ft (1,980 m), from terrain data, so it can differ from the signposted height by a few tens of metres. It starts at 6,470 ft and finishes at 4,850 ft.
More roads like the Moki Dugway
Best driving roads in the USA · The twistiest famous roads, ranked · All famous roads · How to read pace notes · Best driving apps for twisty roads
Sources: Wikipedia: Utah State Route 261.
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