Round Trip Distance: 3.4 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill level:
Elevation: 4647 - 5070 feet
Cellphone: 0-4 bars
Time: 1 hr. 30 mins.
Trailhead: Mega Steps or Klondike Bluffs
Fee: none
Attractions: Fun connector route
The Little Salty trail is located in the Klondike Bluffs Area north of Moab, Utah. The trail begins off of the Copper Ridge Road and climbs the bluffs to a ridge overlooking the Salt Valley where it junctions with the Baby Steps Loop. On the lower end it is intersected by the Dino-Flow trail, near the midpoint by the EKG trail, and near the top the lower end of the UFO trail makes a connection. For this post we began at the Mega Steps trailhead and rode Little Salty as an out and back. Normally the trail is combined with at least one of the other trails that connect to it to make a loop.
To get to the trailhead either drive 23 miles north of Moab or about 9 miles south from Crescent Junction on Highway 191 and turn east at the North Klondike Bluffs sign. Follow the dirt road for about 1 mile to a fork. Stay to the right at the fork and follow the unmarked Copper Ridge Road to the trailhead. The road is easily passable for passenger vehicles when it is dry but after a hard rain it can be difficult in places for any vehicle. There is also the option of beginning at the Klondike Bluffs trailhead.
The Little Salty trail begins 1.74 miles down the Copper Ridge Road from the Mega Steps trailhead. An out and back that begins at the Mega Steps trailhead makes the total round trip distance come out to almost 7 miles.
From the beginning of the Little Salty trail it is only a tenth of a mile before it crosses Dino-Flow.
As the trail continues past Dino-Flow it makes a moderate climb up an expanse of the uneven slickrock that is common to the lower portions of all the trails that climb the bluffs.
It doesn't take long before the trail begins leveling off and hitting the dirt.
The trails designers threw in one or two spots to power up on to get over.
Little Salty crosses the EKG trail at the 0.67 mile point.
After the EKG trail Little Salty climbs over another big section of slickrock.
At the upper end of the trail the route continues its gradual climb following an old doubletrack.
Right about the 1 1/4 mile point the UFO trail departs on the right. The UFO trail is a 1.7 mile connecting route that runs from here to the Baby Steps Loop.
Little Salty comes to an end at the Baby Steps Loop 1.7 miles from where it began along the Copper Ridge Road. If you were to follow the Baby Steps Loop to the spot where the UFO trail connects to it you would have to ride about a 4 mile course that drops down into the Salt Valley and climbs back out again.
