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Midway

Rating: 
Round Trip Distance: 0.9 - 1.3 miles
Difficulty: Moderate
Skill level:
Elevation: 4360 - 4488 feet
Cellphone: 0-3 bars
Time: 30 mins.
Trailhead: Midway
Fee: none
Attractions: Scenic trail/Dinosaur tracks




The Midway trail is located in the Klondike Mountain Biking Area about 12 miles north of Moab, Utah. The trail begins off of the Willow Springs Road where it crosses a hill and descends to the far end of the South Klonzo area and comes to an end at Big Joe Bend. Most of the areas trails come into contact with the Midway trail or can be reached via one of its short spurs. One of those spurs, which leads to the Carousel trail, crosses a dinosaur track site in a small wash.



The Midway trailhead is less than a mile past Parking Area A on the Willow Springs Road.


From the trailhead the route travels above the wash over a small knoll.


Within 500 feet of the trailhead Midway is crossed by the Hotdog trail. Going to the left at this point would lead up to the Red Hot and Houdini trails while going to the right would lead down to the Edge trail and Parking Area A.


The trail continues its red dirt course traveling just below the top of the hill.


As the trail crosses the crest of the hill it comes to another intersection. At this point the Red Hot trail comes to an end on the left and the Edge trail and Roller Coaster trail are beginning on the right. This intersection is right at the quarter mile point from the trailhead.


After crossing the ridge of the hill the Midway trail begins descending into the valley.


At the 0.44 mile point the first of two spur trails that lead to the Carousel group comes up. It is this spur trail that also leads to the dinosaur tracks.


The wallowed out tracks form a trackway. From measuring the tracks and the distance between them paleontologists can determine the size of the dinosaur that made them. There is another dinosaur track site a short distance past the Midway trailhead on the Willow Springs Road.


Back on the main branch the Midway trail continues toward the lower end of the drainage.


The next intersection is the 2nd spur trail that leads over to the Carousel group. Just past this intersection and across the wash is another junction where the Roller Coaster trail comes to an end.


Within about a hundred yards from the end of the Roller Coaster trail the Midway trail makes a right turn and begins climbing toward Big Joe Bend. This is also the point where the Zephyr trail which leads over to the Moab Brands Mountain Biking Area off of Highway 191 begins.


The trail gains a little elevation as it heads up BJB.


The little climb at the end only gains about 40 feet of elevation.


We can't tell you anything about Big Joe Bend, like who the heck is Big Joe, but that is where the Midway trail comes to an end. This is also the starting point for the Topspin trail which is the one that we rode next. The Midway trail gets a lot of use. It is a nice trail all by itself and it is indispensable for getting around to the other trails in the area. We found ourselves riding up and down it several times over the course of the day. If you would like to see it for yourself then all you have to do is grab you bike or 'Take a hike'.