ATV & Dirt Bike Trails – 50″ or less

3-4 Hour Ride – This horseshoe shaped route is for 50” Wide Vehicles or Less
This Route tours two Spectacular Canyons & the Panguitch Valley including Lime Kiln Canyon (the “Volcanic Canyon”) and world famous Casto Canyon, where the beautiful Bryce Canyon “Red Rocks” of the Claron Formation are on brilliant display all around you. This route can cover up to 45 Miles.

After first exploring the blue, green & ash grey Hoodoo’s of the other-worldly volcanic Lime Kiln Canyon, you’ll head south along the valley to enter the rugged, beautiful and majestic red amphitheater at the entrance of Casto Canyon at the base of the Sunset Cliffs. 200 yards into Casto Canyon is the 50” Width Restriction Gate where wider vehicles have to stop. In the 50” Wide or Less category of vehicle you’ll be able to work your way into Casto Canyon up to several miles. How far up you will be able to go during Early Spring or Winter depends on seasonal snow, trail & wet conditions. During Summer you will find this Canyon rugged but dry. You’ll be surrounded by Claron Formation for the entire duration of this epic Canyon ride.

This is our most popular 4 hour ride during the early and late seasons of Spring and Winter when the upper Canyons and Peterson Point are impassable because of heavy snow cover and mud. Beyond the Casto Canyon entrance this route is for 2 Seat Side-by-Sides, Single Seat ATV’s and Dirt- bikes. This route departs from American ATV Rentals at 467 N Main St Panguitch Utah 84759

Your guide will lead you through Town the 1 mile to the River Lane Trailhead on the NE corner of
Panguitch

Maps and Navigation Orientation takes place at the River Lane Trail Head, located next to our Hospital,
Garfield Regional Medical Center.

When your Maps Orientation is complete, and you are clear and comfortable with your Route & the
Navigation, your 4 hour rental timer starts.

Geological Information for this ride is provided in the Geology Notes for the “Panguitch Loop” / “Peterson Point and Back Ride” for those who are interested.

This Route is excellent in all seasons as well. Half of this Route is on smoother Panguitch Valley Trails where you will use High Range. Once in the Canyons you’ll place your vehicle in Low Range for the Canyons slower more rugged sections. During Summer (ONLY) there are dry restrooms at the River Lane and Casto Canyon Trailheads.

Further Reading & Geology Information,

Lime Kiln Canyon & surrounding area:

The Entrance of the “Volcanic” Lime Kiln Canyon is about 6 miles due East as the crow fly’s from American ATV Rentals. Of all the Canyons outside my front door, this is my favorite. The reason for that is it’s “Other-worldy” appearance. World Famous Casto Canyon (a few miles South) is the “Bryce Canyon” Red Claron Formation geology up close and personal- on spectacular display; & Lime Kiln Canyon is to Casto Canyon as Venus is to Mars.

While the brilliant hues of Red planet Mars dominate Casto, the spindly Grey Volcanic Ash Hoodoos, paired with towers and buttresses of Bright Green and Blue set Lime Kiln Canyon far apart visually.

This Ashen sandstone, loosely lithified (turned to stone) and crumbling in places, is dramatically evident as you enter the first mile and begin the Lime Kiln Canyon ascent. The Brian Head Formation is the geological name of what surrounds you in the lower reaches here. The Brian Head Formation is the debris and fallen Ash plumes from one of the largest Super Volcanic eruptions the world has ever experienced. This cataclysmic event is dated at about 30 Million Years Ago (MYA). About 80 Miles West from the Canyon, and straddling the the Utah / Nevada Border is the remnants of the Brian Head Event Volcanic Caldera.From Wikipedia:

“Wah Wah Springs Caldera is a supervolcanic eruption remnant discovered in 2013 in Utah. It released 5,500 to 5,900 cubic kilometres (1,300 to 1,400 cu mi) of tephra, as the Wah Wah Springs Tuff, about 30.06 million years ago in the early Oligocene. It is the largest of the Indian Peak-Caliente Caldera Complex, and includes flows over 500 m (1,640 feet) thick at the most. It is considered one of the largest single explosive eruptions known in Earth’s history, and the second most energetic event to have occurred on Earth since the asteroid impact at the end of the Cretaceous period.^[1][2] ”

See also

• List of largest volcanic eruptions

References

• Best, Myron G.; Christiansen, Eric H.; Deino, Alan L.; Gromme, Sherman; Hart, Garret L.; Tingey, David G. (August 1, 2013). “The 36–18 Ma Indian Peak–Caliente ignimbrite field and calderas, southeastern Great Basin, USA: Multicyclic super-eruptions”. Geosphere. 9 (4): 864–950. Bibcode:2013Geosp…9..864B. doi:10.1130/GES00902.1.

External links

• These Mega-Colossal Eruptions Dwarf The Yellowstone Supervolcano on YouTube by Science Time
• Supervolcano in Utah: Massive Ancient Volcano Discovered by BYU Geologists on YouTube by Brigham Young University
• Ancient Supervolcanoes Discovered in Utah and Nevada on YouTube by The Real MLordandGo