Irish Canyon: a short drive through deep time on the way to Browns Park

Most people aiming for Browns Park blow past the turnoff, and that is the quiet pleasure of Irish Canyon: a few extra miles buys you a slow read through a lot of rock. From Maybell you take Colorado Highway 318 northwest about 41 miles, then turn onto Moffat County Road 10N, which threads the canyon for roughly 4.5 miles.

The entrance is the part that stops you. The walls close in steep and narrow, striped in red, green, and gray, and the BLM notes that twelve of the twenty-two geologic formations found in the eastern Uinta Mountains are exposed right here. It is the kind of place where a single short drive lets you look at layer after layer of very old stone.

At the south end there is an interpretive site with ancient petroglyphs, a short trail, and signs that help you make sense of what you are seeing. The land is set aside as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern for its geology, scenery, plants, and cultural sites, so it asks for a light touch. A small primitive campground with six sites sits at the north end if you want to stay the night.

Check the BLM Irish Canyon ACEC page for road conditions, the 14-day stay limit, and what to expect before you go.