"Elephant Hill," perhaps the gnarliest four-wheel-drive road at Canyonlands National Park in Utah, will close to the public for ten days in early April for what park staff call "much-needed repairs.

Located in the park's Needles District, the "road" is narrow, is precipitous in places, and will scare the wits out of passengers...and maybe even the driver. And yet, it is highly popular with the off-road-vehicle community.

The route will be closed from April 5-15, the park announced Friday. During this closure all day-use and overnight permits will be unavailable. 

The Elephant Hill road is one of the most technical 4WD roads in Utah, according to the park. It presents drivers and mountain bikers with steep grades, loose rock, stair-step drops, tight turns, and tricky backing. Some sections of this road have eroded beyond the capabilities of even the most experienced backcountry traveler. The Canyonlands road crew will be repairing these sections so visitors can safely traverse them in the future.

Road repair activities will not alter the 4WD experience of the road and visitors should still be prepared and follow best practices before embarking on this road once it re-opens. All backcountry roads require high-clearance, low range four-wheel-drive vehicles. Inexperienced drivers should not attempt these roads. There is a high risk of vehicle damage, and towing costs usually exceed $1,500.

The Elephant Hill road is expected to re-open for day-use and overnight permits on April 16, 2021. More information on all of the backcountry four-wheel-drive road at Canyonlands and helpful tips on how to prepare to travel these roads is available at this page.