Mashed Potato is an easy trail with just enough rock, ledges, and notches to give most any driver an adrenaline rush. Like all trails in Moab, the scenery from Mashed Potato is spectacular, with the La Sal Mountains in the eastern distance, and some glimpses into Hidden Canyon more close-by.
Turn south to start Mashed Potato. The eastern trailhead is a short distance west of the intersection of Hidden Canyon Overlook at Bartlett Wash Road. It is a 3-way intersection with a BLM sign and map.
To approach Mashed Potato from the north:
From Moab, travel approximately 17.3 miles north on Highway 191 to Blue Hills Road which is just south of Canyonlands Field Airport. Turn west and travel approximately 2.3 miles to Bartlett Wash Road or what some maps label Mill Canyon Road. Stay on the more defined roads to the right. Pass an old corral and follow the trail markers labeled "3D".
To approach Mashed Potato from the south:
From Moab, travel north on Highway 191 to the intersection of Highway 313. Turn left (west) on Highway 313. Travel approximately 8 miles to the vicinity of Lone Mesa Campground, and turn right on Dubinky Well Road. Follow Dubinky Well Road for one mile to where it curves left and intersects with BLM 140. Stay right (north) on Dubinky Well Road for another mile to the intersection of Bartlett Wash Road. Turn right on Bartlett Wash Road and proceed north/northeast about 9 miles. Watch for the intersection with '3D Safari Route' on the left. Turn left (west) and in a short 500 yards, arrive at a 3-way intersection. The left fork is the trailhead to Mashed Potato.
Fun and easy trail. The snow today made it more interesting and trail finding added to the day. We could not find the gravy bowl for anything. No write up and no clear signs for the bowl. Disappear
Enjoyed the trail. Rigs were my 2020 Gladiator Rubicon with 35” tires and 2” lift, 1997 Land Cruiser 80 with 33” tires and 2” lift, and a bone stock 2020 Gladiator Rubicon, literally one day off the showroom floor.
Touched the skid plates a few times on all the rigs, but nothing serious. The obstacles are such that a spotter helps a lot. I would not do this trail alone for that reason.
I really enjoyed this fun short trail connecting you to a longer route via Hidden Canyon Overlook, Hidden Canyon Escape, and Bartlett Overlook. The obstacles were fun to roll over, nothing very challenging, but on a bright blue sky day, the La Sal Mountains in the distance kept me mesmerized.
Tracy is an outdoor enthusiast originally from north Alabama. His family moved to central Utah when Tracy was a child, and subsequently to southern Utah, where he fell in love with the Rocky Mountains. His favorite activities are family trail rides and camping with small groups. He started many years ago in his dad's F-150 pickup truck, and subsequently his own 4x4 acquisition, a 1975 Ford Bronco (in 1991).