Behind the Reef

full-aa Icon
4.9/5 (12 reviews)
Hanksville, Utah (Emery County)
Last Updated: 08/07/2023

Every trail guide in full detail for $0.80/week*

Get the Behind the Reef trail guide with:
  • 23 waypoints
  • 71 photos
  • 4 trail concerns
  • 12 community trail reviews with the latest trail conditions
  • 1 video
  • And much more!
Check out a nearby All-Access Preview trail guide:
*Billed annually at $39.99/year
Hero: Behind the Reef
small-aa Icon

The San Rafael Swell of central Utah is considered by many to be one of the most unique, rugged, and beautiful geology in the western United States. Spanning from Price to Hanksville and Emery to Green River, this colorful sandstone triangle brings out the adventurer in all of us. You can raft the San Rafael River, mountain bike the innumerable single tracks, explore pictographs and petroglyphs, horseback through the red rock, or kick back in a remote campsite. But the miles and miles of offroad trails running through desert juniper forests onto dry and arid plateaus before descending to cottonwood-lined rivers is the largest draw. Behind the Reef may be the hidden gem of the magnificent Swell. Behind the Reef traces along the huge jutting San Rafael Reef, the eastern wall of the Swell. The dichotomy of jaw-dropping and conflicting views adds to the uniqueness of this remote meandering red track. Looking west, you feel like you are on top of the world, an eagle's perspective of the vast sandstone solitude below. To the east, towering cliffs remind you just how small you really are in this endless stony landscape. What will you find Behind the Reef?

Start a free trial and get this level of detail on every trail guide
Start Free Trial