Sand Spring Road-Old Spanish Trail

Trail Overview

: Sand Spring Road-Old Spanish Trail is a 5-mile point-to-point trail rated 2 of 10 located in Iron County, Utah. The trail is one of several that create the Antelope Range Loop and includes a section of the Old Spanish Trail. The Antelope Range is significant for several reasons. First is that the Historic Spanish Trail followed the western side of the range. The Spanish Trail was established in 1829 as a trade route from Santa Fe, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California. Second is the historic Antelope Range (Silver Belt) mining district established in 1872 and still has 590 active claims as of 2022. which located along the western side of the range. As the name suggests this was a major silver ore mining area with mine names such as Bright Angel, Bullion, Chloride Canyon and Lucky Chance. Lastly, the entire Antelope Range is part of the Chloride Canyon Herd Management Area a 64,000-acre reserve for wild horses. Characterized by vast acres of sagebrush and pinyon-juniper foothills, the region offers a variety of landscapes ranging from salt desert shrub flats to high mountains with riparian, aspen, and bristlecone pine. Sand Spring Road-Old Spanish Trail is a compacted dirt two-track trail that parallels the western side of the Antelope Range. Today this trail is used as part of the national power grid with both underground gas and overhead electrical lines. As part of the Iron County Recreation & Development Strategy, historic trail markers and informational signs are being placed along the trail. The trail is relatively flat through open desert scrub with the southern end terminating on Highway 56 near Newcastle. Cell phone service is generally good along this stretch of the trail. The nearest services are in Newcastle and Cedar City.

Photos of Sand Spring Road-Old Spanish Trail

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Difficulty

County dirt road with infrequent or light maintenance after rain or snow, high clearance light duty 4WD may be required.

Technical Rating