HWY 491 FROM DURANGO CO TO GREEN RIVER UTAH

Have done it several times with my 06 3500 D/A pulling 13,200#.

No problems except occassional boredom.

Enjoy.

491 is mostly newer 4 lane highway from Cortez to Monticello. Mostly all downhill from there into Moab. Can get windy in Utah so keep an eye on the forecast.

491 from Cortez to Monticello is no problem. Decent road no serious grades or anything. Once out of Cortez not much of anything until you hit Monticello. Then from Monticello to Moab on 191 is not bad a couple of short steep hills but nothing outrageous relatively short pulls a couple twisty curveys. Moab to I70 is easy as well good road. I70 to Green River well its interstate.

If heading west from Green River on I70 you will hit the San Rafeal Swell and there is a serious uphill to get up on top of it with some decent hills once on top scenery is fantastic though with several nice rest areas looking out over the swell. The pull up the Swell through Spotted Wolf Canyon may test your cooling system or if headed east your brakes on the descent. It would be worth Driving up on it just to see the scenery. Leave the trailer (not that it couldn't go with you but certainly easier without) to check out the scenery. If you are into archaic rock art at all there is some fantastic stuff up on the Swell. There is one at the base of the Swell just off I70 called Black Dragon Canyon. They have a pull off right on the highway for a view of the canyon but you can also literally pull of the freeway before that take a dirt road and drive up to the panel no trailer there though rocky road not long take perhaps an hour to go from Green River to the Canyon, see it and return. Also a panel in Thompson Springs that has Archaic, Fremont and later Ute all next to each other.

This link gives good direction to black dragon as well as some others in the area if interested http://climb-utah.com/SRS/srra.htm

TWO 4 THE ROAD wrote:
Planing a trip this summer to durango co. after that we'd like to go to Green River UT. I see on the map to take hwy 491 up to Green River. Does anyone have any information about this road? I'm pulling a 30 5er. Chev duramax/allison.
thanks

You should have no issue 491 turns into 191 and is a real major road in that part of the country.

Enjoy the drive,