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I always love driving past the Vermillion Cliffs, well I finally got to do some more exploring inside the National Monument thanks to my wife and the Bronco Sport Badlands. I did as much pre-trip reading and scouting of places to visit without a permit and decided to head out towards White Pocket. I’ve previously been to Coyote Buttes North section and missed the South daily lottery for the days I’d be on my trip (Blaming post-surgery brain fog for that). In short, this is a great trip for the BS Badlands. If you are experienced with driving in sand, there shouldn’t be a problem however I would highly recommend having some recovery equipment just in case.
I started my trip out just past 10am, stopping to get ice and firewood at Fry’s. I was torn about where to go, given the length of the journey but had been thinking about White Pocket for some time and wasn’t sure when I’d have 2+ days to make a trip before the weather became problematic. One nice thing about heading north for trips versus the many southern trips I’ve taken is how quickly I can be out of the city. The downside is the semi traffic on I-17 can lead to sudden slowdowns, compounded by swerving drivers trying to get 3 cars ahead when traffic is moving at 30mph.
The drive though is quite scenic. Passing over various mountains covered in saguaros, to the red rocks of Sedona in the distance, the snow-covered peaks of the San Francisco range and finally the ponderosa pines in Flagstaff. As you get further from Flag, the desert landscape returns. Crossing both the Little Colorado and Colorado rivers and heading west on 89a.
The first dirt road off the highway is House Rock Road (BLM1065). This is a hard surface road with very small rocks (think landscaping rocks). You can easily go 35-45 on this road with little worries. After a few miles there’s a bathroom and viewing station for Condors if you squint hard enough.
After 9 plus miles you turn right onto BLM1017 which is well marked. The road starts off solid, but you’ll get your first taste of sand. I had the BS in normal mode before I realized it and switched it to sand mode. The road is not difficult at all but gets sandier just past the BLM1066 intersection. I did 25-30mph most of the way on this 6.2-mile section.
The last stage is turning left onto BLM1087 which is well marked but did not quite line up with my onX app so I got a bit confused and doubled back a bit. If I had gone a little slower, I would have seen the road marking. The left turn is after the ranch, not before as my map suggested. This road is significantly sandier but nothing the BS Badlands can’t handle. There are some sections where it goes form moderate sand to exposed rocks so paying attention is essential. I varied from 5-25mph on this section heading north. It’s also mostly one way but with a good amount of pull offs for on coming traffic. When I was getting there in the afternoon, there were a lot of tour vehicles heading southbound. I was surprised as I expected it to be secluded. This section while not challenging, does have some spots that hitting it with some momentum is needed. If you are unlucky and must stop suddenly due to an oncoming vehicle, I can see getting stuck.
After reaching the parking lot, I did some exploring. Many people camp in this lot, but I decided to head on a further 0.3 miles north to the official campground. The road had significantly deeper sand, but I was able to go 20-25mph the whole way so had no issues. I won’t say it was worth heading out there. It’s just a circular rock exposed surface with the best spot taken buy tour guides. I did a fire, some night photos because I fell asleep early and woke up a 1am. After watching a couple episodes of American Horror Story I decided why not on some night photography which the article photo comes from.
I wanted to hike another area and when leaving I knew I needed some speed to get up the first incline but didn’t get it. The sand came sooner than I expected, and I knew I was fucked before I got stuck. I made it worse by trying to spin my way out of it. After a lot of digging, some helpful pushers and well-placed excess firewood I was able to back out. The next attempt I had no reservations and peeled my way over the rocks and easily made it up (with a little bit of fish tailing). I just kept on the gas where appropriate and made it back to the main parking lot for my next set of exploring.
The exit trip was mostly uneventful save for the feral horses on the side of the rode. Happy to share any other details and tips if anyone is thinking of heading out there.
I started my trip out just past 10am, stopping to get ice and firewood at Fry’s. I was torn about where to go, given the length of the journey but had been thinking about White Pocket for some time and wasn’t sure when I’d have 2+ days to make a trip before the weather became problematic. One nice thing about heading north for trips versus the many southern trips I’ve taken is how quickly I can be out of the city. The downside is the semi traffic on I-17 can lead to sudden slowdowns, compounded by swerving drivers trying to get 3 cars ahead when traffic is moving at 30mph.
The drive though is quite scenic. Passing over various mountains covered in saguaros, to the red rocks of Sedona in the distance, the snow-covered peaks of the San Francisco range and finally the ponderosa pines in Flagstaff. As you get further from Flag, the desert landscape returns. Crossing both the Little Colorado and Colorado rivers and heading west on 89a.
The first dirt road off the highway is House Rock Road (BLM1065). This is a hard surface road with very small rocks (think landscaping rocks). You can easily go 35-45 on this road with little worries. After a few miles there’s a bathroom and viewing station for Condors if you squint hard enough.
After 9 plus miles you turn right onto BLM1017 which is well marked. The road starts off solid, but you’ll get your first taste of sand. I had the BS in normal mode before I realized it and switched it to sand mode. The road is not difficult at all but gets sandier just past the BLM1066 intersection. I did 25-30mph most of the way on this 6.2-mile section.
The last stage is turning left onto BLM1087 which is well marked but did not quite line up with my onX app so I got a bit confused and doubled back a bit. If I had gone a little slower, I would have seen the road marking. The left turn is after the ranch, not before as my map suggested. This road is significantly sandier but nothing the BS Badlands can’t handle. There are some sections where it goes form moderate sand to exposed rocks so paying attention is essential. I varied from 5-25mph on this section heading north. It’s also mostly one way but with a good amount of pull offs for on coming traffic. When I was getting there in the afternoon, there were a lot of tour vehicles heading southbound. I was surprised as I expected it to be secluded. This section while not challenging, does have some spots that hitting it with some momentum is needed. If you are unlucky and must stop suddenly due to an oncoming vehicle, I can see getting stuck.
After reaching the parking lot, I did some exploring. Many people camp in this lot, but I decided to head on a further 0.3 miles north to the official campground. The road had significantly deeper sand, but I was able to go 20-25mph the whole way so had no issues. I won’t say it was worth heading out there. It’s just a circular rock exposed surface with the best spot taken buy tour guides. I did a fire, some night photos because I fell asleep early and woke up a 1am. After watching a couple episodes of American Horror Story I decided why not on some night photography which the article photo comes from.
I wanted to hike another area and when leaving I knew I needed some speed to get up the first incline but didn’t get it. The sand came sooner than I expected, and I knew I was fucked before I got stuck. I made it worse by trying to spin my way out of it. After a lot of digging, some helpful pushers and well-placed excess firewood I was able to back out. The next attempt I had no reservations and peeled my way over the rocks and easily made it up (with a little bit of fish tailing). I just kept on the gas where appropriate and made it back to the main parking lot for my next set of exploring.
The exit trip was mostly uneventful save for the feral horses on the side of the rode. Happy to share any other details and tips if anyone is thinking of heading out there.
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