Black Dragon Canyon Viewpoint — Attraction in Four Corners States

If you’ve ever driven Interstate 70 through Utah’s rugged backcountry, you might have zoomed past Black Dragon Canyon without realizing the incredible history hidden in its walls. This dramatic canyon, carved by water over millions of years, slices through the San Rafael Swell, a giant dome of rock that was lifted up and cracked apart by ancient tectonic forces. The Swell is like a giant wrinkle in the Earth’s crust, and Black Dragon Canyon is one of its most striking features. It gets its name from a famous pictograph—a black, dragon-like figure painted by the Fremont people over a thousand years ago. Some say it looks like a winged beast, others see a giant bird, but whatever it is, it’s a haunting reminder that this place was sacred long before asphalt and road trips.

When I-70 was built in the late 1960s, blasting through the Swell was no easy task. Engineers had to cut through layers of sandstone and limestone, creating one of the most scenic (and remote) highway stretches in the country. Before the freeway, only rugged trails and old mining roads wound through these canyons. Native American tribes, including the Ute and Paiute, believed this land was home to powerful spirits. Some legends speak of supernatural creatures that guarded the canyons, and honestly, standing beneath those towering walls, you can feel the weight of history pressing in. Just a little farther west, Spotted Wolf Canyon View Area offers one of the most jaw-dropping overlooks on I-70, where the highway squeezes through a narrow sandstone pass—one of the last sections of interstate to be completed in the U.S. Whether you’re stopping for a quick look at the Black Dragon pictograph or taking in the epic views of Spotted Wolf, this stretch of road is a hidden gem on one of America’s...

Driving into and through this geological feature is a wonder on itself. When you see the way the layers of earth come lifting out exposing rock and dirt from early earth, you can't help but take into account how we've (humans) been on this great ball for such a minuscule amount of time. This all formed without inference from us and now we're in the midst of climate crisis (apparently) so all you see should be appreciated. Nature is wonderful, powerful, and the earth has a way of balancing itself out despite our humanly efforts to "save" it. Our size 9 footprint may leave a mark on this planet, but mother earth knows all the tricks to clear scuff marks off her floor. Be careful with children and pets here, don't let them wander away from you. Not only do you have sheer cliffs with no signage, but you might want to watch those giant crows with huge beaks as well (not really, they only dig through...

Beautiful canyon you can drive through with high clearance 4x4 or an easy walk down the dirt road! Exit the highway at the median crossing. The dirt road gate is A MILE BEFORE you get to the north side rest stop/san rafael overlook if heading west on the highway!!! You should see brown recreation signs, open gate and leave it as you found it, for the cattlemen. - keep left towards the cliffs . . Road gets rough but There are pullouts just before the high walls of the canyon. Prehistoric artworks and a natural cave formation at the second curve of the canyon. If you're willing to scramble up the boulder field there's a wonderful view...