Travel on the Arizona Strip not advised due to hazardous mud and ice
By Jeff Axel
Officials with the Bureau of Land Management’s Arizona Strip District, the National Park Service at Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, and Arizona’s Mohave County are strongly recommending that motorists not attempt to travel on any unpaved roads on the Arizona Strip above 4,000 feet elevation until weather conditions change. The Arizona Strip and Parashant National Monument are located between St. George and the Grand Canyon in northern Arizona.
The unpaved roads on the Arizona Strip are saturated, creating deep puddles and long stretches of slick clay and mud. With cold temperatures and more rain and snow in the forecast, road conditions above 4,000 feet will not improve for at least another week. One trap that catches motorists unaware is when ice makes a road passable first thing in the morning but then becomes a muddy disaster when the ice melts during the day.
“This is the worst I’ve seen it in years,” said Parashant chief ranger Marty Sims. “There have already been a half dozen search and rescues we’ve assisted Mohave County officers on in just the last few weeks. At least six trucks had to be pulled out of the mud. There have probably been other rescues we didn’t hear about. We are asking folks to wait to go out there until the roads dry out.”
It is always recommended to give your friends or family a trip plan and return time so they can get help if you do not return on schedule. Most roads on the Arizona Strip are seldom traveled in winter, so motorists should not hope that someone is going to “just come by” to help them. Towing bills can cost more than $2,000. Cell phone service is mostly nonexistent. Only satellite phones and messengers work to call for help. On some roads, motorists could be stranded for many days, risking hypothermia or worse.
For those planning to recreate this upcoming holiday weekend, the scenic Pakoon Basin area of Parashant National Monument and Gold Butte National Monument near the Nevada state line are in the low desert and experience much drier conditions.
Contact the Public Lands Information Center in St. George at (435) 688-3200 for more information on road conditions.
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