2011 Recapture Pocket
Location:
37°19'16.55"N 109°28'55.13"W
Getting There: From Highway 191, travel east 3.5 miles on Highway 162 and turn north onto CR210. You will come to a series of Ys in the road, at each take the right leg and follow CR 217. Turn north onto CR249, and at the Y stay left and follow the road down into the wash. After about one mile, Recapture Pocket will appear on the left. Note, most maps show the area in the wrong location. If you have questions about getting in, stop by the Cadillac Ranch RV Park in Bluff and ask for directions.
Site Information:
Recapture pocket is full of wonderful geologic formations eroded out of the bluff. Boulders sit stacked upon each other with only a layer of soil holding them together. Great fortress-like walls rise up out of the ground as if placed there to protect the royalty within. The features are so unlike anything else in this wash that they beckon the passerby to come and explore.
Notes About our Visit:
A big thanks to Ara, with The Oasis Of My Soul, for sharing this location with us! Also a big thanks to the wonderful folks at the Cadillac Ranch RV Park in Bluff for providing directions.
We arrived to the location about midday and spent nearly two hours photographing and walking through the area. We really enjoyed the site and would recommend it as a stop for anyone passing through the area. This area has been compared to New Mexico's Bisti Badlands, but in our opinions, it is a much more beautiful and unique area.
Camping:
Although the area offers ample sites for unimproved camping, we chose to drive back to CR217 and follow it east through Recapture Creek. Just past the creek a road takes off to the north. We followed this road to a series of sandstone outcroppings just above the creek floor. ( 37°19'43.07"N 109°27'20.19"W) We setup camp on one of these outcroppings, prepared dinner, and enjoyed the sunset before we crawled inside the 4Runner for the night.
Nearby:
37°19'54.65"N 109°27'21.96"W
The following morning we woke to a beautiful sunrise and spotted a structure off in the distance. After a quick breakfast and picking up camp, we headed up the wash to the old stone house. We spent 30 minutes exploring the house before we headed on down the road.
