The Truth About Driving to the WEDGE - It's AMAZING! | Buckhorn Wash Road in the San Rafael Swell

Get ready for an epic adventure! The road to the Wedge Overlook in San Rafael Swell is filled with stunning vistas, winding canyons, and jaw-dropping rock formations. Don't miss out on the journey to reach one of the best views in Utah!
We've returned to the San Rafael Swell and are retracing our steps to the Wedge Overlook armed with Slim, 4K, and a drone. We couldn't be happier!
Remember that Sinkhole? Well, now we get a peek at how deep it is as we stop, peer over, and take in the landscape of the rocky terrain.
We also take a quick drive through Swinging Bridge Campground South. This is a MUST do in our future. The setting is incredible and the campsites are PERFECT for tent campers!
The Swinging Bridge built for sheep crossing called to us one more time before we took off capturing the landscape with our drone.
Once again, we visited the Buckhorn Wash Pictograph Panel, a must-stop site on any journey back into the Swell. The pictographs are mesmerizing, eerie, and just plain fascinating.
This time around we managed to make time to stop and see the dinosaur track just off the road. This clear dinosaur footprint isn't difficult to find. Stop when you see the sign, head up to the trailhead sign and walk up a short incline until you see a ring of rocks surrounding the track.
Finally... we headed off to the Wedge Overlook, also known as the Little Grand Canyon. We were racing daylight but managed to get there just as the sun was setting and the winds kicked up. But we still managed to catch some amazing views that have to be seen to be believed.
VIDEO FILMED: 04/14/2023
▬▬ R E L A T E D V I D E O S ▬▬
⚪ 2020 Roadtrip Through the Swell - • Roadtrip through the S...
⚪ Sheep Bridge - • The BLOODY BASIN Road ...
▬▬ L O C A T I O N I N F O ▬▬
⚪ WEDGE OVERLOOK - www.utah.com/things-to-do/sce...
⚪ Directions to WEDGE OVERLOOK - goo.gl/maps/Pcxcovop6qPcA9qU9
▬▬ T I M E S T A M P S ▬▬
00:00 Starting Buckhorn Draw Road / The Sinkhole
06:55 Swinging Bridge Campground South and the Swinging Bridge
13:00 Buckhorn Wash Pictograph Panel
18:41 Dinosaur Footprint
21:48 The Wedge
▬▬ L I N K S ▬▬
⚪ Gear we use - www.amazon.com/shop/thecactus...
⚪ See where we've been - www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mi...
⚪ Music from Epidemic Sound - www.epidemicsound.com/referra...
(As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.)
_____________________________________________________________
✅ Find us on Instagram, Twitter & Facebook - @cactusatlas.
✅ Check out our website - cactusatlas.com
Welcome to the Cactus Atlas! We are Glenn and Amy and invite you to join us as we visit all sorts of locations across the American West. We tour both natural and man-made attractions.
Our base of operations is in the Phoenix, AZ area. We do a lot of hiking, day trips, and campground reviews and hope that we will be a great resource if you are planning a trip to the American West. We also hope to delight you with our exciting adventures!

[@CFarnwide]

There is so much to explore in The Swell! If you ever get a chance to backpack in, do it!

[@CactusAtlas]

It feels almost impossible to see all there is out there. Camping in it (well, specifically the Wedge) is still super high on the list.

[@candymcclure2476]

I have a terrible fear heights. When you walked to the edge of the wedge I got a little jolt of fear. Crazy Gramma Candy

[@CactusAtlas]

Glenn's usually pretty cautious and often is extending his arm with the camera over ledges rather than walking to the edge but it even makes me nervous when I edit the videos. 😂

[@MORES1971]

I've been to San Rafael many times and once someone tastes these areas of the South West, they will come back again and again with pleasure! Great video as usual and thank you

[@CactusAtlas]

Thank you! And couldn't agree more. We find that area keeps pulling us back. 😊

[@PatchGirl68]

Thanks Glen and Slim for taking us to places we would never see.

[@CactusAtlas]

Slim and Glenn thank you too. Thanks for watching! 😄

[@martinbahena3648]

love the video, places i would love to go to and can't. Thanks to you Glen and Slim I felt like I was there with you...

[@CactusAtlas]

Aw, we love that! We're always happy to bring these place to people and sharing. 😊

[@Hystatic517]

8 more years and I can retire from my state job and spend the remaining of my year's traveling and visiting areas throughout the states. I'll be 54 at that time so hopefully a lot of time to enjoy. Love the videos! Nice truck by the way it's a awesome vehicle.

[@CactusAtlas]

Thank you! 54? Just a smidge jealous. 😅 Retiring and being able to travel full time is a dream of ours. One day!

[@sallyhague5033]

My Husband and I travelled through Utah, Colorado & Arizona through May & June. It was incredible. We don't have anything like that in the UK. We couldn't see all that we wanted, but we managed 10 National Parks and other amazing places. Thanks to your videos we discovered Little Wild Horse Canyon and loved hiking through it. I think I've left a piece of my heart in Utah. Another Great Video.

[@CactusAtlas]

That is awesome! Glad we could help. I found some beautiful scenery in the UK when I visited some years ago so I while it is totally different than the American West, I'd say every place has something special somewhere. 😊

[@SomeplaceOrAnother]

That petroglyph panel was pretty cool 😎 makes you want to go back in time to see what was going on.

[@CactusAtlas]

If only those time machines were possible! 😂

[@DiscoverexplorerS]

Really enjoyed the adventure. The little grand canyon was amazing.

[@CactusAtlas]

Yes it was! Glad you enjoyed it! 😊

[@lynnnorthrup8914]

The San Rafael Swell is better than a National Park or Monument because there aren’t as many people. This has been our playground for years and we haven’t seen it all. Glen, what drone are flying? You mixed in a just enough footage. Amy, good editing!👍 We are planning a trip later so our friends can ride their bikes through the Draw and then revisiting canyons near Temple Mountain. Thank you for sharing your adventure and safe landing of the drone! LN 😀😀😀😀😀👍👍👍👍👍

[@CactusAtlas]

Thank you so much and have a fantastic visit to the area! As for the drone, it's a DJI Air 2S.

[@lynnnorthrup8914]

@@CactusAtlas Thanks, that's the same drone I'm flying!

[@LoriBH]

As a fellow Phoenician, I have always loved the fact that magical Utah is our neighbor. Thanks for the travel inspiration, Glenn and Slim! Nice editing work, Amy! 👍🏼

[@CactusAtlas]

It's pretty cool, right? Just have to drive a couple hours and reach pure magic. 😊

[@SwiftyTravels]

What a gem of a trip! Every sight is incredible! I really enjoy those drone shots of you driving 😀- that canyon! Wow! 🤩 thanks so much for sharing these beautiful places with us!

[@CactusAtlas]

Thanks so much! So glad that the drone has a follow mode for those shots. It makes editing so fun. 😄

[@randygerdes]

I'm glad you pronounce it the way I first heard it. So many say RAFF A ELL.

[@CactusAtlas]

It's our second visit there and caught some heat for saying it that way the first time. 😂

[@having-fun-while-i-can]

I envy your commitment to editing, I have a 4 minute hiking video that only needs music but I can't seem to finish it. I'm still laughing at Glens interpretation of the cliff drawings. S&M had me laughing me ass off.

[@jesurunsounds]

dont give up u will get it

[@CactusAtlas]

It takes a while. The fact that Glenn films and I edit helps divide the workload but over time editing has gotten easier as I get more familiar with things (and make a few presets to save time). And yeah, Glenn's imagination is something else sometimes. 😂

[@imbdileva]

We were there last fall and I can honestly say it was one of my top three campsites in the history of ever!! 😁😍🤩👍

[@CactusAtlas]

Awesome! We still hope to make camping there a reality. Hopefully when the weather behaves. 😅

[@gregorya.miller4828]

Skywind so much about being cold it really attracted from the scenery

[@Raptor-gd6sk]

This is why Utah is my favorite state to visit. One day I will make it to the Wedge.. it’s a must to see .. Thank you Glen

[@CactusAtlas]

Utah is amazing. So many places to check out and explore. And the Wedge is definitely worth it. 👍

[@oxycocus]

Thank you so much for sharing this experience with me/us. You have shown me places I never knew. It fed my soul as well.

[@CactusAtlas]

You are so very welcome! Glad that you enjoyed. 😊

[@granthryze2694]

One of my favorite drives. In 2021, I camped at the wedge, unaware of what was going on, Elon's Starlinks were released coming from south to north. I ran over to a dude I met earlier, and we both were in shock !. Was it military , alien or what, there was no noise from them. They were directly overhead. First set was about 20 something, then 10 minutes later , another 6. It was a trip. The next morning I heard on the radio what they were. Then I saw them the next night outside Moab. Lifetime experience.

[@CactusAtlas]

Oh wow. I remember seeing pictures of Starlink satellites crossing the sky online. I can't imagine seeing it in a setting like the night sky by the Wedge. That's crazy. What an amazing experience (and probably a little spooky at the time)!

[@jasoncostello3471]

Like your content allot. Subscribed

[@CactusAtlas]

Welcome! 😄

[@candymcclure2476]

Interesting bridge. The scenery is great. Gramma Candy

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Great Temple of Doom reference! Imagine if the pictographs are just sports scores or something. The dinosaur footprint was incredible. Based on the sweatshirt I'm guessing this wasn't filmed in the last few weeks though! lol

[@CactusAtlas]

Hahaha! Good observation. Yeah, it was filmed in April. I suppose it's sort of ironic given the heat dome over this part of the States and showing a video where Glenn couldn't camp due to temps being below freezing. 😂 Sometimes it just works out that way due to how we film/release to keep balance between work and YT.

[@BurgundyKRO]

Cool video dude! The landscape all along I-70 is other-worldly :)

[@CactusAtlas]

It really is! Earth at its finest. 😄

[@marshmallows5641]

This whole area you've been in, in Utah is incredible!

[@CactusAtlas]

Super awesome place, isn't it? One of our favorites. 😊

[@shirleyrichards2514]

Wonderful video. I love the drone videos and the bridge . Thanks so much. God bless you guys :)❤

[@CactusAtlas]

Thanks so much!

[@patriciashirley7095]

I'm still working my way out their Just finished my Box truck conversion love to see a new horizon

[@cowelk]

Great video footage and music. You guys are doing a great job. I have not been there but will definitely do it this year or the next. Thanks

[@CactusAtlas]

You should! It's a fanatic place. And thank you so much!

[@cdale613]

Fantastic! Thank you.

[@CactusAtlas]

You're very welcome! Glad you liked it. 😊

[@shirleyrichards2514]

Thanks for sharing ❤

[@CactusAtlas]

No problem. Thanks for watching! 😊

[@destinationdero]

That is a cool adventure. Nice share.

[@CactusAtlas]

Thank you so much and thanks for visiting!

[@mickfowler701]

Thanks for more interesting sights

[@CactusAtlas]

You bet! Always happy to take people with us. 😊

[@bernhardsauer5194]

Awesome video of an area I want to explore also. Thanks for posting!!!

[@CactusAtlas]

Anytime! Thanks for watching and taking time to comment. We appreciate it! 😊

[@magaisacult2023]

Really enjoy your videos, have another trip planned out west April 2024 towing a tear drop camper using a 4wd Jeep Liberty. Hope I can find some of the back roads you have covered.

[@CactusAtlas]

Sounds like you've got a fun time planned! Hope you find some of those roads as well. 😄👍

[@Qromer]

We will be making a trip to Utah in August -- this might make our list. Thanks!

[@CactusAtlas]

Awesome! Hope that it doesn't disappoint! (Not that I imagine it could 😅)

[@sueanna_banana]

Great teamwork!

[@CactusAtlas]

Thanks!😊👍

[@jasatx2024]

It is crazy that Utah is experiencing such a low temperatures during the nights in July. Meanwhile here in Texas we are being grilled according to our BBQ Texas’ style. Yesterday I saw 104F as I was heading back home. 😅 really cool place, thanks for sharing!

[@CactusAtlas]

Oh they're warm up there at this point. Well into the 100s for highs it would seem. We actually filmed our Utah trip in April. 😅 I feel you on the heat though - we're supposed to hit 118 here in Phoenix this weekend. But at least we don't have that Texas humidity! I still remember Texas summers. 🥵

[@PAULPINBALL]

Nice channel!

[@CactusAtlas]

Thanks! 😄👍

[@oxycocus]

Re-watching. I really like the music

[@CactusAtlas]

😊🙌

[@alexmineff5596]

Pretty amazing trek indeed and thank you for taking us with you. I see things through your eyes or camera lens I never would. That dinosaur track was amazing. Every time you use the drone I am silly but I can’t help worrying about the drone. Probably my own insecurities about it making it back lol

[@CactusAtlas]

Haha! Funny you mention that. Glenn is pretty good about making sure he has visual sight of the drone but on that particular trip with the sun setting he got a bit turned around on the way back to him and had a moment of panic about battery life. 😅

[@JulieAiken]

Thank you for the inspiration. I planned to travel indefinitely throughout the West, but I got really sick. So between brain surgery and COVID shut down -- both in March 2020 -- I haven't been anywhere for years. I am so stir crazy! I should get my license back this year, and maybe hit the road in 2024. I'm tempted to head west and never come back to PA, but we shall see. At any rate, I love the area you're chronicling and really appreciate being able to live vacariously through your videos. Thanks again!

[@CactusAtlas]

Oh gosh... sounds like 2020 was a bummer of a year for you. Hope you're doing well now. Thankfully a lot of these areas will more than likely still look the same when you're ready to hit the road and check them out. Hopefully that will be soon for you! They're amazing places. 😊

[@JulieAiken]

@@CactusAtlas Thanks. 2020 was a bummer of a year for a lot of people! I'm doing great - thanks. But it takes time to get totally back to normal.

[@Don-md6wn]

I have a 2 month trip to Colorado, Utah and Arizona coming up. The San Rafael Swell was one of the places I couldn't fit into my itinerary. I will get it on the next trip.

[@CactusAtlas]

We definitely know all about the pain of not being able to fit things into an itinerary. 😔 Hopefully you'll get to see it on that future trip. 👍

[@gstiles7]

Hey Amy, how impressed were you with that "efficiency in action" 🤣🤣The drone footage is just epic! Although I hoped you'd try going a little lower into that pit, but if anything happened, I guess there's no recovery.

[@CactusAtlas]

You know... I gotta admit. I'm pretty proud of Glenn on this trip. He really stayed on task (as you can tell from the amount of videos from it). Some aren't always as productive. 😂

[@TailEnd88]

"National Park views for free" is quite the concept! I do that myself, too, being in Colorado. I find tourist attractions to be less and less fun.

[@CactusAtlas]

Yeah, some of the National Parks can be a bit overwhelming and crowded these days. When one is looking to unwind with some scenery and serenity, having to wait a mile or so to even gain entry to a park and then search endlessly for parking can really spoil it. Thankfully there are many many places to still go for amazing views. 😄

[@Don-md6wn]

There are places in the national parks where you can get a backcountry type experience with some advance planning, particularly in you have a high clearance 4WD vehicle. The White Rim Trail in Canyonlands and the Cathedral Valley Loop Road and the Burr Trail in the north and south ends of Capitol Reef are some I'm going to do on an upcoming trip.

[@shirleebusch1459]

When was this that it was so cold? Nothing little about this "Little Grand Canyon".

[@CactusAtlas]

The video was filmed in April when there was a cold front going through.

[@jesurunsounds]

cool video ty what make of Chevy is that? how do u like it? im looking into a 23 or the 24 Tacoma for my hiking adventures

[@CactusAtlas]

Glenn truck is a 2022 Chevy Colorado ZR2. He's pretty darned happy with it. I know people really love Tacomas and 4Runners. Toyota makes some great vehicles. 👍

[@ArialStacy]

high on payote art

[@omarceloaraujo]

Hello Glen... Marcelo here from Brazil. I'm planning a road trip through Utah in January/24, and your videos are being very inspiring. I will travel from Las Vegas to Moab by Jeep. Any "you must go" tip?

[@CactusAtlas]

Around Las Vegas is Valley of Fire State Park, obviously there is Zion and all the other big Utah National Parks. Grafton in the Zion area is a fairly cool old "ghost" town. Kodachrome Basin State Park is closer to Bryce Canyon and worth stopping at for some impressive overlooks. Same with Cedar Breaks National Monument. We have videos on all these places if you're curious. Honestly... the scenery in any of those areas is pretty stunning and worth going to see. 👍 Good luck and enjoy your trip!

[@omarceloaraujo]

@@CactusAtlas excellent, Glen!! Thank you! Another thing... how can you know where is possible fly a drone! I'm photographer and I think take some aerial shots. I have a Mavic 3!

[@CactusAtlas]

Oh, goodness. There's really a whole lot of information there about where one can fly and not fly and commercial licenses vs flying for recreational use that it would be hard for either Glenn or I to detail all that information in a comment. I would say a good rule of thumb is keep it grounded in state and national parks (any parks really) unless they allow it or you get permission or a permit. There's a lot more to it but I'd recommend checking out the FAA's website if you're really wanting information. I believe there's a link to an app that details what airspace is restricted or not. www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/where_can_i_fly

[@omarceloaraujo]

@@CactusAtlas Maaan... O really appreciate all this info!! I'll check ASAP! Thank you! 😊👍🏼

[@hightidelowtide4300]

This place is incredible.. Are these roads fairly smooth or are they washboard most of the way??. TIA

[@CactusAtlas]

The road wasn't washboard much at all. Pretty easy trip! 👍

[@hightidelowtide4300]

Well that settles it... We will be visiting that area for sure lol..

[@bhendrikabel]

Wow how beautiful this area is. Could you drive that road in car without high clearance and no 4x 4 in good weather?

[@CactusAtlas]

Oh for sure. Glenn even drove it in my VW Golf once. 😂

[@bhendrikabel]

@@CactusAtlas haha, thanks. I’m going for a roadtrip end of may from San Francisco - Lake Tahoe- Mono Lake- June Lake- Death Valley- North Rim- Page- Bryce Canyon - Escalante- Hanksville- Moab and Salt Lake City. This will be one of my sites to see. So thank you for the information. Buckhorn Wash, hete we come

[@CactusAtlas]

Oh, man. Sounds like an amazing trip planned. Feel free to pick us up along the way. 🤣 Kidding. But definitely jealous. You're going to have an AMAZING time. 😄👍

[@bhendrikabel]

@@CactusAtlas Don’t know how big you guys are, but I'm afraid you'll have to fold yourself into the backseat of a Ford Mustang. But thanks, really looking forward to the trip

[@Angry_Toe]

I thought I was the only person (well me and my college friends) who watched Salad Fingers. It was so creepy!!!! Rusty spoon??! No!

[@CactusAtlas]

Hahah! It was so delightfully disturbing. I actually went back and rewatched them after I finished editing that part. 😂

[@Angry_Toe]

@@CactusAtlas ha! You’re brave! I don’t think I can subject myself to that now that I’m older. Your videos are more my style these days, but I know I like someone when they make a salad fingers reference. Instant BFF.

[@fletcherbrown728]

Is that a DEAD COW in the bottom of the sinkhole at 4:04? Edit: Sorry - took a screen shot - zoomed in - and can see it is just a few boxes and some other stuff that looks like legs. It is a shame that the sinkhole is chock full of trash

[@CactusAtlas]

Thankfully no dead cow there. Yeah... it's sad some people can't just let a sinkhole be a sinkhole rather than an oversized waste basket. 😞

[@gordondeans2549]

Are you freaking kidding? It is the middle of July in the middle of summer in the middle of the desert on THE HOTEST DAY EVER on record and your fingers are cold? Get real!

[@CactusAtlas]

As you can see by the date in the description, this was not filmed recently. This was filmed in April.