Chloride Canyon Herd Management Area
Twenty miles west of Cedar City, Chloride Canyon encompasses approximately 64,000 acres, nearly a third of which are private or state lands. The western side of the hills was inaccessible when I visited in 2017, as Sand Spring Road was gated and posted through the northwestern quadrant. The northern and eastern sections are easily accessible via Antelope Road and Desert Mound Road. I visited Chloride Canyon on successive days during a weekend trip to this region, spotting one mustang grazing at sunrise about 100 yards south of Antelope Road.
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This HMA is part of the Escalante Desert Loop.
Getting There
From Interstate 15 in Cedar City, take highway UT-56 west 4.5 miles, turning right onto Iron Spring Road – watch for the sign pointing toward the landfill and W.E.C.C.O as the highway veers southwestward. Continue 3.0 miles to Desert Mound Road, or 6.7 miles to Antelope Road.
Viewing Locations
Desert Mound Road angles southwestward through the foothills, intersecting with UT-56 about five miles east of Newcastle. Watch for the sign 3.0 miles up Iron Spring Road, turning left onto the paved road. The pavement ends where the road crosses railroad tracks 4.7 miles in. When you cross the cattle guard 3.0 miles later, you’ve entered the defined herd area. The road continued another 8.0 miles, joining UT-56 near the town of Newcastle, 19.5 miles west of the Iron Spring Road turnoff.
Access Antelope Road from Iron Spring Road 3.7 miles north of Desert Mound Road, turning left immediately beyond the railroad tracks. The northern perimeter of Chloride Canyon begins about 6.7 miles down Antelope Road, continuing until you pass beneath the power lines 5.8 miles later. The mustang in the photos below was grazing to the west, about 11.3 miles down this road.
Other Points of Interest
Old Irontown is a 19th Century mining ghost town located just a few miles west of this HMA. The signed access road is 15 miles west of the Iron Spring Road turnoff.
Key GPS Coordinates
a. Iron Spring Road turnoff: 37° 41.091' N113° 9.723' W
b. Desert Mound Rd/Iron Spring Rd: 37° 42.943' N113° 11.943' W
c. Desert Mound Rd/UT-56: 37° 39.658' N113° 27.696' W
d. Antelope Rd: 37° 45.165' N113° 14.548' W
e. Old Irontown: 37° 36.000' N113° 26.970' W
Nearest Herd Areas
North Hills: 30 miles west
Mt.Elinore: 35 miles west
Tilly Creek: 40 miles northwest
Four Mile: 40 miles north