The Bible Spring Complex: Tilly Creek, Bible Spring, Four Mile HMAs

Three interconnected herd areas bordering the Escalante Desert.

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Tilly Creek, Bible Spring and Four Mile comprise an essentially contiguous arc around the western and northern perimeters of the Escalante Desert Loop.  Since the mustangs are free to roam throughout the complex, the BLM manages these areas as a single unit and it makes sense to combine them here as well.  Four Mile and Bible Spring present the best options for exploring the interior, but the three areas taken together offer the best chances for sighting mustangs from the main road along the Escalante Desert Loop.

Tilly Creek marks the southwestern end of the arc, beginning just a few miles north of UT-56 at Modena.  Four Mile occupies the northeastern end, a few miles northwest of the old railroad depot ghost town of Lund.  Bible Spring is nestled between.

Directions

The Escalante Desert Loop page provides detailed directions for reaching these areas.  If you want to skip the Chloride Canyon drive-by, just remain on UT-56 from Cedar City all the way to Modena.

For a shorter trip directly into the area with the highest probability for spotting horses, try this route from Cedar City to the Four Mile HMA:

From Interstate 15 in Cedar City, take Highway UT-56 west 1.7 mile to the Lund Highway.  Turn right at the stoplight and drive northward 30.5 miles, following this road as it curves northwestward to the old railroad depot at Lund.  Reaching the end of this road, turn left and follow beside the railroad tracks for about 300 yards, then turn right onto the dirt road crossing the tracks (Mountain Spring Road, which becomes Pine Valley Road further west).  Travel directly west about 1.3 mile to the T intersection with Blue Mountain Road.  This places you just outside the Four Mile herd area – see “Four Mile” below for a description of the main roads through this area.

Viewing Locations

Tilly Creek HMA

I’ve tried a few of the roads branching westward from 8 Mile Road with no luck.  Generally, these roads grow increasingly rough, either terminating back in the hills or circling back to the main road.  One promising and easily navigated option, Liza Road, begins near the northern border (also the southern border of Bible Spring) and continues through to Hamblin valley, allowing full circumnavigation of this herd area.

To access Liza Road, follow 8 Mile Road 14.4 miles northeast from Hamblin Valley Road.  8 Mile Road begins in a northeasterly direction, shifts more directly northward for a couple of miles, then turns into a long, straight stretch headed northeast.  The road forks (1st Fork) just before this turn, about 5.4 miles in from Hamblin Valley Road, so stay on the main road curving to the right.  Take the left branch when the road forks (2nd Fork) about 2.2 miles beyond this curve.  Continue another 6.8 miles.  Turn left toward the hills and continue 9.8 miles through Spanish George and into Hamblin Valley.  Remain on the main road as it straightens directly west, becoming 16000 North for another 4.3 miles to Hamblin Valley Road.  Turn left again, following Hamblin Valley Road 13.7 miles back to 8 Mile Road.  The entire circuit encompasses just over 42 miles.

Bible Spring HMA

The turnoff to Bible Spring (the actual watering hole) is 9.7 miles beyond the Liza Road turnoff (about 24.1 miles northeast from Hamblin Valley Road).  From Liza Road, head east, staying to the left when the road forks just beyond the cattle guard 3.1 miles later, and continuing as the road slowly curves toward true north and into the foothills.  Watch for the sign indicating “Bible Spring 1 mile” to the west.  Drive 1.1 mile to the spring.  This route to the spring is an easy drive, but the road gets a little rough in spots along the northern stretch of the loop.  If you are not equipped for a few rocks and ruts, go back the way you came in, then turn left and drive north 1.9 miles to reach the northern end of the loop.  To complete the Bible Spring Loop, follow the road as it arcs northwestward around the spring, 0.5 mile to the intersection with Typhoid Spring Road.  Turn right and continue 1.9 mile back to 11600 North (8 Mile Rd).

For a longer loop through the northern section of this herd area, drive 0.4 mile east from the northern end of the Bible Spring Loop to the Culver Spring Cutoff.  Turn left, continuing northward 0.9 mile to merge with Pine Valley Road.  For the next 5.6 miles to Jackson Wash Road, the Bible Spring HMA will be on your left and the Four Mile HMA on your right.  Veer left onto Jackson Wash Road and follow this well-groomed road 9.5 miles north then west toward Bob Leroy Pass and Skougaard Mine.  At the intersection immediately beyond the cattle guard, turn left (turn around and retrace your route if you lack high-clearance 4WD).  This road begins southward but immediately curves to the east and forks onto either Bob Leroy Pass (right) or Skougaard Mine Cutoff (left).  Either route will take you to the next checkpoint, but if you choose the Skougaard Mine Cutoff, keep left when the road forks again.  These routes rejoin after about 1.2 miles.  Stay on the main road, generally east another 6.8 miles along Lone Pine Spring Road (Rustler’s Road, says Google Earth).  Keep left when the road forks with Lower Lone Pine Pipeline (Google names it Meadow Road).  Stay left when the road forks again 1.2 miles later and continue 0.7 miles back to Pine Valley Road.

At this point, you have two options for continuing to the Four Mile HMA: turn left toward Jockey Road to skirt the northern border, or turn right and follow Pine Valley Road as it veers eastward along the southern perimeter toward Lund.

Four Mile HMA

I’ve had good luck finding Four Mile mustangs by driving the perimeter of this HMA, especially around the eastern half.  We’ll define this perimeter by four intersections, beginning near the southern end of the common border with Bible Spring.

Pine Valley Road approximates the southern and western borders of this HMA.  This wide, well-maintained dirt road intersects with 11600 West (which becomes 8 Mile Road further south toward Tilly Creek) about 1.2 miles east of the Culver Spring Cutoff (if coming from Bible Spring and bypassing the Jackson Wash loop), or 5.7 miles south from the southern end of the Jackson Wash loop (see Bible Spring locations above).

Jockey Road intersects with Pine Valley Road 13.8 miles north of 11600 West, just a few miles outside the northwestern border of this heard area.  Jockey Road winds eastward through the northern portion of this HMA to intersect with Blawn Wash Road just outside the northeastern border, 14.8 miles from Pine Valley Road.  Blawn Wash Road arcs southward to join Fisher Wash Road, and finally Blue Mountain Road as it proceeds 13.4 total miles south to intersect with Pine Valley Road a few miles outside the southeastern border.  This intersection is 1.3 miles west of Lund.  Driving 9.5 miles west returns you to the intersection with 11600 West.  If entering the area from Lund, you may obviously begin the loop in either direction using these same way points and mileage estimates.  The entire loop covers about 51.5 miles.

The mustangs pictured above and below were spotted along Fisher Wash/Blue Mountain Road.

Key GPS Coordinates

Tilly Creek

  1. 8 Mile Rd from Hamblin Valley Rd: 37° 48.770' N113° 55.803' W

  2. 1st Fork: 37° 52.782' N113° 53.387' W

  3. 2nd Fork: 37° 53.881' N113° 51.466' W

  4. Liza Rd from 8 Mile Rd: 37° 56.895' N113° 44.955' W

  5. Hamblin Valley Rd from 16000 N: 37° 59.900' N113° 57.077' W

Bible Spring

  1. Bible Spring Turnoff: 38° 1.152' N113° 39.133' W

  2. Bible Spring: 38° 1.765' N113° 39.941' W

  3. Bible Spring Loop/Typhoid Spring: 38° 2.112' N113° 40.216' W

  4. Bible Spring Loop/11600 N: 38° 2.537' N113° 38.297' W

  5. 11600 N/Culver Spring Cutoff: 38° 2.551' N113° 37.871' W

  6. Jackson Wash Turnoff: 38° 7.521' N113° 38.534' W

  7. Bob Leroy Pass: 38° 7.693' N113° 47.771' W

  8. Bob Leroy/Scougaard Mine Merge: 38° 7.099' N113° 46.887' W

  9. Lower Lone Pine Fork (stay left): 38° 6.433' N113° 40.320' W

  10. Final Jackson Wash Loop Fork (stay left): 38° 5.955' N113° 39.295' W

  11. Rejoin Pine Valley Rd from Jackson Wash Loop: 38° 6.096' N113° 38.710' W

Four Mile

  1. Pine Valley Rd/11600 W: 38° 2.089' N113° 36.769' W

  2. Jockey Rd/Pine Valley Rd: 38° 12.657' N113° 40.156' W

  3. Jockey Rd/Blawn Wash Rd: 38° 5.955' N113° 39.295' W

  4. Blawn Wash Rd joins Fisher Wash Rd: 38° 7.351' N113° 25.763' W

  5. Fisher Wash Rd becomes Blue Mountain Rd: 38° 6.101' N113° 25.214' W

  6. Blue Mountain Rd/Pine Valley Rd: 38° 0.374' N113° 27.517' W

  7. Lund Depot: 38° 0.452' N113° 27.515' W

These herd areas are part of the Escalante Desert Loop.