Athena Trail

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

Features Views

Nice trail with a variety of terrain, including some slick rock. I recommend doing it counter-clockwise.

The trail is named for the Cold War era Athena missiles housed and tested at the Green River Launch Complex you are pedaling past. There are still buildings, silos, and other facilities visible in this area, some of them originally constructed for the Union Carbide Uranium Company, which produced uranium and vanadium here in the 1940's and 1950's.

Missiles launched from GR in the 1960's dropped their first stage on the edge of Canyonlands, then continued on to White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico...well, except for the two that landed on Durango and Creede, CO. Oops. There are great photos of some of the site on this blog.

Much of the trail runs through the colorful Morrison Formation, which is a fossil rich geologic layer that preserves many dinosaurs. Views include the Book Cliffs, the San Rafael Swell, and the Green River.