Travel-Curious

Travel Curious

For independent travelers who want to dig deeper

Faux Falls

The shallow pool at the base of Faux falls makes a great swimming hole for Moab families with kids and dogs during the hot summers

 
Faux Falls near Moab Utah
 
Most Moab locals know of Faux Falls, but a lot of tourists in the area have never heard of it. Well, now you do. Getting there is easy, it’s just minutes south of Moab.
 
The falls aren’t natural but are man-made, hence the name “Faux”, it’s an outflow from Ken’s Lake reservoir built back in the 1980s for irrigation in the upper Spanish Valley. It cost $4 million dollars to build the 96 ft high dam to hold an estimated 2,750 acres of water. 

A distant view of Faux Falls with rock spires

 

Notes about Faux Falls

  • You can also walk around the nearby Ken’s Lake, you can get there walking from Faux Falls, or drive over to the Ken’s Lake parking lot
  • Dogs okay off-leash
 
The view from the top of the falls
The views across the valley from the top of Faux Falls
 

Getting to Faux Falls

  • From Moab, head south on Highway 191 for about 7.5 miles (mile marker 117.9).
  • Turn left at the brown sign for Ken’s Lake and the La Sal Scenic Drive.
  • At the first stop sign, turn right.
  • At the “Y” in the road, veer left.
  • At the next intersection, turn left again for Ken’s Lake. This paved road will turn into a dirt road, drive down it for 0.5 miles, then turn left into the campground.
  • Park at the first small parking area on your right, across from two campsites. There are no signs, except for a small sign in the dirt road where the “trail” starts saying the road has been washed out.

 

Parking

38.478347, -109.417401
 

Distance

1 mile total out and back, 250 feet of elevation gain
 

Photo Notes

Later in the afternoon to sunset the light will be best on the red rocks and the falls as they face due west. Be there at least one hour prior to sunset because the sun disappears quickly behind the Moab Rim.
 

Faux Falls trail map

 

Route

From the trailhead, you walk up the zig-zagging road and find your way onto the path that runs closer to the creek. You can also drive the gravel road that you can see behind the parking area and that takes you up to the upper part of the faux falls where you can see the pipe and go into the canyon behind it all. 

 

 

Cascades of water in the desert

 

View to the south in the canyon behind falls

View to the south in the canyon behind Faux Falls
 

The outlet pipe from Ken's Lake

Pictoglyphs at the top

Rock art on the rocks adjacent to the parking pull-off at the top of the falls

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Faux Falls

Faux falls are man-made via an outflow from Ken’s Lake reservoir. Being so close to Moab, the pool at the bottom of the falls makes for a great shallow swimming hole for people and dogs in the summer. 

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