Moab

The challenge is just as exhilarating as the views. Considered the gateway to Dome Plateau, the Upland trail is a four-wheeling adventure that we all expect from Moab. Epic views, rock crawling, and memories worth a lifetime are delivered every time you venture out to this remote area north of Moab. The challenges are moderate but enough to keep the adventure exciting for even the most seasoned wheelers. Plan for a long day when connecting this amazing trail with all the others that make up the iconic Dome Plateau Loop.

Tucked away in the rugged red rock wilderness northwest of Moab, Utah, Lost World is an emerging favorite among offroad explorers. The trail winds through a surreal landscape of petrified sandstone fins, spires, ancient canyons, and wide-open desert views that seem untouched by time. As you crawl over slickrock shelves and drop into sandy washes, each turn reveals a cinematic view, from the snow-capped La Sal Mountains and distant Henrys to the maze-like chaos of sculpted rock below. Far from the crowds and deep in Utah’s backcountry, the Lost World trail delivers raw adventure and striking scenery with a journey into a prehistoric-looking expanse where solitude reigns.

Mineral Bottom Road is an epic offroad trail from the upper edge of Mineral Canyon into the canyon's bottom along the Green River. The visually stimulating descent into the canyon is along a switchback-filled shelf road that offers plenty of visual exposure with sheer drop-offs and imposing canyon walls. Mineral Bottom Road creates anxiety for those with a fear of heights. Once at the bottom of the canyon, you feel like you're in an old-time Western movie, passing towering walls and massive buttes. This is a popular road for all recreation types and leaves a lasting memory for all users.

Simply amazing is an appropriate description for this iconic Easter Jeep Safari route. Buttes and Towers follows an easy but rocky route around the most majestic landscapes in the Moab area. The trail offers very mild rock-crawling challenges for stock-type 4x4s on its massive stretches of sandstone. You will climb up and around the towering Courthouse Rock circle around the ledge at Pasture Butte before ending near the famous Determination Towers. The trail has numerous points where you'll want to stop, get out and soak it all in. For the lesser experienced offroaders, this is a great way to get the complete experience of a Moab adventure.

Copper Ridge is a popular Easter Jeep Safari route that combines numerous trails within this scenic region north of Moab. The trail begins with a stop at a fantastic dinosaur track site, where multiple large footprints are preserved in the sandstone. You'll then work your way over to what's left of the 1969 movie set for the movie "Blue." The trail then travels to the white slick rock and more challenging obstacles. In the distance, you'll have spectacular views of the Arches National Park rock formations and, further, the Las Sal mountains. The final point of interest is the Seven Mile Canyon pour-off. You can park right on the cliff's edge and reflect on the epic day you just had on the trail.

Walking through the Eye of the Whale feels like walking into the mythical Middle Earth. Bright green plant life, pink and reddish sand, and standing trees are seen through the portal view shaped like a giant eye, the Eye of the Whale. Getting there is half the fun. This four-wheel drive road inside Arches National Park is one of the more adventurous ways to visit while avoiding crowds. Deep sand, washes, and slickrock are all surrounded by the otherworldly rock formations that immortalize Arches National Park. Combine this with Tower Arch Road and Willow Springs Road for an unforgettable day in one of the most famous National Parks in the United States.

Hurrah Pass is a scenic offroad trail located a short distance outside of downtown Moab, offering a quintessential red rock desert experience. The trail winds its way alongside dramatic canyon walls, sandstone formations, and wide-open desert vistas. It gradually ascends to the summit of its namesake Pass at about 4,800 feet, providing panoramic views of the Colorado River, the potash evaporation ponds, Kane Creek Canyon, and endless jagged cliffs and buttes Moab is widely known for. Hurrah Pass is popular for its blend of manageable terrain, rich desert scenery, and access to further backcountry routes like Chicken Corners, making it a favorite for those looking to explore the remote beauty surrounding Moab without extreme rock crawling.

Used as the only connecting route between Top of the World and Onion Creek, Rose Garden Hill is one of Moab’s most iconic challenges, and the hardest section of the overlanding route known as the Kokopelli Trail. The trail offers scenic wash driving, steep inclines, steep descents, loose soil, big ledges, epic views, and off-camber shelves that will test your vehicle and your nerves. This slow, rough, and narrow 4WD road can be tackled as a standalone challenge or part of a much longer, multi-day route connecting various trails.

Don't miss this gem in the Sand Flats Recreation Area. While not as famous as other local trails, it is well worth the time and effort it takes to run this route. To say this trail is scenic is an understatement. Virtually the entire 9 miles are rough outcroppings of the classic Moab slickrock, making for a challenging but fulfilling trip.

You may recognize the rock formations and terrain features along this trail because the area has been in several movies and TV shows. The same scenery that brings filmmakers is the highlight of this trail. As one of the highest-elevation trails in Moab, the views of Utah in are fantastic in all directions. The views include the La Sal Mountains, Castle Valley, Round Mountain, Castleton Tower, and the Colorado River on the north side. The south side of this trail has views of Moab, the sandstone rock 'fins,' and the famous trails in the valley.

This road is filled with amazing views of Arches National Park, the La Sal Mountains, and Klondike Bluffs. It offers a direct route from Crescent Junction to deep inside Arches National Park, finishing just shy of Devil's Garden. Enjoy the desert views along the way with varied terrain, and notice how the ground colors change as you drive this trail.

Dinosaur tracks, slickrock, and washes - consider this trail your very own offroad Jurassic Park experience, without the risk of being eaten by Velociraptors. Klondike Bluffs, sitting just north of Moab and bordering the 300-million-year-old formations of Arches National Park, is truly an enjoyable and interesting 4WD trail. It travels alongside the visible evidence of the Jurassic time period and right up to the mysterious-looking rock formations of the Bluffs and Arches National Park. Combine this trail with Klondike Bluffs Escape for a visually stimulating route into Salt Valley and Arches National Park.

Situated in Arches National Park, a major tourist destination known for its many sandstone arches, is a hidden gem four-wheel drive road known as Tower Arch Road. Driving the road is perhaps what our national parks must have been like in their infancy - rugged, remote, beautiful, and hard to get to! Traveling through red, pink, and brown sandstone formations, up and over ledges, and through reddish sandy dunes, you reach the namesake, Tower Arch. When you arrive, you feel like you have been tucked into the corner of nowhere as the sands of time are ever-changing, the magical landscape that time seems to have forgotten. Combine this with Eye of the Whale for an unforgettable day trip in Arches National Park.

Flat Iron Mesa is a tough 4x4 route typically run as part of the Easter Jeep Safari and other events in the area. This trail will leave you feeling accomplished and tired at the very end. Almost every inch of it will test your driving skill and your vehicle's suspension as you manage the named obstacles of Tilt-A-Whirl, The Chutes, Easter Egg Hill, and The Intimidator, which is one of the more scary obstacles in the Moab area. Between the rock crawling, you will take in beautiful views of Coyote Canyon, Hatch Wash, and its namesake, Flat Iron Mesa. This trail is perfect for those seeking a challenge and a full day of adventure.

Kane Springs Road, also labeled as Kane Creek Blvd and Kane Creek Road, is an important connector and camping road when visiting Moab. Look for the McDonald's in town, and turn west. The first 4.5 miles is rough pavement. The road then turns to dirt, which is where this track starts. The trail descends into the Hunter Canyon area before the road opens into a more expansive canyon with panoramic views. The road is usually suitable for any vehicle. However, the road is known to flood during wet weather in the last half mile, where you cross Kane Springs Creek, causing issues for 2WD vehicles.

Kane Creek Road connects to Moab Rim, Pritchett Canyon, Cliff Hanger, Kane Creek Canyon, and Hurrah Pass. The road is also home to the Ledge Campgrounds, with over 105 sites scattered over five areas labeled A - E. The first-come, first-served campsites have picnic tables and vault toilets.

The Dollhouse 4WD trail in the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park is an exhilarating off-road adventure that immerses you in a remote awe-inspiring desert wilderness. Tucked away in the rugged heart of the park, the Dollhouse offers an unforgettable journey through towering sandstone formations, deep canyons, and vast expanses of untamed beauty. As you navigate the challenging terrain, with its narrow passages, and rocky obstacles, you are rewarded with panoramic views of the breathtaking landscape below. The Dollhouse itself, a collection of unique and intricately eroded rock formations resembling dolls, serves as a mesmerizing centerpiece of this unforgettable trail. With its combination of thrilling off-roading and stunning vistas, the Dollhouse 4WD trail promises an unforgettable experience for adventurers seeking the untamed spirit of Canyonlands National Park's Maze District.

Located northwest of Moab, Spring Canyon Bottom is a trail of transformation. What begins as a humble gravel road quickly sheds its simplicity, plunging offroaders into a dramatic world of red rock majesty. The terrain tightens into a narrow shelf road etched into sheer canyon walls, where every twist tests your nerves, and every turn rewards you with jaw-dropping views. This trail is not just a drive but a visceral experience. Your hands grip the wheel a little tighter, your heart beats a little faster, and your senses heighten with each minute that passes along the shelf road. It's a trail that commands respect and focus but also delivers unforgettable beauty in return.

As you descend into the serene heart of Spring Canyon and approach the wide expanse of the Green River, a sense of awe replaces adrenaline, but don't get too comfortable. The journey back is just as intense, this time clawing upward through the very challenges you just conquered. Spring Canyon Bottom is an offroad journey that leaves you breathless, both from the views and the ride itself.

Bull Canyon is a unique offroad experience well-suited for beginners. The trail takes you through winding canyons, towering cliffs, and sandy washes just off the famous Gemini Bridges trail. The trail is aptly named. Ranchers used the canyon as pasture land for their cattle. Seeing cows along the trail is not uncommon. The trail provides access to a short hike that leads to the magnificent Gemini Bridges. In addition to the natural beauty of the Gemini Bridges, you get deep into the heart of the awe-inspiring beauty of the unique landscape surrounding Moab. Combine this trail with Gemini Bridges, Surprise Overlook, and Long Canyon for an introductory route into wheeling around Moab.

The Pickle is an extremely short 4X4 trail with only a few challenging obstacles. It follows a wash through a canyon less than 100 feet deep. With one extremely narrow, mandatory section, this trail is not recommended for full-size trucks. This is a great trail to test your off-road rig's suspension or learn how to scale the slickrock ledges that Moab is known for. It is also a bit cooler, with plenty of shade provided by the canyon walls.

The Catacomb Spur is a uniquely hidden gem along the popular Chicken Corners Trail. Offering a short jaunt to the Wind Caves, also known as Catacomb Rock, users can wander a natural maze of wind-carved tunnels, where the air is cool, the views are spectacular, and the experience is peaceful. This trail offers fantastic camping with sweeping views across the canyons and mesas, as well as technical challenges the further along the trail you travel.

Bridger Jack Road offers nonstop scenic delights as it winds from the sandstone desert below Bridger Jack Mesa to the alpine spruce, pines, and aspens of the Abajo Mountains. Rock climbers flock to the area around the trailhead to scale the many sheer, claret sandstone buttes. Cathedral Butte and Boundary Mountain stand eternal watch over the long and often dusty trail. Massive, spectacular, and imposing, Salt Canyon drops away to the north with breathtaking viewpoints dotted along the trail. Only the hardiest venture down on foot. The saner travelers choose to camp along the rim and enjoy the colorful splendor below. Narrow winding shelf roads offer vast, unimpeded views and a little pucker factor for drivers and passengers. Climbing higher, the trail says goodbye to the sandstone desert's reds and buffs dotted with its juniper and salt brush and says hello to the cool, lush forest of pine, spruce, fir, aspens, and bigtooth maples of the Abajo Mountains. Deer and elk haunt the edges of the open meadows. Cool evenings demand a warm coat and invite a flickering campfire. Other trails beg to be explored. Life is good along this scenic track.

Break away from the valley heat in Moab and climb into the clouds along the La Sal Pass trail. Within this region of the Manti-La Sal National Forest, rocky peaks tower over 12,000 feet. La Sal Pass zigzags through the pine and aspen trees before summiting the picturesque pass between the mountain tops. The trail offers a beautiful half-day trip to the two small mountain lakes near the summit. The trails early section is still recovering from a recent fire, but the vegetation at higher elevations eventually envelopes you in a very dense forest with abundant wildlife.