Moab

With a Bird's Eye view of the Bird's Eye and Crow's Head Spires, D1234 is an easy way to get to a fantastic overlook of Shafer Canyon and beyond. The trail is perfect for beginners in capable stock 4x4s looking to avoid the more difficult rock crawling trails leading to overlooks. There are vertical rock steps and blind ledges 6-8" tall to navigate. The overlook parking area has been recently updated with fencing and signage for the overlook access. Camping is prohibited on this route, but cliff-edge camping is found on trails D1230 and D1227.

Desolation and beauty sum up the incredible experience of Horse Canyon. This extension of Salt Creek Canyon in the Needles District provides an incredible day of exploration and solitude, due to the limited number of daily permits. Be sure to take time to explore all of the side hikes and artifacts that this area is known for. Salt Creek Canyon and Horse Canyon offer quite possibly the most intense and undisturbed pictographs in Utah. Always come prepared for such a remote journey, and leave everything as you found it so that the next person can experience all of the same unique history in its well-preserved state.

This short 3+ mile side route takes you to within a .5 mile hike of the Green River and Colorado River Confluence Overlook. It's an exceptional viewpoint of the two rivers that separate the three districts of Canyonlands. The trail is mostly smooth dirt with a few short sections of Slickrock that protrude just enough to keep this trail interesting. There are no named obstacles, but a narrow section with a Slickrock fin will require the correct line as it offers no bypass. A picnic table and pit toilet are in the parking area at the trail's end, which makes for a nice lunch stop.

Dellenbaugh Tunnel Trail is fairly well-known, but what is not so well-known are the alternate four-wheel drive routes that can be combined to either get to the Tunnel or be used as a variation on your way back to Moab or camp. This east alternate offroad trail is fun to drive due to the mix of road surfaces, in addition, it provides an impeccable view of Tombstone Rock for almost the entire route.

Hiccup Hills is one of those hidden gems in this little-used area of north Moab. The views are massive, and the trail is quite exciting. The trail has a few rock-crawling obstacles and a difficult hill that will push the limits of stock vehicles. The Hiccup Hill climb is short but pretty intimidating. The ground is loose dirt, and large boulders litter the slope before you reach the top, where a cattle gate immediately stops you. A locker or two may be needed on this climb to prevent rolling down into the canyon. No camping was found along this rugged route.

BLM 2341 is a sandy shortcut trail that makes an excellent "brief" Steel Bender Loop, as it cuts down the middle of the larger, main Steel Bender Loop. The trail offers a few mild challenges as you make your way through a mix of sand hills, rocky climbs, and slickrock ledges. This is a lesser-used trail with spectacular views in all directions. The trail is generally 1 to 1.5 vehicles wide, with plenty of pull-out opportunities to pass oncoming traffic. BLM 2341 trail is suitable for any high clearance 4x4 vehicle with low gearing.

Although dispersed camping is allowed, there are no suitable or existing campsites along this trail.

This little gem sits just north of the summit of the La Sal Loop out of Moab and takes you up into the true alpine timber and snowpack of the La Sal mountains and to an old west mining ruin that includes an abandoned US Post Office and a small alpine lake. Excellent hiking and views are to be found along the way, and also a roadside overlanding campsite or two. There is some scree, so a 4x4 is ideal, but you'll make it in a 2WD under good conditions. There will be snow up here except in midsummer.

This easy slickrock route is a quarter-mile bypass to the Staircase obstacle on Hell's Revenge. This is a one-way trail, traveling from west to east, starting near the Tip-over Challenge at Waypoint 35 of Hell's Revenge and ending at Waypoint 16. There are no significant obstacles along this route, just a couple of small, less than 6-inch ledges to contend with. It is actually harder to access this little spur than it is to drive it. This section of trail is suitable for any vehicle, but accessing it will require a high clearance 4WD vehicle.

While exploring the Courthouse Pasture region, take this short out-and-back trail leading to a scenic overlook. The out-and-back spur is high above the sweeping s-turns along Highway 313. The trail is easy enough for most stock 4x4s with high clearance and durable tires. There are 6-8 inch rock ledges, loose off-chamber sections, and deep sand. Camping is not allowed in the Courthouse Pasture area. There is camping on trails to the north or at one of the established campgrounds along Highway 313.

Starting down Bunny Hop from Blue Hills Road, look for the healthy jackrabbit population in this area. They hop around the rocks, seemingly oblivious to the loud vehicles climbing around the same stones. The trail is a moderate 4x4 challenge with several rocky ledge climbs that may high center low clearance vehicles. The trail is a great "ice-breaker" for beginners to the four-wheeling world. The views from the butte are vast and colorful, especially in the late afternoon sun. There is one campsite at the western trailhead.

Short but sweet, this easy spur in the Maze District of Canyonlands takes you to the incredible Golden Stairs hiking trail and campsite of the same name. Getting into the park requires 4WD and high clearance, although this trail is an easy winding path. There is only a small amount of parking, so please be aware of keeping on the trail and leaving room for others to enjoy this breathtaking region. All camping in the Maze is by reservation only at Rec.gov.

This semi-maintained trail off Spring Canyon Point is an easy addition while running trails in this area. The toughest sections are rocky inclines, but all should be passable with clearance in good weather. 

Fisher Mesa is a scenic trail with one unavoidable tradeoff: great views in exchange for extreme pinstriping. This narrow 4WD trail near Castle Valley winds through tight trees, rocky terrain, and remote mesa country, where tree branch contact is unavoidable in anything wider than 60 inches. Beyond the tight, tree-lined corridors, drivers can expect a slow, scenic backcountry drive with embedded rocks, small ledges, rough sections, and occasional mud, depending on the season. For those willing to accept heavy scars in their clearcoat, the trail rewards with sweeping views toward Castle Valley, Fisher Towers, the Colorado River corridor, and the surrounding red rock country.

Deadman Spring provides a diverse driving experience that includes managing slickrock obstacles through stimulating terrain. It is no wonder that it's part of the popular Easter Jeep Safari Route. It can be used as a short half-day trip from town or a more stimulating diversion if traveling Spring Canyon Bottom Road. At the trail's eastern corner is the namesake Deadman Spring, which you can park to investigate on foot for a quick leg stretch. There is limited camping on this route, all of which falls within the acceptable dispersed camping zones set forth by the Moab Field Office. It is suitable for a high-clearance stock SUV with 4-low gearing.

Power Pole Rim is a multi-section spur off Pole Canyon Rim and leads to a fantastic cliffside overlook high above Hittle Bottom and the Colorado River. The road starts several miles into Pole Canyon Rim before branching off for a short stint, then crossing over Pole Canyon Rim again before dead-ending at the overlook. For the most part, this trail is a fairly easy, rocky, and rough road. This includes the second section of the road that leads to the overlook. However, the first section of the road between the two Pole Canyon Rim intersections is a nasty 30-yard hill climb on an exposed ridge, covered in loose dirt and riddled with multiple 18-inch ledges. This hill requires a lifted vehicle with larger tires. A spotter is recommended, and a good line choice is required.

The trail ends with several campsites along the rim next to the power poles that drop 1,200 feet to the valley floor next to the river. This is a great place to take in a sunset and enjoy the views.

With breathtaking views above Shafer Canyon, camping at the end of D1227 is a memorable experience. The 1.1-mile out-and-back trail has moderate challenges that require extra ground clearance, 4x4, and durable offroad-type tires. The small rocky ledges can easily highcenter passenger cars and long wheelbase camper vans. The turns through the trees are tight to reach the endpoint on the rim. Camping can be windy, but it's probably worth it.

This is the exit route for those that do not want to run the entire Hell's Revenge loop or need to return to the parking lot within Sand Flats Recreation Area. Running parallel to the entrance fin along a lower fin, this simple 220-yard-long one-way trail provides one last spectacular view of the La Sal Mountains before ending at the Sand Flats entrance station. This trail is suitable for any high clearance vehicle.

The steep rock canyon walls and surrounding desert landscapes that line Mineral Canyon Road are reminiscent of panoramic images from the Old Wild West. This is the natural elegance of Utah at its best. Starting near the end of Mineral Bottom Road, Mineral Canyon Road follows this gorgeous canyon for 1.6 miles. Although evidence of mining activity is sparse, Mineral Canyon was once the site of uranium mines in the 1950s. Along the Green River near the trailhead of Mineral Canyon Road is a small sandy airstrip occasionally used by backcountry pilots seeking adventure.

Heavy rain and high water from the nearby Green River can limit access to the Mineral Canyon. Be prepared for the potential of extreme backcountry conditions.