The Tintic Mountains/Little Moab

This is the most well-known offroad trail in the area, although it is still pretty abandoned most of the year. This popular trail from Saratoga to Vernon Reservoir follows a section of the Prospector OHV Complex. This complex has hundreds of miles of dirt roads ranging from Tooele to Eureka and Utah Lake to Dugway. You could spend days on the trails and never see the same thing twice. The mines in the area are the main reason for the offroading since this was once one of the most extensive mining areas in Utah. There are still plenty of mines that you can explore if you know where they are. Although now closed off, Nutty Putty Cave is one of the more famous of them all and even has a movie out about the story of the man whose body remains within the walls. Black Rock Canyon is the only trail to take you straight up and over the East Tintic Mountains, allowing you to reach a new area of trails. The View is a spur off of this trail and provides one of Utah's best views of the West Desert. Be sure to pack plenty of food and water, as getting lost on all the spurs out here is easy, and bring a flashlight to explore the caves!

Chiulos Canyon Road is a nice drive through the Tintic Mountains, connecting you from Homansville Pass Road over to Jenny Lind Canyon. This steady trail features some history of the mining industry that used to be present back in the late 1800's and into the 1920's. The Farragut mine shaft is right along this route, which has a large grate covering it, however, you are still able to walk out over the entrance. This looks to be one of the deeper mine shafts to walk over in the area. This trail also allows access to Eureka via Jenny Lind Canyon so you can get some food or fuel if needed. If you are looking to do a little easy exploring in the Tintic Mountains, be sure to run Chiulos Canyon Road and save some time for a little hiking!

This is an important road in the area. Although it may be short and mild, it allows quick access to the Tintic Mountains from Little Moab/Chimney Rock Pass on a public road. Other roads in the area are quite a bit out of the way or private property. This is also part of the Prospector OHV Backcountry Complex, taking you from Utah Lake over to Vernon Reservoir. The Prospector OHV Backcountry Complex is a network of trails in the west desert of Utah, taking you from town to town by dirt. The network spans hundreds of miles and achieved funding in 2010 for signage and maps. The network ranges from Tooele to Eureka and Utah Lake over to Dugway. This accommodates day runs to long multi-day trips to everything in between. Gear up and be ready for an adventure in the west desert of Utah.

Mill Canyon is one of the most rewarding trails in the Tintic Mountains. Although this offroad trail doesn't contain many obstacles, the view from the top is well worth the short trip up. In the springtime, camping up at Dry Lake is as peaceful as it gets. The history in this area dates back to the 19th century, with the Tintic Mountains being 20th of the 25 richest gold districts in the United States and the second most profitable mining district in the state. Today, the area is now defunct, with the town of Eureka remaining with around 500 residents. Remains of old mining towns are scattered throughout the hills, with a few mine shafts still visible. If ghost towns are your thing, this is the area to be exploring.

Barlow Canyon offers the best old mines and prospects in the area. The trail passes the Scranton Mine, which produced silver, lead, and zinc. If you are willing to do a little hiking, there are a lot of interesting historical artifacts to see. Combine this with Miners Canyon and The View for a good day of mining ruins and scenery.

This is a simple rock and dirt road that gains just over 800’ in elevation. It is passable with any high clearance vehicle during dry conditions but can require 4x4 when wet or snowy and can be impassable with large amounts of snow. However, this makes for a killer trail for winter wheeling. Twelvemile Pass is often used to access many of the trails in the Tintic Mountains. There is no ideal camping directly off this trail. However, many of the spurs lead to good dispersed camping opportunities.

This is a great off-road trail if you're looking to get away from the crowds of Salt Lake City. It is a short drive from the Wasatch Front and far less popular than 5 Mile Recreation Area just north of here. With it being less known, you will likely be alone all day with the possibility of an occasional vehicle rolling by. The scenery in the Tintic Mountains is unique to the West Desert of Utah. Although you may not find any challenges here, it will be a nice and peaceful getaway.

Railroad Bed Road is a common thoroughfare when exploring the West Desert and the Tintic Mountains. Connecting the 5 Mile Recreation Area to the East Tintic Mountains, this occasionally maintained road is much quicker than heading back to Redwood Road and running along Utah Lake. Occasional ruts from large storms are the only obstacle, and you can often pick up some speed along this trail. Just be respectful of others on the trail, as it is often very dusty. This trail is also part of the large Prospector Trail Network. Camping can be found on the northern end, in the 5 Mile Recreation Area, where pit toilets are available.

Winding its way east through the National Forest, Vernon Lofgren is a maintained gravel road providing alternate access to Vernon Reservoir. This trail provides no challenges shy of a blind curve and connects users to Highway 67 and, eventually, Eureka and I15. This is also part of the large Prospector Trail System. Dispersed camping is found in many locations along this trail before reaching the private land section on the eastern side. If you want developed camping, head to Vernon Reservoir Campground.