Mat Martin Point

Mat Martin Point is one of the most scenic yet obscure and rarely visited Jeep trails in Moab. It starts at an intersection where the Porcupine Rim safari trail ends and a mountain bike trail continues west. Mat Martin Point heads north and leads to five different branches and overlooks of Castle Valley. Most people who drive Porcupine Rim either don't realize this is a legal trail or are so worn out from its relentless bumps they just turn around where the Mat Martin Point trail begins. It takes a minimum of 2 hours to reach the beginning of the Mat Martin Point trail from Sand Flats Road, so it's best to allocate a full day to explore this trail. Due to its remoteness, you will almost certainly have the whole area to yourself.

The trail is slightly less difficult than Porcupine Rim, with no major obstacles, but there are a few moderate ledges and shelf road sections. The most difficult section is where the trail crosses a small canyon in the middle of a SITLA parcel about halfway out to the point, where there are a series of ledges on a shelf road descending into the canyon. While the main route out to the point is fairly distinct, there are a couple of places where route finding can be difficult. The two overlook spurs to the northwest have become overgrown to the point where they are almost non-existent, though they can still be followed on the ground if you look carefully. Be sure to follow the GPS track closely to stay on the legal trail.

The northeastern overlook is by far the best overlook, as it provides spectacular views of the La Sal Mountains straight up Castle Valley to the south and Fisher Towers to the east along the Colorado River. The north overlook is also worth visiting, with excellent views across the Colorado River canyon to Dry Mesa and Arches National Park, along with two arches in the Windows area clearly visible on the horizon. The pair of overlooks to the northwest are less impressive as both spurs dead-end on hilltops in the middle of the mesa, quite a distance from the rim itself or any expansive views. Getting there requires driving a sandy trail that is so overgrown with small clumps of sagebrush it is barely visible, and the payoff isn't worth the bumpy drive over all that sagebrush. 

While the overlooks at the end of the point would make excellent campsites, camping is unfortunately prohibited on all BLM land along this trail. Camping is allowed on the SITLA parcel in the middle of the trail, but there are no existing campsites there. The closest established camping is either in the campgrounds in the Sand Flats Recreation Area or dispersed camping up Sand Flats Road in the Manti-La Sal National Forest.