Utah Off-Road Trails

Take a leisurely scenic tour along one of the lesser-known trails in the region. Bartlett Flat is an excellent alternative to the more congested trails within the area. The trail easily travels below a towering red cliff before zigzagging through the scattered rock formations that dot the valley. You'll roll through long stretches of bright red sand and across long, solid rock slabs. For the cautious traveler or less experienced rock crawler, connecting this with Bartlett Overlook is a fun day and an ideal way to experience Moab without all the risks of challenging obstacles.

With birdseye views 1,200 feet above the Colorado River, Pole Canyon Rim is an amazingly scenic in-and-out trail that leads to several overlooks. Beginning and ending on Entrada Bluffs, the trail starts as a fairly easy dirt and slickrock track passing Mule Shoe and Pole Canyon, with several campsites overlooking this canyon. As you continue south, the road becomes rockier and rougher, encountering small ledges less than 10 inches. A few miles in, the trail intersects with Powerpole Rim, where you can continue along the moderate and rough route or take a much harder Powerpole route to the rim overlooks. Eventually, the trail turns sharply and heads northwest, forking one more time. The southernmost fork leads to a rim-side overlook high above the Colorado River, and the northmost fork leads to a plateau overlook with 360-degree views. This northwest stretch of trail is quite narrow as it weaves through thick brush, and pinstriping is likely. There is plenty of opportunity to camp at the end of both fingers and amazing views in all directions.

This trail is suitable for any high clearance 4x4 or AWD vehicle. Low-range will likely not be used during your travels, but airing down is highly encouraged to ease in comfort of the ride.

Located south of the dunes, on the cliffside edge of Sand Mountain, Plan B is an adrenaline rush from start to finish with countless climbs, drops, cracks, off-camber leans, and optical illusions next to a towering cliff face. This trail travels through tight canyons with gravity-defying walls. It traverses white-knuckle shelves next to sheer drop-offs as you try to keep your focus on the trail and off the spectacular views of the Arizona Strip and Warner Valley. If you are looking for a trail to make you pucker and conquer obstacles that leave you certain the vehicle is on the edge of rolling, this is the trail you need to head to.

Part of an Easter Jeep Safari route, Secret Spire is a short, scenic drive across sandy two-track and slickrock on the mesa between Hellroaring and Spring Canyons. It rolls over small sandstone ledges that flex suspension and lightly test traction while staying beginner and stock-friendly. What it lacks in difficulty, it makes up for in scenery and geology, with flowing Navajo sandstone, sculpted hoodoos, and the namesake mushroom-shaped spire perched on a smooth dome at the halfway point.

Located along the southern rim edge of Sand Mountain Open OHV Area, The Maze is a non-stop adrenaline-rushing technical rock crawling trail, with continuous obstacles traversing gravity-defying ascents and descents, seat-puckering off-camber situations, and heart-pounding cliff exposures with over 1,000-foot drops. Relentless twists and turns through millennium-old rock formations and countless optional routes that sometimes lead back to the main trail and sometimes lead to nowhere severely test your navigation skills as you make your way through this trail. The Maze is a popular, must-do trail for anyone looking for a hardcore challenge.

Four-wheeling on the moon. That's how traversing this rugged, but oddly serene Utah desert trail feels. The different layers of colored dirt create a kaleidoscope of colors. The ground is virtually void of plant life, yet the landscape is alive with color. Dee Pass transports you over numerous colorful and rocky hills with unique panoramas. The La Sal Mountains create a perfect backdrop as you weave through the maze of balance rocks and narrow ledges. Dee Pass is not your typical Moab trail but part of the Easter Jeep Safari Crystal Geyser route.

Situated on the way to Canyonlands Island in the Sky District and Deadhorse State Park, this offroad trail is hidden amidst the paved and improved tourist areas directly off Highway 313. Named after the famous Merrimac and Monitor Civil War-era ironclads, it makes for a quick side trip when wheeling other trails in the Moab area. While not the most amazing trail, it takes you to a more up-close and personal view of Merrimac and Monitor Buttes and gives you a good bird's-eye view down into Seven Mile Canyon. It is perfect for the person looking to get used to driving offroad before tackling the more challenging trails in the area.

Traversing the western face of Mount Timpanogos in the Wasatch range, Timpooneke Road is a roughly 10-mile gravel out and back that offers unmatched alpine views of the Utah Valley below. The road has no technical challenges, and any AWD vehicle can access most of what this trail has to offer. Beginners should know this two-way trail can be narrow, a little rocky, and includes portions that parallel very steep cliffs.

Campers can also enjoy this beautiful stretch. The road begins at a National Forest campground and offers a dozen or so dispersed sites along the route. Sites have spectacular views of surrounding mountains and/or the cityscape below or might be tucked into deep forests. This trail should be at or near the top of anyone's list looking for an alpine getaway just minutes from I-15 in and around Provo or Salt Lake.

The Henry Mountains were the last mountain range added to the US Geological Survey map of the 48 contiguous states. Before they were named for the first Secretary of the Smithsonian, Joseph Henry, they were simply referred to as the Unknown Mountains. Pre-European inhabitants of what is now Utah seemed to ignore them as well since there were virtually no signs of inhabitants prior to the late 1800s. Even today, the Henrys are easy to drive into due to excellent BLM roads, but they are still rarely visited. Given their undeniable beauty, this makes them the perfect destination for overlanders looking for a great destination without the crowds. Bull Creek Pass, named for the mountain pass at 10,500 feet elevation near its western end, crosses the northern end of the Henrys just below the highest peaks of the range. The trail zigs and zags along the sidewalls of canyons that drop off the tops of the range, clinging to shelf roads to navigate to the canyon heads to make a quick crossing only to snake back along the wall of the opposite side of the canyon. Thus the trail goes in and out, in and out, revealing a new perspective of both the mountains and the sandstone desert below. The alpine forest of pine, spruce, fir, and aspens supports a variety of animal life, including a huge population of deer, bears, and mountain lions. One of only three remaining herds of genetically pure buffalo in the United States grazes the mountains. In Fall, the foliage bursts into color, rivaling anything the northeast could offer. Bull Creek Pass always puts on a show for those hardy enough to climb up for the experience. Go enjoy the views and the solitude.

Hotel Rock, the most technically difficult trail in the Arch Canyon area of Bears Ears National Monument, is one of the few Jeep Safari trails not near Moab. It climbs steeply from the bottom of Comb Wash to the top of Little Baullie Mesa, roughly following the northeastern rim of Arch Canyon. The main trail ends at the eponymous Hotel Rock, at the site of a small but interesting Ancestral Puebloan ruin. While it is typically run as an out-and-back during Easter Jeep Safari, the trail continues if you turn right shortly before reaching Hotel Rock, where the road climbs further up Little Baullie Mesa to Milk Ranch Point in the Manti-La Sal National Forest and ultimately connects to Elk Mountain Road.

From the very beginning, the Hotel Rock trail offers almost constant challenges in the form of steep, off-camber slickrock climbs and descents over large ledges and humps. Red Rock 4 Wheelers rates it a 5. A modified rig and careful line selection are necessary to complete the trail, and there are places where a careless move could result in a rollover. The scenery is spectacular, with stunning views of Comb Ridge and viewpoints on the rim of Arch Canyon. Near the end, the terrain smooths out, and the last couple miles follow a mild dirt track leading across the mesa top to Hotel Rock.

The Hotel Rock Ruin is a fascinating specimen of Ancestral Puebloan / Anasazi architecture, and one of the few ruins in the region accessible without a lengthy hike. Be careful to respect this cultural site by looking and not touching, and do not enter any of the rooms. Most of the trail is unsuitable for camping. However, there are numerous campsites near the beginning of the trail at the mouth of Arch Canyon, and it looks like people sometimes camp at the end of the trail by Hotel Rock.

Dark Canyon Lake Road is a beautiful and leisurely cruise through dense forest and towering mountain peaks over 12,000 feet. The trail connects Two-Mile Road and Geyser Pass on a 12.8-mile gravel and hard-packed dirt road winding through a scenic pass. During winter months, Geyser Pass Road can be closed, and Dark Canyon Lake Road may be impassable. Along the way, a high clearance trail leads down to Dark Canyon Lake, a must-stop. There is a turn-around parking area for a few vehicles at the lake. Most of the shoreline is private, but there is a small area to get your toes wet and enjoy a mountain lake view. Camping is relatively abundant along the route. There are numerous primitive campsites on the 4x4 side trails, or you can camp at one of the organized campgrounds in the area.

Sand Dune Way is a major north-to-south artery within the Sand Mountain OHV Area. It connects the Sand Hollow tunnel with Top of the World, providing entry and exit points to many major trails. As the name suggests, this trail primarily travels across soft sand dunes for the entire 3.5-mile length. At its southern point near the Competition Hill Overlook, you can find a large gathering spot with a vault toilet. Traversing the dunes requires 4-wheel drive and aired-down tires. Caution should be taken when cresting large dunes, as steep vertical drops can appear out of nowhere.

About Sand Mountain

Sand Mountain is an extremely unique parcel of public land. Designated as an Open OHV Area, riders are free to make their own trails. Due to this, many of the long-established named trail routes have several variations that can take easier or more challenging routes through the intended trail. The GPX track for this trail helps you navigate the area, but various lines, bypasses, and additional obstacles may exist along the way. Riders are encouraged to stay on existing trails and not unnecessarily drive over or destroy vegetation.

Fees

Riding on Sand Mountain is entirely free. However, there are multiple entry/exit points for the area, including "the tunnel," which connects Sand Hollow State Park to the open OHV area. Any entry into the boundaries of Sand Hollow State Park requires a Utah State Park Pass.

Requirements

When operating on Sand Mountain, users must attach an orange or red safety flag to the vehicle, rising at least 8 feet off the ground.

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!

At the end of Capital Reef National Park's scenic drive is a dirt road called Pleasant Creek Road, but parts aren't so pleasant for the uninitiated. This offroad adventure takes you through a couple of streams and along a dry river bed until you start a steep climb over a mountain range. The mountain climb consists of a rutted and narrow shelf road. On the other side, you'll enter Dixie National Forest and then on to scenic Highway 12 near Pleasant Creek Campground.

Suppose the fantastic scenery isn't enough, once out of the National Park and into the Dixie National Forest area. In that case, you'll find excellent secluded, remote camping spots along this trail throughout Dixie National Forest.

South Cottonwood Creek follows its colorful namesake up into the ruggedly handsome Abajo Mountains. The first 8 miles of the trail are quite scenic as it crosses back and forth over Cottonwood Creek, but they are also largely on land owned by the Ute Nation and are generally marked with No Trespassing signs. The upper stretch of the trail enters the Manti-L Sal National Forest. As you'd imagine by the name, Cottonwood Creek is lined with majestic cottonwood trees that turn magnificent gold in the Fall. With a backdrop of white sandstone cliffs, the drive along the little creek is a comforting symphony for your senses. At higher elevations, the cottonwoods give way to pines, a few aspens, and big tooth maples whose leaves turn fire-red each Fall. With the wind in the pines and shy deer peeking out from the shadows, the upper stretches of South Cottonwood Creek are amazingly relaxing.

While Highlands Road may not be a "destination trail," you'll likely have to use this easy trail to visit the popular Dome Plateau Overlook. Winding across the Highlands of the Dome Plateau, the road travels past colorful sandstone cliffs and sprawling meadows with distant views of the La Sal Mountains. Numerous 4x4 trails branch off this county road, leading to overlooks, log cabins, and other hidden gems.

Tucked far into the southeastern Utah Desert is an overlander's paradise. If driving long distances over challenging terrain, far from any sort of civilization, is up your alley, then Bobby's Hole will surely be on your list. Lying on the edge of Canyonlands National Park in the Needles District, this unique desert trail provides it all. Numerous rocky obstacles will distract your attention from the incredible white and red rock spires surrounding you. Camping is at its best, whether you opt for a permitted site in the park or a dispersed site outside the boundary. Utah is known for its Dark Sky Parks; here, you are deep in the heart of darkness. Just don't forget the spare gas! Getting here consumes more fuel than tackling the trail itself, and once completed, you are still hours from the nearest station. Come prepared, but leave with bragging rights and irreplaceable memories after conquering Bobby's Hole.

West of Factory Butte is Factory Bench which hosts the uber-popular Skyline View camping area. Skyline View overlooks an otherworldly landscape of multi-hued bentonite hills. Often referred to as the Moonscape Overlook, this place looks so unearthly that it hosts the Mars Research Station. Sunsets and sunrises from the campsites scattered along the edge of Factory Bench are amazing. The northernmost spur has large flat campsites and is the most popular. Smaller campsites further south offer more privacy. The BLM roads that make up this trail are ordinarily easy to drive but will become quite difficult after heavy rains.