Utah Off-Road Trails

West Rim Boulevard is a rough and sandy connector trail traveling along the western edge of Sand Mountain. The trail connects West Rim and Water Tower Road and is primarily used to access more challenging trails like The Maze, Fawlty Towers, and Renegade. A portion of West Rim Boulevard, south of the West Fenceline Road, is part of the West Rim Lite route, bypassing obstacles like V-Notch, The Squeeze, and Wall of Doom. West Rim Boulevard offers fantastic views of St. George, Washington, Warner Valley, and the Arizona Strip. The road surface is a mix of everything, with rough dirt sections, soft sandy sections, protruding slickrock sections, and a couple of loose hill climbs. Besides a few slow spots that may require low range, this trail has no major obstacles and is suitable for any stock 4-wheel drive vehicle without any modifications.

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.

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!

Traversing non-stop, consecutive obstacles through the most demanding terrain on Sand Mountain, Joint Effort is a short but brutal trail that tests even the most well-built vehicles. Immerse yourself with steep slickrock climbs, sharp drop-offs, and extreme off-camber situations, constantly articulating your suspension to its max. The obstacles on Joint Effort provide a constant adrenaline rush but don't forget to take in the spectacular views of Sand Hollow Reservoir, Zion National Park, and the Pine Valley Mountains in the backdrop.

Continuing your Behind The Reef adventure through Little Wild Horse Canyon may be the adrenaline boost your overland trip needed. With two choices at the end of Behind the Reef trail, Little Wild Horse is the difficult option for reaching the higher elevations within the San Rafael Swell. The trail winds through a rocky wash before climbing along narrow, steep, rocky ledges. A few hills are long, loose rock, requiring low-range gearing, offroad tires, and a confident driver. The views of the colorful reef, buttes, and canyons go on for miles as you wind your way up to the meadows on top of The Swell. There were no established campsites found along this challenging trail.

Surprise Overlook near Moab is an excellent extension of your day if you are exploring Gemini Bridges, Little Canyon, or Bull Canyon. The trail is very short, with fantastic scenery in the immediate desert landscape and views of the La Sal Mountains in the distance. The trail's end treats you to a breathtaking view deep into Day Canyon. The trail is appropriately named because as you drive it, you have no idea of the view of the hidden Day Canyon. It is quite the surprise!

Glendale Bench runs from the little hamlet of Glendale on Highway 89 across BLM land and the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument to intersect with Skutumpah Road and Johnson Valley Road.  The easy road begins with a brief section of rough pavement as it climbs above the town.  In places, the pavement has washed away.  Beyond is a well-maintained dirt road that passes through jumpers and pinion pines, open meadows of sage, and towering sandstone bluffs.  Look south when crossing a small bridge near cattle corrals.  Kanab Creek tumbles over a ledge into a large pool at the bottom.

There are very limited dispersed campsites along the road.  One large level site with a rock fire ring and views sits on the south side of the trail about 4 miles from the western end.

The road quickly becomes slippery and impassible after any significant precipitation.  When dry, it is very easy.

This trail takes you up onto the beautiful Brigham Plains. It is steep, narrow, and rocky going up or down either side. Going up the west side gives you incredible views of the Cottonwood Canyon. The east side takes you down a narrow shelf road with multiple switchbacks. Once you get through the switchbacks, you will travel through Coyote Creek Canyon. There are no campsites along this trail

An ideal beginner's route and an excellent addition to The Wickiup, Round Knoll is a meandering scenic route named after a nearby natural flat-top mesa. The route twists, bumps, and drops across varied terrain with lush high desert vegetation. Desert junipers and pinyon pine patches are dense, while shrubs of black brush, rabbitbrush, and several colonies of rare cacti line the route. The northern portion of the route has ever-expansive views of colorful sandstone buttes and spires.

Cross Comb Wash and pass through Comb Ridge the hard way! This was the original roadbed of Utah State Route 95 prior to 1976, when the current paved highway was constructed about a mile to the south. While it was originally a graded dirt road passable to 2WD sedans in the 1960s, the road has degraded to the point where it is now a moderate to difficult 4x4 trail that provides a scenic and challenging offroad alternative to the paved highway. This trail can also be combined with either the Arch Canyon trail or the Hotel Rock trail, which both connect to it. While there is minimal camping along the trail itself, there are numerous campsites along the Arch Canyon Overlook road at its western end and at the mouth of Arch Canyon in the middle.

Beginning at the junction with the Arch Canyon Overlook road just past the hiking trailhead to House on Fire, the road is relatively easy crossing the mesa top. The scenery gets more dramatic as you approach the rim of Comb Wash, where the difficulty increases considerably. The descent into Comb Wash follows a series of switchbacks and requires navigating one significant rock obstacle that lower clearance vehicles might struggle with coming up (pictured in the hardest part photo). Once at the bottom of Comb Wash, the route briefly follows a graded dirt road before turning off to the right to climb up Comb Ridge.

Erosion and regular rock falls have taken their toll on the historic dugway cutting through and down the side of Comb Ridge from Posey's Trail Road. It is now a narrow, rocky, shelf road that will test the courage of the average driver. The remains of an old wrecked car can be seen lying on the rocks below, demonstrating that even in the 1960s, this road was far from safe. This portion of the trail is best run uphill for the greatest challenge and for the best views from the driver's side. After climbing up the side of the cliff most of the way, the road veers right through a gap cut through Comb Ridge and follows a steep erosion gully up to the junction with Posey's Trail Road.

The Burr Trail is a scenic, historic route in southern Utah, known for its breathtaking landscapes and rich geological features. Stretching about 68 miles with pavement from the town of Boulder to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, the trail offers stunning views of red rock canyons, towering cliffs, and mesas. Originally a cattle-driving route, the Burr Trail now attracts travelers seeking a unique drive through diverse desert terrain, including the famous Waterpocket Fold and the dramatic Capitol Reef National Park. The portion of the trail written about here is the dirt stretch spanning the National Park boundaries. It is only a matter of time before it is all paved! Regardless, this trail is a must-see for those looking to experience the rugged beauty of southern Utah's wilderness.

Last Chance Road easily transports you 26 miles into Utah's remote backcountry, where the spires, cliffs, and mountain views will have you saying, "Wow" around every corner—the gravel washboard road winds through several canyons on tight corners and along cliff edges. You will drive for miles across prairies rimmed with towering cliff walls and have abundant choices of private primitive camping. The numerous short offshoots offer semi-secluded camping for a couple of vehicles with tents. The views at every campsite are amazing. The trail connects in the south with the Cathedral Valley Loop trail and numerous other trails with days' worth of scenery to be wowed by. Your vehicle must be very dependable and durable for offroad travel. In dry conditions, the entire route is passable in 2WD. There are no washouts or deep ruts unless driving in the mud, which makes it nearly impassable. Overprepare for the desert with extra fuel, water, and a good working spare tire.

Keg Knoll Road is an awesome spur off of Lower San Rafael Road. Although the trail itself is nothing spectacular, the ending is worth it all! Camping on the end of this trail is among the best around, and it is also the hiking trailhead to Colonnade Arch (a.k.a. Five Hole Arch). This amazing but seldom visited sandstone arch overlooks the Green River, Colonnade Arch (a.k.a. Five Hole Arch). Keg Knoll Road is a must-do if you are exploring the area!

Located south of Moab, about 20ish minutes, Picture Frame and Balcony Arches is part of the popular Behind The Rocks area and offers users amazing scenery, great primitive camping, and opportunities to explore a spiderweb network of numerous side trails. The trail begins off Highway 191 and winds through classic Utah desert landscapes, including sandstone formations, wide-open vistas, and scattered juniper trees. The trail is most accessible on the east end and gets rougher the farther west you travel. While the road isn’t particularly technical, weather conditions like rain can make parts of it more challenging, and it is best suited for high-clearance, 4WD vehicles due to sections of loose sand, rocky terrain, and slickrock. The end of the trail is where the reward is, with both arches situated near opposite corners of a large dome of sandstone that forms a ridge on a small mesa overlooking part of the Behind the Rocks Wilderness. Balcony Arch is located on the southwest corner, above several designated campsites, while Picture Frame Arch is located on the northeast corner. Picture Frame Arch is the more well-known arch and is a large, natural sandstone formation that resembles a picture frame, making it a popular spot for photography.

The first 2 miles of trail do not allow camping, but there are several large staging areas great for airing down or unloading your machines. For the remainder of the trail, primitive camping is only allowed in designated areas marked with a tent symbol sign. Campsites range in size from a single vehicle to large group sites. From tenting and car camping to travel trailers and RVs, there is definitely a spot along this trail for everyone.