Utah Off-Road Trails

It doesn't get much better than sitting on the edge, drinking your morning coffee while the sun rises over the Little Grand Canyon. This easy out-and-back trail has countless free campsites right on the canyon's edge, or you can choose a camp tucked back in trees across the trail from the cliffs. There are breathtaking views all along the route. The trail becomes rougher the further you travel out to the three overlook points. Each overlook offers a different view down into the canyon, where the San Rafael River cuts through the earth. To reach the final point, you'll need 4x4 and high clearance.

Traveling up into to foothills of the Manti-La Sal Mountains, Slaughter Flats is a moderate scenic tour past old mines and sprawling panoramas of the mountain peaks. From the northern trailhead, the trail travels along narrow rocky ledges with countless dead-end off-shoots to old mine sites. By following the track closely, you'll safely travel past Yellow Circle mines and the relics left behind. You can stop at the old foundation with a chimney and a safe door. The old fenced-off mine entrances and a rusty truck dump are further up the twisting ledges. The trail is ideal for stock 4x4s with high clearance and durable offroad tires. The trail has numerous loose rocky hill climbs that require low-range gearing. The brush is tight, so you will get pinstripes. No camping was found along this route.

Travel across a beautiful landscape, twisting through pine trees and picturesque meadows before ending at a sandstone wall covered in ancient rock art. Prickly Pear Panel is a well-preserved Native American artwork display along a fun 4x4 trail. The trail leading out and back to the panel is an ideal route for stock 4x4s. There are mild challenges along the way that keep things exciting enough to keep pushing forward to the unique reward at the end. Long stretches of two-track zig-zag across grasslands, steep and soft dunes climb through pine trees, and there's primitive camping far away from the crowds. The rock art near the trail's end is estimated to have been painted around 2,000 years ago by the early Native American "Barrier Canyon Culture." These creative archaic people were hunter-gatherers, living in area caves or more temporary brush shelters. The red pigment was created using powdered hematite found in the surrounding landscape and likely mixed with animal fat, eggs, or other fluid as a binder. Paintbrushes were their fingers or brushes made from animal fur or prairie grasses. The course sandstone has absorbed the natural pigment, preserving it for thousands of years.

Levi Well Road is a quick and easy way to access the expansive trails within this area. The trail mixes soft sand and large sandstone slabs poking through the sand. It can be pretty bumpy, but there are not any rock obstacles. Low clearance vehicles may become bogged down and high-centered in the deep sand ruts. Camper vans may want to use another access road. The soft sand may dictate four-wheel drive and lower tire pressures. Camping was fairly limited along this route but not the area in general.

Climbing quickly from the Mirror Lake Highway, Upper Setting is a popular trail that gets you up and away quickly and effortlessly. Camping is abundant along the trail. Many sites have wonderful views or direct access to Coop Creek. This trail is well-maintained, so you may even see a couple of cars on your journey. Be sure to bring your hiking boots and continue on foot to either Castle Lake or the Shingle Creek Lakes.

Wide Hollow is an easy dirt trail winding through the Kamas State Wildlife Area. Ruts and small rocky patches are common, and the trail has steeper inclines, making 4WD very helpful. Scrub oak and open meadows give way to aspens and pines as you gain elevation. The trail is a straight-through trail beginning in a neighborhood and ending on Hoyt Canyon. This is an excellent trail for beginners and nature lovers to escape the city's heat.

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.

Following the Bitter Creek drainage in the Utah Rims area, just south of I-70 near the Utah and Colorado state line, Zion Curtain is an easy dirt road with vast desert scenery in a very desolate environment. The trail connects May Flat to a portion of the Kokopelli Trail. Trail surfaces consist of mainly packed dirt, with occasional exposed rock, including slickrock. The road is easily traversed by any stock high clearance pickup truck or SUV in dry conditions. If wet, it is best to avoid this trail as the dirt turns into to a sticky, greasy mud bog that will latch onto just about any vehicle and never let go. The trail is one vehicle wide the entire way, with plenty of pullout opportunities, but don't expect to see too many people in vehicles. This is a popular mountain bike area in the cooler months and remote enough that not many vehicles make the trek from Moab or Grand Junction.

Great dispersed camping is available along the entire trail. Pack out everything you pack in, including human waste.

Pipeline Road is an easy, scenic dirt road that travels between Sand Mountain OHV area and Long Valley Road, passing through the Warner Valley Block State Trust Land. The road surface is primarily hardpacked dirt and gravel, two to three vehicles wide the entire way. It traverses gentle grades and is a perfect road for any vehicle that wants to hit dirt. The easiest access is from the south side, off Long Valley Road or Warner Valley Road, where it is suitable to bring trailers and RVs. There are plenty of large, designated camping spots along the southern half of the road, and all of them provide scenic views, whether it be of the Pine Valley Mountains, Warner Valley, or the Hurricane Cliffs.

Please note that if you enter the Sand Mountain OHV area, vehicles must have an orange or red safety flag on the vehicle, rising at least 8 feet off the ground.

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.

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.

The epitome of "the further you go, the harder it gets" type trail, Humbug Mountain, begins as an easy gravel road, leading past the Jurassic National Monument site, before climbing up difficult rocky passes at almost 6500' and a breathtaking overlook. Early along the route, signs mark the various sediment layers containing prehistoric bones. Much more information is available at the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry, a marked turn along the route.

The trail remains easy and passable for cars until around the 12-mile point. After that, you need 4x4 low-range, high-clearance, and durable tires to reach the trail end. The climb up the mountain is rough and not for inexperienced drivers or under-equipped vehicles. The area is very remote. The ledges are very narrow. Rock slides can occur. Large rocks must be driven over or moved from the trail. The final 8 miles of the route are very scenic as you climb high above the desert, with views of the Price River and Stove Gulch below.

Early along the route, there are large areas where groups can be found camping. Along the easy section, before the steep climb begins, two pull-off trails lead to excellent primitive camping in the boulders. Both areas are interesting to explore on foot.

Bobsled is a straight-through, north-to-south alternative between West Rim and John's Trail. The northern half of the trail is primarily bumpy slickrock as you make your way to or from the West Rim bathroom. A few optional obstacles can be found along this stretch, but a high clearance vehicle is suitable for the entire section. The trail's southern half is the most fun, with tight, high-bank sandy corners that are great for those looking for a speed fix. This trail is two-way, and users should always anticipate oncoming traffic. Occasional protruding rocks can be found in the sand, but the southern half is still suitable for any high clearance vehicle.

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, the area has multiple entry/exit points, 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.