Utah Off-Road Trails

Cedar Wash Road begins off Center Street south of Escalante and connects with Hole in the Rock Road. Several small marginal campsites are along the north end of the road just after the pavement ends. These are suitable for one to two small vehicles. Hole in the Rock Road has plenty of very nice campsites.

The main draw of this otherwise nondescript road is the Cedar Wash Arch. Seeing the arch requires a short but mildly strenuous hike from the unsigned pullout.

The trail has deep sandy washes, sharp curves, and steep grades. Do not attempt if wet.

Located within the Abajo Mountains of Manti-La Sal National Forest this offroad trail offers users access to remote camping, hiking, and fishing. The trail travels along a picturesque canyon before eventually climbing up into the tall pines around Spring Lake. It is a wonderful place to put tent stakes down and explore some of the area trails. There are numerous hiking trails within the immediate area that lead to more remote regions within the forest system. The area is ideally located for access to both the Dark Canyon Wilderness and Canyonlands National Park.

This easy slickrock route is a quarter-mile bypass to the Staircase obstacle on Hell's Revenge. This is a one-way trail, traveling from west to east, starting near the Tip-over Challenge at Waypoint 35 of Hell's Revenge and ending at Waypoint 16. There are no significant obstacles along this route, just a couple of small, less than 6-inch ledges to contend with. It is actually harder to access this little spur than it is to drive it. This section of trail is suitable for any vehicle, but accessing it will require a high clearance 4WD vehicle.

Kitchen Canyon runs north off Highway 89 to intersect with BLM 587 and 581.  The easy trail crosses through the lower steps of the Escalante Staircase, passing through junipers and open valleys of sage bordered by sandstone walls.  The dirt and sand road is irregularly maintained.  One steep sandy wash crossing is the hardest part of the trail.

A huge level campsite in the junipers, 2.5 miles from the trailhead, can support six rigs.  The pull-through sites are suitable for trailers or smaller camping rigs.   There are multiple stone fire rings scattered about.  A small one-rig site sits on the east side of the road down a small spur at 2 miles in.  The trailhead also has a large flat area usable for camping. Expect a lot of road noise.

Wolverine Loop Road is a remote trail providing access to the southernmost reaches of the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument when traveling off the Burr Trail. Mild maintenance by the managing agency keeps this route open year-round though it can be prone to erosion at the various wash crossings due to seasonal rainfall and flash flooding. The wash crossings are considered the hardest part of the trail but are easily managble by most high-clearance 2WD vehicles when dry.

Various hiking trailheads and points of interest such as Horse Canyon TH, Wolverine Petrified Wood Natural Area, and Little Death Hollow Trailhead are all located along the trail. Scenic views are plentiful with towering red rock mesas in most directions.

Camping is not extremely plentiful, some spots are found shortly off the trail's western end, a couple more at Little Horse Canyon, and a few more off the branching trails of Silver Falls and Moody Creek Road.

If you plan to overnight camp within Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument, be sure to obtain a Backcountry Permit at the Escalante Interagency Visitor Center or in most of the trail register boxes at hiking trailheads. Backcountry Permits for overnight stays are free and assist the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) with tracking public land use and can also assist with emergency response efforts. Day use does not require a backcountry permit, but please sign the trail register.

Water Hollow is a mildly challenging 11.3-mile 4x4 trail that winds its way up a scenic canyon before summiting high in the pine and aspen around 8000 feet. It makes for an ideal alternative for gaining access to this beautiful and remote section of the Fishlake National Forest. The trail is long and has a consistent grade up from Interstate 70. Once at the higher elevations, the trail becomes more narrow and has deep ruts. The trail is ideal for stock 4x4s with high ground clearance and durable tires. The camping is primitive, free, and very abundant along the upper sections of the route. There are multiple sites where you'll want to stay for a few days and explore all the lakes. The fishing in the area is abundant, and the spring bloom is beautiful. The trail is closed during the winter months because of deep snow.

Starting down Bunny Hop from Blue Hills Road, look for the healthy jackrabbit population in this area. They hop around the rocks, seemingly oblivious to the loud vehicles climbing around the same stones. The trail is a moderate 4x4 challenge with several rocky ledge climbs that may high center low clearance vehicles. The trail is a great "ice-breaker" for beginners to the four-wheeling world. The views from the butte are vast and colorful, especially in the late afternoon sun. There is one campsite at the western trailhead.

Short but sweet, this easy spur in the Maze District of Canyonlands takes you to the incredible Golden Stairs hiking trail and campsite of the same name. Getting into the park requires 4WD and high clearance, although this trail is an easy winding path. There is only a small amount of parking, so please be aware of keeping on the trail and leaving room for others to enjoy this breathtaking region. All camping in the Maze is by reservation only at Rec.gov.

Whether you are looking for a secluded campsite in the pines or to just stay off of the pavement, Lava Knoll is a leisurely drive through a beautiful region of the Dixie National Forest. As the trail is presented here, it travels south from the Henrie Knoll area, connecting with numerous other trails and wonderful primitive campsites. The trail is easy enough for most stock SUVs with off-road type tires. The route offers chances to spot some of the abundant wildlife in the area. In early fall be sure to go up Henrie Knoll to view the blanket of fall colors.

Upper Tusher Canyon is an entirely different experience than rugged lower Tusher Canyon. Your adventure begins in the sandy wash below the towering Book Cliffs, the longest continuous cliffs on the continent. The trail winds through a dense desert vegetation landscape with unique rock formations poking out of the trees. You will climb to over 7500 feet and the border of the Uintah/Ouray Indian Reservation, where a natural spring has created a shady oasis to set up camp. The trail ends at an old drill platform that makes a wonderful group campsite. Individual campsites are under the trees in the tall grass. The trail is well-maintained but can change after a rainstorm. In dry conditions, the trail can be completed in 2WD. The trail follows a canyon. Do not drive the trail in rainy conditions.

Clear Creek is an 8.6-mile moderate scenic climb into the Fishlake National Forest of Central Utah. The trail is ideal for stock-type 4x4s and overland vehicles with high ground clearance and durable off-road tires. There are many deep washouts and tight switchbacks. The long climb requires four-wheel drive. The dense foliage climbing through the canyon starkly contrasts the open meadows and aspen above 9000 feet. At lower elevations, there is limited camping. The best camping is higher up in elevation. Clear Creek's upper section is closed to motor vehicles from 01/01 to 04/15 every winter.

Eggnog - Starr Springs Road is an incredibly unique trail winding through a moon-like landscape just north of Bullfrog, Utah. Despite southern Utah being known for its red rock sandstone, this interesting little pocket of BLM land is bathed in blue and grey tones. Bentonite clay hills roll on far to the north, with a distant view of the well-known Waterpocket Fold to the west. Towering near the eastern end is Mount Hillers, a dramatic 10,000-foot-plus mountain peak with out-of-place red fins at its base. With the mashup geology, this trail is perfect for anyone in a high clearance 4WD vehicle looking to diversify their weekend overland trip.

Dispersed camping is limited to a few rocky spots along the trail. Luckily, there is a very peaceful and scenic campground at the eastern end of the trail called Starr Springs Campground. They offer a handful of designated campsites nestled among the oak tree grove, fire rings, picnic tables, and pit toilets.

Paria is a Pauite word that means muddy water.  Paria Road runs nearly six miles from Highway 89 to the Paria River.  The road is packed with history.  Two settlements in the 1800s sprung up and failed along the river.  A Hollywood western movie town set once sat roadside, but it burned years ago.  The informational signage at the trailhead goes into great detail on the area's history.

The road is graded dirt and usually easy, with only one steep wash crossing and a stretch of narrow shelf road.  However, the road surface becomes very soft and slippery when wet.  If the road is wet at the trailhead, consider it impassable.  

One mile in a sizeable flat campsite sits roadside.  The flat site can easily handle three rigs or a large motorhome.  There is no shade, but it does have a fire ring.  Only three other campsites are further along the road.  All are small, exposed, and very close to the trail.

The first several miles of the trail pass through a sagebrush prairie with red and white sandstone bluffs defining the horizon.  The trail begins a descent into the Paria River's valley, and the scenery changes into a kaleidoscope of colors.  Bentonite hills of gray, purple, pink, buff, and tan but up against towering walls of burgundy sandstone, often topped with harder white or gray sandstone.  Generally speaking, the lighter the color of sandstone, the harder it is.

A day-use area sits where the movie set once stood. There's a vault toilet, informational signage, and a picnic table.  A bit further along the trail sits the Paria Cemetary, a monument to the hardy people who tried to make a life in this rugged landscape.

The trail ends at a sandy lollipop turnaround at the river.  Walking along the Paia River is easy.  If you hike south, downriver, look for bentonite bluffs on the east side of the river.  The remnants of two stone cabins are at the south end of the bentonite hills.  The larger one had a sunken root cellar.  The lintels of the doors and windows are long sandstone slabs formed millions of years ago at the bottom of a sea or river.  The cabin builder kept the side with the water ripple marks exposed. 

This semi-maintained trail off Spring Canyon Point is an easy addition while running trails in this area. The toughest sections are rocky inclines, but all should be passable with clearance in good weather. 

Broadview Meadows departs off Murdoch Basin Road and heads through the 2020 Upper Provo Wildfire burn scar north to Broadwater Meadows, connecting to the Mirror Highway. When running this trail, be sure to stay on Broadview Meadows FR416, as quite a few ATV-only trails diverge off the trail. A designated camping area is available immediately at the start of Broadview Meadows, with sites distinguishable by the metal fire rings and picnic tables. This fee area requires a recreation pass obtained at the kiosk on the Mirror Highway when you are first entering the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Three-day passes are only $6. The trail is a mix of rough dirt and cobblestone stretches. Air down to make the ride more comfortable.

Running parallel to the modern-day, paved US-50 is the dirt and gravel Old 6 & 50. This nearly 73-mile stretch traverses Cowboy Pass and Marjum Pass like the groups traveling the Central Overland Trail in 1859. The most interesting parts of the trail are definitely within the western half of the route, including Hermit's Cabin in Marjum Canyon. To visit the cabin, you will drive down a spur to a small campsite and have to continue on foot for a short hike up a rocky canyon wash.

Camping directly along Old 6 & 50 is mostly limited to the site on the Hermit's Cabin spur, a site within Marjum Pass within view of the powerlines, and a very exposed site near Kells Knolls. Other Bureau of Land Management (BLM) roads that diverge off of Old 6 & 50 may provide additional opportunities for camping.

Visit the BLM official page on Hermit's Cabin to read the story of Bob Stinton, the World War I veteran who built the cabin. Treat this site with respect; do not lean on the walls, deface the rocks, or leave trash.