Utah Off-Road Trails

Johnson Ridge is a spur off of North Skyline leading out to the Johnson Ridge Overlook hiking path. The trail is short but has great views of the surrounding mountain ridges filled with aspen and pine. During the autumn, this area is sure to light up with golden colors. In the summertime, mountain flowers fill many of the meadows. Johnson Ridge is mostly rough dirt with the occasional embedded rock or dry rut, nothing a stock 4WD vehicle can't handle. The only campsite along the trail is located at the very end, where a small turnaround loop with an old fire ring is located.

Ivy Bench Willow Springs has one purpose: connecting Last Chance Road to three other main roads that cross the Last Chance Desert in central Utah. The gravel road is maintained, and it is an efficient way to reach more interesting trails or to continue your overland adventure. Rugged, porous lava stone covering the landscape prevents anyone from establishing a campsite along this route.

Currently impassable at mile 1.7, Wedge Spur Overlook is a 4.8-mile out-and-back moderate 4x4 trail with an amazing overlook at the end. Shortly before the washed-out section, a short spur trail leads to a couple of small primitive campsites.

Currently, the trail is severely washed out in numerous locations. No legal by-passes are available. Until this trail is repaired, it will remain impassable beyond the washout at mile 1.7.

Slaughter Slopes Reservoir is a simple dirt spur to the edge of the Muddy Creek Wilderness Boundary. Don't let the name deceive you; the "Reservoir" along this road is usually just a dry hole. The terrain is hard-packed dirt and small, loose shale rock, suitable for any high clearance vehicle. While you can technically drive to the very end at the boundary of the Muddy Creek Wilderness and set up a rooftop tent for the night, there are many more scenic opportunities along nearby roads. For example, along the main Slaughter Slopes, you will find wonderful camping with amazing views.

Jacks Canyon is a moderate crossover with access to hiking into Jacks Arch, and scenic slot canyons. The driving trail to Jacks Arch is now closed, but access into Periscope Canyon is still permitted. The trail has numerous off-camber rock ledges from 14-18" tall, and abundant soft sand. 4x4 low-range, offroad-type tires, and extra ground clearance are required. There is no camping along this route, but a camping area can be found at the end of Periscope Canyon.

San Rafael Desert 9255 is a short out-and-back trail overlooking the twisting San Rafael River. The trail is very short and has a looping U-turn at the end. There is room for several vehicles to park while enjoying views of the colorful terrain. The trail's small sandstone ledges require high clearance. Please don't try this trail in the rain. The soil at the end is very soft. Please do not camp at the trail end. It's meant to be enjoyed by everyone and can be intrusive. Abundant camping is found along Lower San Rafael Road and many other nearby trails.

Named after a nearby creek, Grassy, a long-forgotten shanty town, is gone now, and the road is mainly private ranch access. The trail is an easy gravel for most of the way, before ending on bumpy dirt at the ranch gate and the trailhead for Grassy Flats. The trail did not have any established campsites.

Traveling along the San Rafael Reef, the great sandstone upheaval in central Utah, numerous opportunities for camping and canyon hiking await the adventurous traveler. The unique sloping landscape has been carved by water over millions of years, creating slot canyons and peculiar rock formations. Trail 921 travels north - south along the swell before ending at a parking area for remote hiking. Rock art can be found all over the region. Back in the canyons, artwork sites are not marked on any maps. The southern portion of the route has numerous primitive campsites that are easily accessible in 2WD. The further north you travel, the more difficult it becomes, and established camping disappears. There are rough, rocky wash crossings and deep washouts that require suspension flex. Modified vehicles will consider it a 2WD scenic drive, while full-size trucks may find it challenging. Be sure to look-out for the old brick chimneys.

The San Rafael Desert is a maze of countless trails crisscrossing this remote region of central Utah. Trail 1123 is a 3.1-mile "shortcut" connector between two main roads in the area. The trail is a mix of dirt and soft, blowing sand. The easy rating is for the road surface after grading; blowing sand on the road can quickly stop 2WD vehicles in their tracks. Reducing tire pressure greatly improves traction on soft sand. No camping was found along the trail.

FS1178 is one of many spur roads found off of North Skyline Drive. This one forks away from Oak Creek Ridge but remains Unnamed on the MVUM (Motorized Vehicle Use Map). FS1178 wanders back to a dead-end with a wide turnaround and decent views. The couple noticeable campsites on this trail are in the trees located at the beginning, shortly after forking off Oak Creek Ridge. You might run into other campers, but these spots are more removed from North Skyline, so the odds may be better of solitude.

This is a short connector between Dominguez Falls and the east fenceline portion of Razzle Dazzle. It is an easy, but bumpy route comprised of mostly sand with sections of exposed slickrock. If trying to reach Dominguez Falls from the Green Gate or the tunnel, this is the fastest way to get there, and generally not as congested as the approach from Razzle Dazzle. A high clearance vehicle and aired down tires is all that is needed for this trail.

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.

Wilson Holes is a mild connector trail that has abundant primitive camping easily accessible from Buckhorn Draw Road. The trail winds through dense trees to small open areas with fire pits and room for a tent or two. At the end of the spur trail, there is a group party pit area. A veteran's memorial has been posted at the top of a nearby butte, and a very large community fire pit has been constructed over the years. The trail is a typical two-track without any obstacles. It can be completed in stock 4x4s with high ground clearance.

A jumper option from Mineral Point, Waypoint 6, to Mineral Point Road to Spring Canyon Bottom, Waypoint 6, is a short and easy trail similar to D1256. There are no significant obstacles, with the most challenging part being a slightly washed-out dirt hill. There are a couple of good dispersed camping opportunities along this trail.

Three Trough Cutoff is a short, bumpy spur jumping from Trough Spring to East Ashley Grasshopper. Although this trail is not a destination in itself, it does provide a nice, peaceful drive through the pines and aspen of the Ashley National Forest. The trail consists of packed dirt, with a few small patches of embedded rock ranging from baseball-sized to about 10 inches. The larger rocks lie on the edges of the trail, so only full-width vehicles will need to roll over the larger rocks. 4WD is not required, but the ride will be rough, especially if you do not air down. In addition to the short drive, dispersed camping is abundant along the trail. Near the east end, multiple large sites lay tucked away in the aspen trees. As you jog into the forest, smaller, more intimate sites hide away in the pine.

A short spur to nothing and typically only serving the nearby ranch. While the maps may indicate that camping is suitable along these trails, it isn't, as they are lined with cryptobiotic soils and cow patties. However, if you wish to take this drive, it is suitable for any vehicle.

Best known as the road to the Mussentuchit Wash petroglyphs, this short, out-and-back trail leads to an impressive rock art panel. Traveling up the knoll from Lower Last Chance Loop, the trail is a mix of soft sand and hard pack dirt, with no obstacles. The short spur trail, located before the fence, is where the rock art wall can be found. Travel out to the end of the turnaround above Mussentuchit Wash, then look for the wall on the right, as you drive back out. It's a short hike to the large panel on the cliff. As you walk to the panel, piles of colorful chert cover the ground. This was a stone tool production site with access to fresh water in the nearby canyon. Early in the route, there is a large open area with a couple of fire pits for camping. The main trail continues south past the cattle fence to a large retention pond, close to Twin Peaks. As the name says, mus-int-tuch-it, please do not touch the panels.

Cabin Hollow Road is very short but may be handy in a pinch if North Skyline Drive is extra busy. The trail makes its way through the trees and quickly pops out in an open meadow. At the end of the meadow, there is a campsite large enough for 2-3 vehicles, and another small campsite can be found off of a fork hiding behind the aspen. The hardest part of the trail is the short fork leading to the single-vehicle campsite due to shallow ruts caused by tires during the spring muddy season.

Wheeler Fork Road is a short but adventurous dead-end spur off the popular Strawberry Ridge Trail. Stretching roughly a mile and a half, it offers a rugged experience for those looking to explore deeper into the forest.

The trail is extremely narrow, barely wide enough for a Jeep Wrangler, and includes seasonal stream crossings and a springtime mud bog. While camping is limited, a few tucked-away sites can be found along the route, along with open meadows and a small pond near the trail’s end.

From the end of the spur, a hiking trail continues over to Main Canyon. This trail is best suited for high-clearance, short-wheelbase vehicles and drivers looking for a tight, scenic side adventure off the main Strawberry Ridge route.

Intersecting Mineral Point at Waypoint 9 is D1310, an easy sandy and packed dirt trail that jumps over to D1136, a through trail connecting many more popular trails. There are no obstacles on this trail, making for a quick journey. There are no campsites along this trail. However, many other spurs in the vicinity offer great dispersed camping opportunities.

Running along a small portion of the expansive Hatt Ranch, past old farm equipment, and below the rugged Shadescale Mesa, this moderate 4x4 route is a dirt shortcut connecting Highway 24 and Hatt Ranch Bypass, along the edge of the San Rafael Reef Wilderness. It offers surprising views of the San Rafael River from an old wooden bridge and the dramatic sandstone upheaval of The Swell. The trail features deep, loose dirt and cross-rut washouts that require 4-wheel drive traction. Erosion ruts are the primary concern along the trail and can fill in or become deeper depending on recent weather conditions. Although not technical, this trail is best suited for a high clearance 4x4 with durable tires.

Camping is not available along this trail. However, abundant camping can be found along adjacent trails.

A ghost town, towering cliffs, narrow ledges, and rusty artifacts are all abundant Behind Temple Mountain. When combined with Temple Mountain Road, trail 921 creates a historic 4x4 loop along twisting ledges. One long, loose dirt hill requires 4x4 and steady momentum. Ideal for stock-type 4x4s with durable tires, the trail has numerous points of interest along the way. Once a thriving uranium mining area, tunnel entrances can be seen up on the hillside. The old cars found along the route were driven up and stripped of their engines to help haul the heavy material and generate power. It's dangerous to enter the caves and not recommended. There are a couple of peninsula-type overlook campsites along the route. They are small but have amazing views across the rugged Little Ocean Draw Wilderness. The southern trailhead is near the Temple Mountain townsite campground and the old stone cabins.

D1238 is an easy, two-mile trek across picturesque Utah prairie land. The sandy two-track cuts across blowing grasslands with distant views of the La Sal Mountain range and more. In dry conditions, you can easily drive in 2WD with a high clearance vehicle past Big Flat Reservoir, connecting with D1244 or D1240. The trail has short, small rock sections that are bumpy, and numerous deep washouts are easily avoided. No established or potential campsites can be found along this route.

D1478 is a short, out-and-back camping spur off of Spring Canyon Bottom. It starts sandy and hard-packed and gradually gets rougher as it transitions into more slickrock as you get closer to the end. The end of the trail overlooks Hell Roaring Canyon. The trail is not difficult, just bumpy at times, and any vehicle with decent ground clearance can make the trek. Large travel trailers should avoid this spur because of limited space to turn around, but small trailers like teardrops and popups should be fine. There are a total of 4 campsites along the trail, all of which are large, decently level, and situated primarily on slickrock.

A unique off-road experience can be found near East Carbon, UT. You'll travel along a historic abandoned railway below the towering Book Cliffs, ending at a mining ghost town. For decades, starting around 1900, trains delivered coal from local mines to the coke ovens along these narrow ledges and rocky cliffs. Part of the Castle Country OHV Trail System, this semi-maintained trail, located along the rail grade, is suitable for stock-type 4x4s with durable tires. The trail features long sections of smooth gravel, but it can also have sections with muddy ruts or a boulder blocking the path. The trail is wide enough for all vehicles, but it will still give the driver butterflies while driving along the narrowest sections. Traveling from south to north, your trip ends at the coke ovens, where the railway made deliveries until 1958. Camping is limited to one or two small shelves along the tracks. The views across The Swell are amazing, but the winds can be harsh. There is an organized campground at the northern end of the track, at the coke ovens.