Utah Off-Road Trails

An easy, but sandy crossover between Last Chance Road and Lower Last Chance Loop, The Cutoff has a few scenic surprises along the way. While no camping to be found, there are a couple of scenic points that are unique to this trail. Choosing to cross over here, instead of the Ivy bench, you get a smoother and more scenic ride. In dry conditions, the sand can be soft, but it's graded fairly often, helping compact the surface.

D1244 is an easy 1.7-mile two-track prairie crossing that offers access to an old reservoir. Connected with D1238, it's a convenient way to avoid pavement and connect with other trails. Do not attempt this trail in wet conditions as the clay becomes extremely sticky and slick. The trail requires durable tires and high clearance. It's sandy, rutted, and a little rocky, but finding the southern trailhead may prove most difficult. The bushes are thick, hiding the trail's course at the large intersection. Camping is nonexistent across this prairie region bordering the parks. Abundant camping can be found further west across CR-143.

Verde Mounds is an easy scenic crossover along the northern edge of the San Rafael Swell, offering sprawling views of the valleys leading to the Book Cliffs. The trail crosses broad meadows where pronghorn antelope and cattle graze on the rolling grassy mounds named after a long-forgotten town. In dry conditions, the trail is passable in 2WD vehicles equipped with durable tires for the chunky corrugated gravel. No established campsites were found on this windswept route.

FS1056 is one of many spur roads off North Skyline Drive. As the hard-packed dirt road winds over the rolling meadows, you might notice that the physical route doesn't particularly match the MVUM (Motorized Vehicle Usage Map) for this district, but it is very clear where you should be headed. Multiple large campsites are dotted throughout the aspen and can be very popular with large trailers, especially during summer holiday weekends. The loop and end stem of the track do get narrow and brushy, with pin striping possible. The big draw of this trail is the campsites.

About halfway, you're likely to lose count of how many switchbacks you've done on Chalk Creek Canyon. The views are quick and always on an angle as you twist through dense trees, and along narrow ledges above a ruggedly picturesque canyon. During late September and early October, the fall colors line almost the entire 17 miles, with the summit colors being some of the best in Utah. In the lower elevations above the town of Filmore, UT, you will find numerous day-use sites along the always-flowing Chalk Creek. There are wonderful shady sites in the canyon for family picnics and camping at Pistol Rock. Beyond and above these sites, the trail becomes much steeper and more narrow. 4x4, high clearance, and durable tires are required for the long, bumpy hills. Along the entire route, camping can be found at numerous primitive sites. The trail does not have firm closure dates but rather an average open date range. The opening is based on "dry" trail conditions.

While you won't have to fold in your mirrors, the canyon is a unique 4x4 experience. Temple Wash is one of the few remaining opportunities to drive into the San Rafael Reef canyons. Left natural, you navigate up the sand and rock wash where you will find numerous wonderful campsites tucked off to the side, or at the end of the included spur trail. The trail ends abruptly, with little room for turning around. You will need 4x4 high clearance, skid protection, and durable tires. There are vertical rock ledges 10-12" tall and super soft sand. Most of the campsites are single back-in, cot, or roof-top-tent types. Early into the trail, there is a large open camping area for 3-4 vehicles with tents. Where the trail guide ends is the strict boundary.

FS3102 is one of many spur roads off North Skyline Drive. Almost immediately, the trail looks promising as you reach the hardest part, a loose and rocky descent. This is certainly a deterrent for those towing a large trailer. As the track continues, you'll drop down roughly 200 feet in elevation into a green, shrubby valley that may end up filled with grazing cattle. Despite what the MVUM (Motorized Vehicle Use Map) depicts, the trail ends at a buck-and-rail fence, making this an out-and-back drive. No campsites were spotted.

In the early 1900's the Columbia Coke Ovens were used to convert coal into coke, a very hot burning fuel that was used in early metal smelters across the country. Now known as the Sunnyside Coke Ovens, operations ended in 1958, where the site was abandoned for years. The historic site, including a train depot, has been preserved by the Castle Country OHV Trail System. The 15-foot-tall domes have had their fronts removed for the safety of visitors. The area and entire site is accessible in all vehicle types, but the campground access can be a little rough for passenger cars. The FREE camping is a small loop with multiple primitive sites in the scrub brush, and there is one vault toilet near the camping area. 

Mill Canyon is a quick side-trip trail to see dinosaur bones and an excellent view of the Determination Towers in the distance, which are along the Sevenmile Rim Trail. The bones are a short walk from the parking lot and are from a plant-eating dinosaur, the Saurpod. They have become fossilized and embedded in the rock and are visible along the easy hike. No camping along this trail, and the parking lot has plenty of space for your group.

From the road of North Skyline, FS1043 is marked at one end by a clear signpost and a well-established rock fire ring at the other. From the signpost, the trail looks like a promising two-track that wanders back toward a gathering of aspen. Once wrapping around the aspen, rather than proceeding along the ridge, the trail circles through the trees and arrives back at North Skyline, making this an extremely short track with a single campsite. The trail has nothing more than a few small rocks to meander over.

D1052 is a short but slightly challenging option for accessing the Taylor Canyon area trails. Beginning from the south, it's the last legal trail before Canyonlands National Park. Traveling south to north means you will be traversing the obstacles downhill, making it the easiest direction. You will need a 4x4 low-range vehicle with high clearance, skid plate protection, and durable off-road tires to safely navigate the entire trail. There are loose dirt hills with 8-12" rock ledges and a deep, off-camber washout that requires a traction aid of some sort. You can easily tip into the deep trench with an improper line. Camping is not permitted along this trail, but excellent camping can be found along the nearby Rough Canyon Rim.

Travelling across the Utah prairie land, D1240 is a 1.7-mile crossover with one small campsite. The crossing begins from the east as a gravel road leading to a drill station before branching off onto a deep rutted two-track. The sand is hard-packed, and the ruts get "tippy" at points. You won't have to worry about pinstripes, and it's all 2WD high clearance, unless it's wet. The lone scenic campsite, on a large sandstone slab, is legally a 1/2 mile from the eastern trailhead, and a nice, quick campsite for a night.

Roost House, also known as Robber's Roost, is a remote labyrinth of canyons and the hiding place for the Butch Cassidy Gang. With hundreds of twisting canyons, the Dirty Devil Wilderness Study is a canyoneering paradise. The advanced hiking trails can be accessed at various points along this route. The trail is semi-graded and passable in high-clearance 2WD, all the way to the trail end overlook. Camping is abundant at the numerous overlook campsites. Numerous campsites are quite large, with space for an overland group or an individual vehicle with a tent.

A wonderful addition to any visit to Utah, Boulder Bridge is a very "cool" spot hidden back in the red rock cliffs. At the end is a truly memorable campsite and a short scramble hike to the fornamed arch, with a massive boulder sitting on top. The sandy 1/4-mile trail is easy enough in high-clearance 2WD; all the trails leading out there are more difficult. Be sure to explore around on foot to find the shady spots to have lunch on a hot day.

Jumping from Baptist Draw to Wild Horse Canyon, this tame trail follows a dirt two-track up and over a small hill. There is little in the way to slow vehicles down other than a few small patches of loose gravel. 4WD is not needed to zip through this short jumper. Despite its open and relatively flat nature, no camping is offered along this trail. There are a number of dispersed sites off of McKay Flat or Baptist Draw.

Major Evans Road climbs up a series of tight switchbacks before settling onto a mellow shelf road through timber and meadow. The lower half, cut into the mountainside, is the technical portion of the drive, running through a dozen closely stacked switchbacks with a handful of narrow pinch points and one off-camber section tilted 12 to 15 degrees. Above the switchbacks the grade eases considerably and the road becomes a relaxed cruise past several camping spurs, with Milk Maid Trail visible across the drainage near the road's hardest turn and a view of Aspen Grove from a spur near the top. The road ends at a locked gate posted by Utah County, with a small turnaround and a view back down the canyon.

The road stays one vehicle wide for most of its length with only occasional pull-outs, and several of the lower switchbacks are tight enough that four-door rigs will need to back up and re-angle to get around. Three dispersed camping spurs are spread along the upper half of the road. One is shaded and offers some privacy tucked just off the main line. The largest, on a ridge top with open mountain views, comfortably fits three to four rigs and trailers are not allowed. A third, smaller spur near the top looks out over an aspen grove. American Fork Canyon is a Forest Service fee area, so a valid recreation pass or day-use fee is required to drive up to the trailhead.

This short connecting trail allows you to continue your overland adventure, avoiding driving on Highway 24. It is easy enough for 4x4, high clearance vehicles with durable tires. The colorful hills create a Kodachrome backdrop while you bounce across the barren desert. Established campsites were not found along this route but are just around the corner along Old Green River Highway.

Branching off Lampstand Road, 126 is a short and sweet spur providing numerous camping options away from the more popular sites located close to the Burr Trail. There are no obstacles, and this trail is occasionally graded, so the only obstacles you may encounter are ruts and washouts from recent rain storms. Any vehicle with decent ground clearance will be able to complete this short spur. Campsites are dotted among the shady juniper and pinyon trees and are generally large enough for 1-2 vehicles with tents.

FS1352 is one of many spur roads off North Skyline Drive, giving access to multiple large campsites that can be very popular with large trailers, especially during summer holiday weekends. Both forks of the trail get narrow and brushy, with pin striping very likely. Each fork ends at a fence line where turning around requires a multi-point turn. The forks are NOT suggested for trailers or very large vehicles. The main draw of FS1352 is definitely the campsites located before the fork.

Located within the Robber's Roost region of the San Rafael Desert, Bull Pasture has been used for cattle grazing land since the first settlers. Nearby Bull Pasture Canyon is considered an excellent beginner-level technical hiking canyon. It's relatively short but features a scenic exit through deep-walled canyons. The driving trail is a mix of hard pack sand and sandstone slabs. It's bumpy, but it can be completed in high-clearance 2WD with durable tires. Camping is abundant and peaceful at the numerous campsites found at small pull-off-type sites.

The Pinnacles is an area of colorful rock formations along the edge of the plateau. Tucked back at the end of trail 1172 is a fun and picturesque area of colorful sandstone. The trail drops down onto a deep-sand two-track, with tight pinstripe trees. There is one vertical rock ledge on a loose sand hill. The obstacle requires 4x4 low-range and high ground clearance, but is not difficult. Just after dropping down the ledge, you will find one small sandy campsite with amazing views. The maze of sandstone rocks at the trail end is fun to explore on foot and a wonderful place to take an extended break outside the vehicle.

Once an old highway, it allows you to continue your overland adventure along the eastern edge of The Swell. Traveling along the decommissioned highway, cows are now more frequented along this short connector between Cedar Bypass and Price River Road. The asphalt has been torn up and left in piles along the trail. The old bridges have collapsed, exposing the old layers of asphalt and timbers. The trail has no obstacles but will be impassable in wet conditions. No camping or services were found along the route.

Taylor Canyon Rim is a reasonably mellow trail that once kissed the edges of Canyonlands National Park in Utah’s high desert. This dirt trail offers a diverse terrain that used to end at a rewarding overlook of Taylor Canyon, but closures in 2023 have cut the trail short. The trail runs along a sandy plateau with occasional rocky inclines. It’s said that on a clear day, it’s possible to see as far as the Henry Mountains to the west. This 4x4 trail provides access to the quiet backcountry and little-used campsites. Make sure to pack for the unexpected, as you are not likely to see much company.

There are no major obstacles along this trail, though high clearance vehicles are required. Rock ledges can reach up to 14 inches. Though the narrow road allows for a single vehicle, there is frequently space to the side for safe passing.

Little Canyon Road is just over 2 miles of graded dirt and gravel. The road has sporadic cross ruts and washouts on the shoulder. There was no camping found on this windy, wide-open cattle land. Abundant camping can be found along the western portion of Gemini Bridges.