Utah Off-Road Trails

Hell's Gate is a famous and challenging optional route along Hell's Revenge Trail. Hell's Gate is best known for its steep, narrow, V-shaped climb with vertical walls, requiring drivers to carefully navigate their vehicles through a narrow slickrock channel. This obstacle is the poster child of many "Moab Failure" YouTube videos and always gathers a crowd.

The well-marked horseshoe-shaped trail starts near the overlook on the northern end of Hell's Revenge. Drivers must first negotiate a steep, 100-yard rutty descent while straddling a v-notch crack in the slickrock. This section is known as "Descending Into Hell." After reaching a sandy flat, the trail turns east for the "Climb Out of Hell," another steep, slickrock v-notch that cycles your suspension and lifts the front wheels of short-wheelbase vehicles. Longer wheelbase vehicles have an easier time ascending the steep climb.

Hell's Gate is not for the faint of heart and is only recommended for experienced off-road enthusiasts with well-equipped off-road vehicles. Novice drivers should avoid this obstacle-laden track. Traction aid devices such as lockers are highly recommended.

Utah's Canyonlands hide countless Native American artworks and ancient structures throughout its endless labyrinth of canyons. Deep within Davis Canyon, you can escape the crowds and have a few of the best-preserved historic sites all to yourself. These are the unmarked sites you won't find on any travel brochures. The granary on the cliff at Waypoint 9 is a nice stop with an exciting climb to view the precariously stacked stone structures. You can hike further into Davis Canyon to view the extremely well-preserved Five-Faces pictograph at the trail's end. Believed to have been left behind by the Anasazi hundreds of years ago, the stone structures and artwork found all over the area are exceptionally well preserved. Combining Davis and Lavender Canyons is a beautiful all-day or weekend adventure within a mesmerizing landscape.

Tusher Tunnel is one of those offroad trails around Moab, Utah, that you need to drive at least once. It will provide an interesting side excursion to your already packed list of must-do trails. It leads to a unique geological feature, a naturally formed tunnel 83 feet long created by water seeping through a crack that dissolved away the rock when it reached a more complex layer of stone. As you walk through the tunnel, it feels like a transformative event as you get to the other side, and your eyes lay sight on an entirely new landscape.

As one of the few trails in the Canyonlands Needles District, Salt Creek Canyon provides you with incredible scenery, a bit of excitement, and access to an excellent backcountry campground. This 4wd trail is not just a walk in the park. Despite its arid desert location, this trail has plenty of spring-fed water, providing life to lush vegetation. The surrounding rocks are sure a sight to see with the black streaks staining the iconic southern Utah red. This is an absolute must-do if you are in the area and can snag up one of the ten available vehicle permits issued daily. Also, please remember that since you are within the National Park, pets are not allowed.

Hidden behind the iconic Tombstone Butte, Rainbow Rocks is a windshield full of towering red cliffs. Also known as Rainbow Terrace, its name comes from the multi-layered Entrada Sandstone cliff faces. The vertical red wall creates a colorful boundary along most of the trail. The rocks are particularly stunning in the early morning or late afternoon sun. You'll begin by rolling up and down sandy hills, taking glimpses of Lost World Butte through lush desert vegetation. You'll twist through the maze of house-sized boulders that make any vehicle look small. While the views are amazing, the trail has enough challenges to entertain even the most hardened wheeler.

Combing Rainbow Rocks with Dee Pass, Salt Wash Road, and Crystal Geyser trails creates the Easter Jeep Safari "Crystal Geyser" route.

Big Mesa is a logical yet rewarding addition to both Wipe-Out Hill and Bartlett Flat trails. These three trails challenge our vehicles while rewarding our souls with breathtaking views of 7-mile Point. Big Mesa has one 4x4 challenge that continues the feel of the other trails that traverse below the cliffs. Once you climb out of the wash, you will see mountain bikers cruising across bridges, traversing below the overhangs of the hidden natural arches, while you relax along this more leisurely section of trail.

Gunlock Reservoir is 266 acres of tranquil waters located in the desert region of Utah, at an elevation of 3,584 feet. This route travels along the opposite shoreline from where the normal crowds gather. You will enjoy a challenging but scenic four-wheeling experience while having access to the sandy shores of a beautiful lake. Warm waters during summer and a mild winter climate make the reservoir a popular year-round destination. Largemouth bass, bluegill sunfish, and black crappie are the main fishing draws at Gunlock Reservoir. Green sunfish and black bullhead are also common, but they're less popular. Gunlock is known to produce trophy largemouth bass up to six pounds in weight. Bluegill and crappie are great targets for the kids. You can bring a kayak to paddle around the unique rock formations that jut out of the water. If you visit in early spring, the waterfalls on the south end of the lake are usually flowing, and you can park right next to them and relax for a bit.

Crystal Geyser is a popular destination for off-roaders in Moab and Green River, Utah. Located only a few miles Southeast of Green River, Utah, Crystal Geyser is an example of a cold-water, carbon dioxide driven geyser. Geothermal activity is not involved in the geyser’s eruption. The tangerine, copper, and white colors deposited around the geyser’s base add a vibrant hue to an otherwise gray countryside. Crystal Geyser Road, also known as Little Valley Road, is the easiest and most direct way to the geyser itself. Several 4x4 trails meander through the rugged country between Moab and Green River and terminate at this very spot. One route, which is used during Moab’s Easter Jeep Safari, is called the Crystal Geyser Jeep Route. If you chose another route to the geyser, Crystal Geyser Road is the easiest way to depart the area.

Looking for some excitement near Five Mile Recreation Area and Fairfield, Utah? Look no further than the area known as "The Snakes". This trail, in particular, was created to serve as an exit for the extreme trail known as Sidewinder, however, it is not for the faint of heart. With obstacles such as Buggy Bouncer and The Gauntlet, you are sure to not be bored. This offroad trail takes you quickly into the south end of the Oquirrh Mountain Range, rising in elevation with every inch traveled. This trail is well-used and changes often, providing newer challenges every weekend. Due to its proximity to Rattlesnake and Constrictor, as well as Five Mile Recreation Area, you will probably not be alone along this trail. Be sure to bring plenty of food and water as there are hundreds of miles to explore in the mountains just west of Utah Lake.

Boulder was arguably Utah's last frontier town as it is isolated, remote, and spectacular. Until 1933, the mail was delivered by mules capable of traversing the rough terrain of the area as no roads had been built to the tiny hamlet. As part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's 'New Deal' to relieve record unemployment during the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps was established, and building a road from Escalante to Boulder was a massive task given to four camps assigned to the area. The goal seemed nearly impossible given the deep canyons of the Escalante Staircase and the impassable ridges and ravines of Boulder Mountain, but regardless, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) carved the 38-mile road along Hell's Backbone that included a 109-foot wooden bridge with a 1500-foot drop on each side (along with 22 other bridges). Today, a more modern structure has replaced the wooden bridge, but the breathtaking drop and amazing views remain as you stare directly into the heart of the Box-Death Hollow Wilderness Area. The easy, scenic drive through the Dixie National Forest is a visual delight, making for a fantastic family-friendly adventure that can easily be turned into an overnight stay at one of many dispersed campsites or local improved campgrounds.

FR 3301 is a section of The Great Western Trail through the Dixie National Forest. The Great Western is a transcontinental route across Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and Arizona. FR 3301 starts easily enough, getting progressively more challenging as you go along. It becomes steep, narrow, and very rocky, with a couple of washed-out areas toward the trail's end. Camping is permitted in designated dispersed campsites only. They are clearly marked throughout the trail. FR 3301 also runs parallel with Bryce Canyon National Park offering views of "Little Bryce Canyon" and a variety of wildlife.

Crystal Geyser Jeep Trail is a trip through rural Utah's rugged desert country. This trail defines the term hitting the dusty trail. Layered multi-colored hills and boulder-lined cliffs surround this road. Considered the easy part of the famous Easter Jeep Safari Crystal Geyser route, this trail has unique desert views and multi-layered pinnacles of dirt that look like children's sand art. The area is rugged, isolated, and unpopulated, helping protect and repopulate the region's rare Desert Big Horn Sheep and Pronghorns.

Widow Maker is a 1.3-mile-long optional spur route on the north end of the Metal Masher trail in Moab, Utah. The main feature of this spur is a steep and slick 10-foot vertical waterfall climb with no bypass. This difficult and technical obstacle requires a high degree of skill and precision to navigate successfully. The wall is known as "Widow Maker" because of the difficulty of getting over it and the high potential for rollover. This trail is not recommended for novice drivers or those with less capable vehicles. Additionally, short-wheelbase vehicles will find this obstacle exceptionally difficult to conquer. Large tires, dual lockers, plenty of horsepower, and a longer wheelbase will help you immensely.

Baby Lions Back is a quick must-do side trip when driving Hell's Revenge or Fins and Things. The short drive takes 15 minutes or less and provides a thrill that you will remember for a long time. It is a one-way trail. Going up is not the issue, but coming down is very steep and ends in a pool of water that forms after rains or snow melt. The pool can be well above your vehicle's fording capacity. Exiting, you drive through one of the many designated campgrounds in the Sand Flats Recreation Area.

In Moab, The La Sal Mountains are usually in view and seemingly towering out of the desert. With its triangular sides, Mount Tukuhnikivatz is the most famed peak of the La Sal's and grabs most of the attention. This offroad trail takes you to the appropriately named "Tukuhnikivatz Arch," which perfectly frames the famous mountain. While there is no easy way to pronounce the name, it is said to mean "where the sun sets last" in a native language.

After an adrenaline-charged day of tackling Moab's more demanding offroad trails, Arth's Pasture serves as the perfect cooldown. While less technical, this trail doesn't compromise on the natural spectacle; it offers consistent, picturesque views toward the La Sal Mountains, making it a favorite spot for photo ops. As you reach the trail's end, the vista reveals the Manti-La Sal National Forest Mountain range and its surrounding wilderness. Although initially an exit route for the more intense Metal Masher, Arth's Pasture holds its own as a standalone out-and-back journey. For those looking to extend their adventure, this trail pairs excellently with nearby routes like Gemini Bridges, Four Arches Canyon, and Bull Canyon, making it an essential part of a full day of scenic yet manageable wheeling.