Altitude
Camping
Desert
Forest
Ghost Town
Iconic
Mine
Mud
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Wash
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ORV Park
Are you looking for a trail close to Moab that provides an iconic Moab experience and is a Jeep Badge of Honor Trail? Then start the motor and head to Sand Flats Recreation Area for Fins and Things! This particular trail packs a tremendous amount of fun and grand views of the La Sal Mountains in the background while driving on the mysterious-looking "Fins and Things." "Fins" are the Navajo Sandstone slickrock formations northeast of Moab, and the "things" are what remain as the fins erode. The fins started as wind-blown dunes over 200 million years ago that got cemented into sandstone, and they are now going full circle back to sand blowing in the wind. The term "slickrock" emerged when early western settlers crossed this sandstone in wagons with wood wheels on steel rims. Those steel rims definitely didn't have the traction we have today with rubber tires. As a matter of fact, they found it rather "slick." Imagine facing down a 40-degree slope on wood and steel wheels! Fins and Things is the penultimate trail for proving just how grippy slickrock really is. You'll probably have a pretty tight grip on your seat cushion as well.
Welcome to Hell's Revenge, the world's most famous slickrock trail. Slickrock is petrified sand. The slickrock moniker dates back to when horse-drawn wagons would try to cross the seemingly easily traversed undulating sandstone. Metal horseshoes and steel-rimmed wagon wheels found no grip on the sandstone. Thus, it was called slickrock. Modern tires love the course sandstone. Moab's Hell's Revenge is considered a must-do for many wheelers. It's also in most folks' top 5 Jeep Badge of Honor Trails. When picturing Moab, the slickrock rollercoaster, fins, steep climbs, insane traction, and the two rubber tracks cresting over the hills off into the distance of Hell's Revenge is what comes to mind. If eavesdropping on conversations at any Moab watering hole, you'll hear names like Hell's Gate, The Hot Tubs, Car Wash, Micky's Hot Tub, The Escalator, and Tip Over Challenge mentioned reverently and constantly at the heart of any good Moab story. They are all on Hell's Revenge.
Whenever you see the photo of an offroad-ready rig on a sandstone slab jutting out over a glorious-looking red valley, that's this trail. That is right, Top of the World is a famous trail! It is most famous for its challenge and iconic views, let alone being a Jeep Badge of Honor Trail. The inspirational view from the top is going to automatically increase your bucket list to include Onion Creek, which you will have a birdseye view of as you nest on the perch above. The challenging drive to the top, its 360° view, and the unique photo opportunity make Top of the World a story you will tell for years to come.
D1167 is a short, dead-end spur road off Mineral Bottom that leads to a couple of campsites at the cliff edge overlooking Mineral Canyon. Any vehicle can easily travel the road. The trail surface is primarily sand with sections of flat slickrock. The first campsite is large and wide open, with plenty of level space on top of the slickrock accommodating several tents and vehicles. Against another canyon area, the second campsite is again large and open, but has more uneven ground, making it harder to support ground tents. Rooftop tents are a great option at the second campsite.
Located off Mineral Bottom, D1168 is a 1.5-mile-long dead-end trail that leads to the Utah mecca of Highline, the Fruit Bowl Highline area. This rutty, rough, and chunky slickrock trail leads past a dozen designated camping areas and ends at a large parking lot with a pit toilet. This popular area plays host to the annual GGBY Highline Festival around Thanksgiving. A short, half-mile hike from the parking lot leads to a cliffside where highliners, base jumpers, and rope swingers enjoy amazing views against the backdrop of Utah's red rock canyons. Camping along the trail is only allowed in designated spots. This trail is best suited for high clearance 4WD vehicles. Airing down is unnecessary but dramatically improves your comfort while driving the trail.
D116 is a 1.6-mile dead-end spur road off Mineral Bottom, ending at an incredible overlook of Taylor Canyon and the Canyonlands National Park. The trail passes a cattle grazing area and travels across several dry desert washes. The terrain is a mix of sand and rock, extremely rough and bumpy, with one 10"-12" slickrock ledge you will need to contend with. As you get closer to the trail's end, the sand becomes more widespread and becomes substantially softer and deeper. The cliffside ending is highly scenic, with epic views of Buck Mesa, the Colorado River, Taylor Canyon, and the Taylor Canyon Road. The road has two campsites on the plateau along the drive, with an additional 3-4 campsites near the rim edge, depending on how close you want to squeeze to your neighbor. The campsites are best for vehicle camping, rooftop tents, ground tents, and small offroad trails. Large tents will have a hard time finding usable space.
The rough and rocky terrain makes using a high clearance, 4WD vehicle prudent.
Located just south of Hole 'N' The Rock roadside attraction, D1649 is a short, dead-end camping spur at the eastern end of Kane Creek Canyon. The road houses nearly a dozen dispersed campsites depending on how close you want to be to your neighbor. Camp views are vast as you look past numerous rock formations and tall sandstone fins along the edge of Muleshoe Canyon. The road surface is a mix of small rocks, sand, and slickrock, with a few bumps and dips along the way. It is suitable for any vehicle, including RVs and travel trailers.
D2745 is slightly more difficult than its neighbors in this region. Bridging the gap between Dripping Springs, Waypoint 2, and D2707, this mixed-surface trail offers a few small rocky obstacles, where a slight lift aids in protecting your undercarriage. Running this trail from north to south offers a more significant challenge, as all obstacles will be uphill. There are no campsites along this trail.
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