Moab, Utah is one of the premier off-road and four-wheel drive destinations. Comprised of some of the most well-known trails in all of the United States, it has trail types that suit all drivers' wheeling desires. Some would call it an "off-roader's paradise". Amongst these trails, Steel Bender is one of the more popular "hard" trails in the entire area. Comprised of sand, dirt, loose rocks, and some slick rock, this trail offers drivers everything they are looking for and more.
The trailhead for Steel Bender Trail is on the right side.
There isn't much space to air down on the trail so it is recommended that you air down prior to hitting this trail.
I'm a little bummed this only includes the loop. The rest of this trail is awesome, despite becoming pretty gnarly because of one obstacle in particular. There's a wall right after leaving the loop that is just massive (see 3rd photo below) and the only "bypass" it has looks super tippy. If you take it, I suggest using your E-Brake as you go down it so your rear wheels are braking. Not sure how short wheelbases will handle that wall (only had 4 door vehicles).
This whole trail is a lot of fun and really scenic. I took my 80 Series LC through, but I'd be very cautious with IFS vehicles in some places.
Some additional photos/videos on my IG post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCj-D_6hGz7/
Ran this trail during EJS. It was extremely busy as expected. The start of the trail is very pretty. Not sure if it is always like that, or if it is just green due to all the winter moisture this year. There was a vendor run in front of us with a ton of rigs, so we squirted off at waypoint 4 and hit flat pass which has some bigger obstacles. I think waypoint 2 is a lot tougher than described. The right side is probably the harder lines, while left is easier. It's not super tough, just a little harder than the pics make it look.
This was an awesome trail (well as much as we finished). I was with 4 rigs (TJ, XJ, S10 and a Ramcharger all 35's+). This trail was definitely doable but provided just enough of a challenge for us. Unfortunately, the XJ broke an ignition switch just after the hard obstacle at waypoint 6 so we decided to turn back at that point. Very fun trail, I highly recommend!
Joshua Noesser grew up in Southern California but has lived in different parts of the country during his young adult life. Josh was first turned to four wheeling when he road with one of his friends dad up Surprise Canyon in the Panamint Valley at age14. After nearly 3 different roll overs later and a half dozen intense waterfalls, Josh was hooked. At 16 he purchased his first Jeep a CJ 7 and by 17 was putting his first locker in it.
Currently, Josh is the owner and CEO of Nybble, an IT Solutions Company based in Orange County, California. Nybble isn't your normal IT company where everyone stays in and plays video games. Nybble's average company trip is out on the trails since a good amount of his staff enjoy wheeling too. As Josh likes to say, he offers the only IT Company with the ability to provide services in extreme locations. "If you want a server at the top of The Hammers, we will take care of that for you."
Today you can find Josh out on the trail behind the wheel in one of his three different off-road vehicles. See the vehicles below for more information.
If you ever run into Josh, please say high, he is a very friendly person and is always happy to have a new person join the group.
