Upper Terminator

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4.7/5 (9 reviews)
New River, Arizona (Yavapai County)
Last Updated: 04/22/2023

Trail Information

Highlights

Upper Terminator is a Technical Vehicle route located within the Table Mesa Recreation Area, about 45 minutes north of Phoenix. The trail follows a desert wash and travels over numerous water-chiseled rock obstacles. This challenging trail offers a great mixture of boulders, water, off-camber notches, tight squeezes, and an uncountable number of speed-controlling rock ledges. Upper Terminator is sure to test your mental fortitude and your vehicle's capabilities.


Trail Difficulty and Assessment

Trail Navigation

Trail Reviews

4.7/5 (9)
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 03/19/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

This is one of my favorite trails in AZ! We make a day of it and do Upper, Lower Terminator and Predator (the trifecta!). Upper is shorter and a tad easier than Lower but still has a lot of challenges. You can choose harder or easier options for most obstacles. Recommend lockers for the best experience!! (I’m on 37’s).
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Official Crew
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122850
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 02/18/2023
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Always a fun day on this trail. A lot of standing water from recent rains, but trail is in good shape.
Trail Review: Upper Terminator - Ryan Boudreau
Trail Review: Upper Terminator - Ryan Boudreau
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Official Crew
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122850
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 10/15/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Visited as part of the 2022 Unlimited LJ Adventure. What an awesome day! Fun trail. Definitely easier than lower terminator in my opinion.
Trail Review: Upper Terminator - Ryan Boudreau
Trail Review: Upper Terminator - Ryan Boudreau
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5000
Open
Rated 5/5
Visited: 07/16/2022
Difficulty Accuracy: Spot On

Awesome technical trail. I think the rating is fair, though I'd peg it as a solid 6 as opposed to a 5. Our group ran both Upper and Lower Terminators on a Saturday night, starting just before sunset. What an amazing experience in the dark - things got a little spicy with a monsoon that popped up while we were out. Despite its short length, you'll spend at least 2 hours on this trail. Our group included some pretty built up JK and JL on 37s, a WJ on 37s, and my JL on 35's with a 2.5" lift. Unless you're an impeccable driver, I'd recommend skids and sliders if you're on 35's with a long wheelbase like I am. Don't go alone. Our group had to pull out the tow strap twice, mostly due to some bad lines or biting off more than we could chew. Daylight probably would have made things easier.
Trail Review: Upper Terminator - Ryan
Trail Review: Upper Terminator - Ryan
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Open
Rated 4/5
Visited: 10/09/2021
Difficulty Accuracy: Harder

This is one or those trails that is scary the entire time but also really fun. Maybe it’s cause this was my first real rock crawl trail but it felt like this was the max difficulty I would wanna do. At least with a JK on 35”s. My buddy didn’t have a Rubicon so he really struggled. I had to winch him up a few times. We had to use a spotter the entire time. Overall it was a great experience but very tough for 3.5” lift and 35” tires.
Trail Review: Upper Terminator - Chris Price
Trail Review: Upper Terminator - Chris Price
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