FREE PREVIEW Utah Moab Backroads and 4WD - Slee Off-Road

Contents
Page
6
7
8
10
Topic
Trails Listed by Area
Trail Locator Map
Trails Listed by Difficulty, Ratings Defined
Trails Listed Alphabetically & Author’s Favorites
11
INTRODUCTION
13
13
14
16
16
18
20
21
23
24
24
25
25
31
32
How to Use This Book
Selecting the Right Trail for Your Vehicle
Moab and Its Backcountry
Moab Easter Jeep Safari
Safety Tips
Desert Survival
Checklist
Your Responsibilities as a Backcountry Driver
Canyonlands National Park
Arches National Park
National Forest Service & Bureau of Land Management
Route-Finding Tips
Backcountry Driving Lessons
Other Activities, Final Comments
Map Legend
33
THE TRAILS
34
74
140
172
214
Area 1-Northwest Moab & Arches National Park
Area 2-Central Moab
Area 3-East Moab & Manti-La Sal National Forest
Area 4-Southwest Moab & Canyonlands National Park
Extreme Trails
(Individual trails listed on next page)
215 APPENDIX
216
217
218
220
221
222
Glossary
Helpful Books and Maps
Addresses & Phone Numbers
Moab 4x4 Clubs, Safari Contact Information
About the Author
ATV Trails Guide, Moab, UT
Elephant Hill, Trail #53, Difficult.
4
5
Trails Listed by Area
Pg.
No./Trail, Rating (Easy, Mod., Diff.)
34 AREA 1
Northwest Moab &
Arches National Park
36
40
42
44
46
50
52
56
58
62
64
66
68
70
72
74
76
78
82
84
86
88
92
98
100
102
104
108
112
116
120
122
126
130
134
136
1. Book Cliffs, Sego Canyon (E)
2. White Wash Sand Dunes (M)
3. Tower Arch (M)
4. Tusher Tunnel (E)
5. Hidden Canyon Overlook (M)
6. Hidden Canyon (E)
7. Bartlett Overlook (D)
8. Bartlett Wash Road (E)
9. Sevenmile Rim (D)
10. Rainbow Terrace (M)
11. Secret Spire,
Dellenbaugh Tunnel (M)
12. Spring Canyon Point (E)
13. Spring Canyon Bottom (E)
14. Hey Joe Canyon (M)
15. Mineral Point (E)
AREA 2
Central Moab
16. Gemini Bridges (E)
17. Metal Masher (D)
18. Long Canyon (E)
19. Bull Canyon (M)
20. Gold Bar Rim (D)
21. Poison Spider Mesa (D)
22. Golden Spike (D)
23. Cliff Hanger (D)
24. Hurrah Pass (E)
25. Moab Rim (D)
26. Pritchett Canyon (D)
27. Kane Creek Canyon (D)
28. Behind the Rocks (D)
29. Strike Ravine (D)
30. Picture Frame Arch (E)
31. Flat Iron Mesa (D)
32. Hell’s Revenge (D)
33. Fins & Things (D)
34. Sand Flats Road (E)
35. Steel Bender (D)
Pg.
No./Trail, Rating (Easy, Mod., Diff.)
144
148
150
152
156
160
164
168
36. Onion Creek,
Fisher Towers (E)
37. Dome Plateau (M)
38. Top of the World (D)
39. Dolores River Overlook (E)
40. Rose Garden Hill (D)
41. Thompson Canyon,
Polar Mesa (M)
42. Castleton Gateway Road (E)
43. Geyser Pass (E)
44. La Sal Pass (M)
172 AREA 4
Southwest Moab &
Canyonlands
National Park
174
178
184
188
190
194
196
200
202
206
210
45. Potash Road,
Shafer Switchbacks (E)
46. White Rim (M)
47. Lathrop Canyon (M)
48. Chicken Corners (M)
49. Lockhart Basin (D)
50. Lockhart Canyon (M)
51. Canyon Rim Overlooks (E)
52. Colorado River Overlook (M)
53. Elephant Hill (D)
54. Lavender Canyon (M)
55. Beef Basin (E)
Area
Detailed
Below
TO SALT
LAKE CITY
70
Floy
Ruby
Ranch
Road
10
12
11
14
13
15
For information on
ATV trails, see page 222.
DEAD
HORSE
POINT
STATE
PARK
17
16 20
22
19
21
279
18
24
31
42
34
La Sal
Mtn. Loop
Road
43
AREA 4
Pg. 172
53
AREA 2
Pg. 74
46
La Sal
Needles
Overlook
Road
211
Colorado
River
MANTILA SAL
NATIONAL
FOREST
44
29
51
Colorado
River
52
28
30
50
39
41
Castleton/
Gateway
Road
Moab
49
47
40
32 33
27
48
Pg. 140
38
36
25
191 35
23 26
46
Green
River
AREA 3
128
45
Dewey
Bridge
37
3
9
Colorado
River
128
ARCHES
NATIONAL
PARK
5
7 6 4
8
Exit 214
Cisco
Note: Exit numbers have changed
recently. Correct as of Jan. 2008.
313
CANYONLANDS
NATIONAL
PARK
Exit
204
70
Exit
187
Blue
Hills
Rd.
Dubinky
Well
Road
TO GRAND
JUNCTION
Thompson
Springs
191
AREA 1
Green
River
1
Exit
182
2
Pg. 34
See individual area maps
for more detail.
Crescent
Junction
Exit
175
214 Extreme Trails
Photos, directions and
GPS locations:
• Area BFE
• Potato Salad Hill
• Rusty Nail
Easy Trails
Moderate Trails
Difficult Trails
UTAH
140 AREA 3
East Moab &
Manti-La Sal
National Forest
142
Trail Locator Map
Salt Lake
City
TO
COLORADO
N
191
0
miles
10
54
55
211
To
Monticello
6
7
Trails Listed by Difficulty
Moderate
*u
ail
tr
Go to
*
www.funtreks.com
p da t e s
Trail Ratings
Defined
More Difficult
Trails are grouped into three
major categories: easy, moderate and difficult. Within
each group, trails at the top
of the list are easier than
at the bottom. If you drive
a trail and find it too easy,
try one lower on the list.
Conversely, if you find a trail
too difficult, try one higher
on the list. You may have to
skip several trails on the list
to find a significant difference.
Easier
Easy
Pg. No./Trail
160 42. Castleton Gateway Road
134 34 Sand Flats Road
56 8. Bartlett Wash Road
164 43. Geyser Pass
142 36. Onion Creek, Fisher Towers
66 12.Spring Canyon Point
196 51.Canyon Rim Overlooks
36 1. Book Cliffs, Sego Canyon
100 24.Hurrah Pass
120 30.Picture Frame Arch
44 4. Tusher Tunnel
50 6. Hidden Canyon
72 15.Mineral Point
76 16.Gemini Bridges
210 55.Beef Basin
150 39.Dolores River Overlook
82 18.Long Canyon
68 13.Spring Canyon Bottom
174 45.Potash Rd., Shafer Switchbacks
Pg.
194
156
206
200
40
64
178
168
42
184
188
46
84
62
144
70
Easy: Gravel, dirt, clay, sand, or
Moderate: Rutted dirt or rocky
road suitable for most sport utility
vehicles. Careful tire placement is
often necessary. Four-wheel drive,
low range, and high ground clearance required. Standard factory skid
plates and tow hooks recommended
on many trails. Undercarriage may
scrape occasionally. Some grades
fairly steep but manageable if dry.
Soft sand possible. Sideways tilt will
require caution. Narrow shelf roads
possible. Backing may be necessary
to pass. Water depths passable for
stock high-clearance vehicles except
during periods of heavy runoff. Mud
holes may be present especially in
the spring. Rock-stacking may be
necessary in some cases. Brush may
touch vehicle.
mildly rocky road. Gentle grades.
Water levels low except during
periods of heavy runoff. Full-width
Trail ratings are very subjective.
single lane or wider with adequate
Conditions change for many reasons, room to pass most of the time.
Where shelf conditions exist, road
including weather and time of year.
is wide and well-maintained with
An easy trail can quickly become
difficult when washed out by a rain- minor sideways tilt. Four-wheel
drive recommended on most trails
storm or blocked by a fallen rock.
but some are suitable for twoYou must be the final judge of a
wheel drive under dry conditions.
trail’s condition on the day you drive Clay surface roads, when wet, can
it. If any part of a trail is difficult,
significantly increase difficult or
the entire trail is rated difficult. You may be impassable.
may be able to drive a significant
portion of a trail before reaching
the difficult spot. Read each trail
description carefully for specific
information.
8
No./Trail
50.Lockhart Canyon
41.Thompson Canyon, Polar Mesa
54.Lavender Canyon
52.Colorado River Overlook
2. White Wash Sand Dunes
11.Secret Spire, Dellenbaugh Tun.
46.White Rim
44.La Sal Pass
3. Tower Arch
47.Lathrop Canyon
48.Chicken Corners
5. Hidden Canyon Overlook
19.Bull Canyon
10.Rainbow Terrace
37.Dome Plateau
14.Hey Joe Canyon
Difficult
Pg.
58
148
52
130
190
202
116
108
98
126
152
88
122
78
86
136
102
92
112
104
No./Trail
9. Sevenmile Rim
38.Top of the World
7. Bartlett Overlook
33.Fins & Things
49.Lockhart Basin
53.Elephant Hill
29.Strike Ravine
27.Kane Creek Canyon
23.Cliff Hanger
32.Hell's Revenge
40.Rose Garden Hill
21.Poison Spider Mesa
31.Flat Iron Mesa
17.Metal Masher
20.Gold Bar Rim
35.Steel Bender
25.Moab Rim
22.Golden Spike
28.Behind the Rocks
26.Pritchett Canyon
Difficult: Some trails suitable for
more aggressive stock vehicles but
most trails require vehicle modification. Lifts, differential lockers,
aggressive articulation, and/or
winches recommended in many
cases. Skid plates and tow hooks
required. Body damage possible.
Grades can be steep with severe
ground undulation. Sideways tilt
can be extreme. Sand hills very
steep with soft downslopes. Deep
water crossings possible. Shelf roads
extremely narrow; use caution in
full-size vehicle. Read trail description carefully. Passing may be difficult with backing required for long
distances. Brush may scratch sides
of vehicle.
9
AREA 2
19. Bull Canyon (M)
20. Gold Bar Rim (D)
21. Poison Spider Mesa (D)
22. Golden Spike (D)
Central Moab
23. Cliff Hanger (D)
24. Hurrah Pass (E)
16. Gemini Bridges (E) 25. Moab Rim (D)
17. Metal Masher (D) 26. Pritchett Canyon (D)
18. Long Canyon (E) 27. Kane Creek Cyn. (D)
28. Behind the Rocks (D)
29. Strike Ravine (D)
30. Picture Frame Arch (E)
31. Flat Iron Mesa (D)
32. Hell’s Revenge (D)
33. Fins & Things (D)
34. Sand Flats Road (E)
35. Steel Bender (D)
To I-70,
Crescent
Junction
To Area 3,
I-70, Cisco
N
ARCHES
NATIONAL
PARK
313
17
Moab
128
33
22
20
16
313
32
279
19
128
Colorado
River
191
34
279
21
18
DEAD
HORSE
POINT
STATE
PARK
25
26
23
Potato Salad
Hill
Kane
Creek
Road
191
35
Kane
Creek
Road
CANYONLANDS
NATIONAL
PARK
To MantiLa Sal
N.F.
28
Chicken Corners
Trail #48, see
Area 4
Easy
Moderate
Difficult
Fourteen of twenty trails in Area 2 are rated difficult. They include nationally known names like Poison Spider Mesa, Golden Spike, Moab Rim,
Pritchett Canyon, Behind the Rocks and Hell’s Revenge. Obstacles include,
among others, White Knuckle Hill, the Golden Crack, Rocker Knocker,
High Dive, Hell's Gate and the Escalator. Many of the trails are featured
in the popular Easter Jeep Safari. Where possible, trails match the routes
driven during the safari. However, some longer routes have been shortened
and include only the best parts of the trails. Other routes like Steel Bender,
Bull Canyon and Hell's Revenge have been expanded, with new side trips
and obstacles. When I drove Area 2 back in 1999, for the first edition of this
book, route-finding on slickrock trails was almost impossible. This time,
trails were better marked with painted symbols and black tire marks. It was
much easier to find my way. This allowed me to simplify my directions and
to use fewer GPS waypoints. Strike Ravine, Trail #29, is new to this book.
The trail has taken on extra importance because of its proximity to newly
opened Area BFE, a privately owned extreme 4x4 playground open to the
public. (To find Area BFE, see page 214.)
Spanish
Valley
Drive
24
Colorado
River
AREA 2
Central Moab
30
29
27
Area
BFE
191
Colorado
River
Grid size - 5 miles
© 2008 FunTreks, Inc.
74
MINI KEY
Paved
Unpaved
Easy
Moderate
Difficult
More Trails
Shadowed portion of trail
described in text.
31
To
La Sal
46
191
To Area 4,
Monticello
Descending final section of Moab Rim, Trail #25, above the Colorado River, Difficult.
75
Gemini Bridges 16
Location: From Moab, head north on Highway 191 about 10 miles and turn
left into a large parking lot. The turn is 1.3 miles before Highway 313.
Difficulty: Easy. The once-rocky road has been tamed with rock-grinding
equipment. One steep hill after Waypoint 02 still requires four-wheel drive.
Features: Beautiful scenery on way to remarkable Gemini Bridges. The
bridges are not apparent until you get close and look down. An extremely
popular mountain bike route. Please slow down to minimize dust when
passing. To view bridges from below, see Bull Canyon, Trail #19. Turn left
on road before Gooney Bird Rock for good camp spots.
Mountain bikers walk across one of two bridges. It's a long way down, so be careful.
Campground
Gemini Bridges
To I-70
313
N
To
Canyonlands
National
Park
TO
METAL
MASHER
Trail #17
View from high shelf road.
GPS Waypoints (Datum WGS84)
01
02
03
04
05
06
76
N 38º 39.38´
N 38º 36.00´
N 38º 35.78´
N 38º 35.23´
N 38º 35.52´
N 38º 35.74´
W 109º 40.66´
W 109º 40.41´
W 109º 41.63´
W 109º 42.58´
W 109º 43.47´
W 109º 44.18´
To
Hwy.
313
Gate
BLM
LAND
01
Gooney
Bird Rock
Arths
Pasture
P
02
TO
GOLD
BAR RIM
TO Trail #20
BULL
Gemini CANYON
Bridges Trail #19
03
04
BLM
LAND
Four-Arches
Canyon
P
Gemini
Bridges
Road
High
shelf
road
Start
TO
METAL
MASHER
Trail #17
05
06
191
313
To Moab
MINI KEY
Paved
Unpaved
Easy
Moderate
Difficult
More Trails
Shadowed portion of trail
described in text.
© 2008 FunTreks, Inc.
Grid size - 1 mile
Time & Distance: It is 7.8 miles to Gemini Bridges and another 5.6 miles
to Highway 313. Allow 2 to 3 hours for this 13.4-mile trip, plus return time.
Trail Description: Reset odometer when you turn left off Highway 191 [01].
Pass through parking lot, cross railroad tracks and turn left. Follow road south
along the tracks and turn right uphill in less than a mile. Follow twisting shelf
road as it continues south, high above Highway 191. Watch for busy traffic.
Descend into a wide valley and continue south past distinctive Gooney Bird
Rock. At 4.9 miles [02], turn right at T intersection and climb steep hill. Bear
right at 5.4 miles (left goes to Bull Canyon, Trail #19). Bear left at 6.5 miles
[03] (right goes to Metal Masher, Trail #17). At 7.5 miles, bear left (right
bypasses Gemini Bridges). Stay left into clearing at 7.7 miles. Continue short
distance and find a place to park at 7.8 miles [04]. Hike 0.2 miles south downhill to arches (trail is marked with white painted dashes).
Return Trip: Return the way you came or exit west to Highway 313. To exit
west, reset odometer, head north from where you parked and turn left. At
0.9 miles [05], turn right at T (left goes to interesting Four Arches Canyon).
At 1.6 miles [06], turn left on wide gravel road and head west. When you
reach Highway 313 in another 3.7 miles, turn right to return to Moab. Left
goes to Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. You
can also return to Moab by turning left on Highway 313 and going down
Long Canyon, Trail #18. From there, a left on Highway 279 returns to 191.
Services: Gas and snacks available at campground on Highway 191, just
north of Highway 313. Fee parking lot at start sometimes has porta-potty.
Vault toilets at view areas along Highway 313.
Trail Information: BLM, Moab Field Office (see appendix).
77
Bull Canyon 19
Starting Point: From Moab, head north on Highway 191 about 10 miles
and turn left into parking lot for Gemini Bridges, Trail #16. Reset odometer.
Cross railroad tracks and turn left. In less than a mile, follow the road right
uphill, then south along a high shelf road. Continue through valley past
Gooney Bird Rock to T intersection at 4.9 miles. (Gold Bar Rim goes left
here.) Turn right and climb steep hill. Turn left at 5.4 miles to start.
Difficulty: Moderate. Much of this trail follows a rocky creek bed which
can change after storms. A couple of difficult spots have bypasses. Suitable
for aggressive, high-clearance SUVs.
Difficult spots have bypasses.
Features: Fun drive through narrow canyons and sandy swales that goes
past hiking trailhead to bottom of Gemini Bridges. Park here and hike short
distance to incredible view of bridges from below. Trail continues west from
Waypoint 04 and eventually narrows where you must turn around. Take
short trip south to Surprise Overlook into gaping Day Canyon.
Sandy road through canyon is fun to drive.
Bull Canyon
TO
HWY.
313
TO HWY. 191
GOLD BAR
RIM
Trail #20
Steep
hill
METAL MASHER
Trail #17
01
MINI KEY
Paved
Unpaved
Easy
Moderate
Difficult
More Trails
Shadowed portion of trail
described in text.
Start
N
05
Gemini
Bridges
Hike to bottom of Gemini Bridges.
BLM
LAND
GEMINI
BRIDGES
Trail #16
04
BLM
LAND
Little
Canyon
(Difficult)
02
03
Grid size - 0.5 miles
06
Day
Canyon
© 2008 FunTreks, Inc.
Surprise
Overlook
GPS Waypoints displayed in Degrees and Decimal Minutes (Datum WGS84)
01
02
03
84
N 38º 35.80´ W 109º 40.87´
N 38º 34.93´ W 109º 40.90´
N 38º 34.69´ W 109º 40.66´
04
05
06
N 38º 34.88´ W 109º 42.13´
N 38º 35.07´ W 109º 42.30´
N 38º 34.62´ W 109º 40.37´
Time & Distance: From start to bridges is about 3.2 miles. Trail continues
about a mile west after the hiking trail. Surprise Overlook is 0.4 miles more.
This trip, by itself, is a good half day adventure from Moab.
Trail Description: Reset odometer as you turn left off Gemini Bridges Road
[01]. Head south on wide road that gradually narrows and gets rougher.
Stay right at 1.1 miles [02]. (Road to left is difficult side trip through Little
Canyon that connects to Gold Bar Rim, Trail #20.) At 1.5 miles, turn right
downhill into Bull Canyon [03]. Trail winds through narrow wash then
opens up into a valley with towering rock walls. Stay on the main route
at all times. Stay off illegal side hills. Continue straight at 2.1 and left at
2.9. Wind between sand hills, until you reach hiking trail on right at about
3.2 miles [04]. Park here and hike north about 0.3 miles to reach bottom of
Gemini Bridges. [05]. Trail continues west and narrows to point where it is
difficult to turn around. Use caution not to go too far.
To reach Surprise Overlook, return to Waypoint 03 and turn right. Stay
left in sandy wash until trail ends at sandy knoll after another 0.4 miles [06].
Walk south for view into Day Canyon far below. Careful, no guardrails.
Return Trip: Return the way you came. (Option: Difficult Little Canyon)
Services: Gas at campground on Highway 191, just north of Highway 313.
Trail Information: BLM, Moab Field Office (see appendix).
85
Cliff Hanger
Steep ledges at start of trail.
Narrow shelf road along cliff edge.
23
Starting Point: From the McDonald's Restaurant on Highway 191 on the
south side of Moab, head west on Kane Creek Road. Bear left at the first
major fork and follow Kane Creek Road south along the river. Continue
on a wide gravel road after pavement ends. After a parking lot for bikers,
continue a bit further to Amasa Back Bike Trail on the right. Total distance
from McDonalds is 5.9 miles.
Difficulty: Difficult. This trail was filled in with dirt for maintenance
recently, but the dirt is quickly washing away. Make no mistake, this trail is
strictly hardcore with many big ledges and challenging obstacles. Although
the big step on the ledge road is tamed somewhat, a new tippy spot has
developed farther down the trail. Trail not suitable for most stock vehicles.
Pick your level of difficulty at the Z-Turn.
Features: Real challenges with incredible scenery, especially at the end.
Heavy bike traffic. Be courteous. Pull over and let bikers pass.
Time & Distance: Main route is 4.3 miles one way. Add 1.4 miles for side
trip to overlook. Allow 3 to 4 hours for everything.
Vehicle slips dangerously off ledge at Waypoint 03.
TO MOAB
Cliff Hanger
N
TO TRAIL #45
BLM
LAND
Dangerous
tippy spot
279
Start of
Trail #21
P
279
V
COLORADO RI
03
04
Jackson Ladder
bike carry
MINI KEY
Paved
Unpaved
Easy
Moderate
Difficult
More Trails
Shadowed portion of trail
described in text.
Turn around at final overlook.
Big step
on ledge
road.
BLM
LAND
P
Kane
Creek
Road
ER
01
Start
Jackson
Hole
Z-Turn
02
Kane
TO TRAILS
#24, #27 Creek Road
Grid size - 0.5 miles
© 2008 FunTreks, Inc.
GPS Waypoints displayed in Degrees and Decimal Minutes (Datum WGS84)
01
02
98
N 38º 31.45´ W 109º 36.10´
N 38º 31.15´ W 109º 37.12´
03
04
N 38º 31.80´ W 109º 38.01´
N 38º 31.63´ W 109º 38.54´
Trail Description: Reset odometer as you turn right off Kane Creek Road
[01]. Air drive down immediately and drop down steep ledges. At bottom of
hill, cross creek, follow trail to left up difficult ledge. Stay right at 0.4 miles.
Driver's choice at 1.1 miles; circle around to right or cut across slickrock.
Bear right at 1.7 where a lesser road goes left before reaching the Z-Turn at
1.8 miles. Zigzag right then left uphill. Stay left at 2.2 miles [02]. Road on
right goes to great overlook of Poison Spider Mesa and Colorado River.
As you proceed north on the main trail, it narrows and drops down
along the cliff edge with a big step down at 2.5. Continue straight at 3.1
where a lesser road goes right to another overlook. Be very careful at 3.3
miles [03]. You must straddle a narrow ledge that tips you to the right. It's
easy to roll over if your right tire slips into the soft dirt. The trail appears to
end at 3.5. Make a hard right here up some big ledges. Once on top, swing
right then back to the left. At 3.6, climb to opening at top of barren slickrock. At 4.0, stay left up bank. Turn around at scenic viewpoint at 4.3 miles
[04]. Great spot for lunch. Caution: dangerous cliffs have no guardrails.
Return Trip: Return the way you came. Option: Add side trip to overlook.
Services: None. Return to Moab.
Trail Information: BLM, Moab Field Office (see appendix).
99