Moab 4x4 Trails

[Rubisquatch]

Yes, great write up. And glad someone mentioned Gold Bar Rim as that is an awesome trail, but you do need lockers for the main obstacle (pictured above by @Felix808 ). Can’t wait to get back out there. Some pics from my last trip.

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[Felix808]

Yes, great write up. And glad someone mentioned Gold Bar Rim as that is an awesome trail, but you do need lockers for the main obstacle (pictured above by @Felix808 ). Can’t wait to get back out there. Some pics from my last trip.

Yep, Gold Bar Rim was one of my favorites.

 

[Hey19]

This whole thread is making me itch to get back there...

I'm fortunate it's only a 6 hour drive from me, good long weekend trip.

 

[Mustang_75_99]

This whole thread is making me itch to get back there...

I'm fortunate it's only a 6 hour drive from me, good long weekend trip.

I think Google maps said it was a 18/19 hour drive for me....so I better have everything planned out well to make the most of it!

 

[Villageidit]

I think Google maps said it was a 18/19 hour drive for me....so I better have everything planned out well to make the most of it!

Google says 24 hours from Eastern Tennessee. Headed there in April(first time) and appreciate all the tips and trails mentioned in this thread.

 

[timhood]

This whole thread is making me itch to get back there...

I'm fortunate it's only a 6 hour drive from me, good long weekend trip.

Where is there a Bethlehem within 6 hours of Moab?

 

[Hey19]

Where is there a Bethlehem within 6 hours of Moab?

So the town is called Belen, which is Spanish for Bethlehem and is 35 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico.

 

[BrentC]

I thought I’d add the other awesome things that can be done in Moab while you’re there:
- side trips to Arches Nat’l Park, and areas south of town
- mtn biking on all the named trails above plus many singletracks guaranteed to push your limits
- dirt biking on same
- quadding and/or side-by-sides
- rock wall climbing/sport climbing
- Lake Powell for water sports

Moab and environs is one of my favourite places on earth.

 

[Broncogoat]

I wrote this up on the other Forum and figured I'd crosspost. Just some of my favorite and bucket list Moab trails and my take on them.

Green 2-3

- Harrah Pass - relatively mild trail. Could be done in 2wd but higher clearance is suggested. Great views from the top.
- Chicken Corners - If you continue over Harrah Pass you'll drop down into the Colorado River basin. This area is sandy and overgrown. The Chicken Corners trail eventually takes you out to a river overlook. The trail is mild but it's easy to take a wrong turn. Bring a GPS.
- Gemini Bridges - Mostly a dirt road. Could be done in 2wd with high clearance. The bridge is actually an arch that you can walk out onto. There are several offshoots from the Gemini Bridges road that range from mild to wild.
- Secret Spire - Pavement and sandy dirt road. 4x4 required.
- Shafer Trail - Could be done in 2wd but you're going to want 4x4 low gear. Part of the White Rim trail. This trail starts in Canyonlands (park pass needed) and drops more than a thousand feet into the Canyonlands landscape via many, many switchbacks. The views are amazing but probably one to avoid if you're not good with heights. The switchbacks are one way and you can head out via Potash Rd (you can't miss the potash ponds; surreal blue).
- Mineral Bottom - Could be done in 2wd but you're going to want 4x4 low gear. The first 30 miles is washboard road. Tne you get to a series of switchbacks down to the banks of the Green River. Keep an eye out for the old wrecked car on the slope between the switchbacks. This is a route for one of the river tour companies so you may get stuck behind a large bus going down or up.

Others that I haven't actually done: Crystal Geyser, Tower Arch, Spring Canyon Point

Moderate 4-5 - 4x4 and low gear required

- Fins and Things - Quintessential Moab trail. The Fins are sandstone slickrock that have eroded into steep climbs and drops. The Things are sandy trails with some small ledges and a little bit of canyon driving. This trail is in the Sand Flats OHV area and requires a day or overnight pass. 4x4 is required and you'll want low gear for the fins. There are some views at the tops of the fins but this trail is more about experiencing the landscape than looking at it.
- Hells Revenge - Also in Sand Flats and very similar terrain to Fins. The climbs and drops are way steeper. Imagine driving up a hill and only being able to see sky until you got to the top. Or driving down a hill so steep that you feel the weight come off your rear suspension. That uncertainty freaks some people out. This is a blue trail if you bypass Hells Revenge and the Escalator. Both are dark red obstacles.
Jax Trax - Bounce around on top of a mesa. This trail is very rocky in spots and tippy in a few as well. There's a mix of sandy trails, rocky trails and slickrock. There are ledges to climb over and down. There are bypasses for most but not all of the larger obstacles. This trail uses old mining roads and there are a multitude of wrong turns to be had. Bring a GPS.
- 7 Mile Rim - This trail has a bit of everything; rocks, ledges, shelf road, tippy sections. Lunch can be had between Merrimac and Monitor Buttes and Uranium Arch is along the way.
- Dome Plateau - Another Mesa top trail. This trail starts ricky, turns sandy (baja, anyone?) and goes back to rocky. The trail is well marked with "DP" signs throughout. There is an arch, a cave with rock art, and mining ruins to explore along the way. A large amount of this trail has no shade; bring lots of water or your own shade with you.
- Elephant Hill - This is a dark blue trail in the Needles district of Canyonlands. You get to experience Elephant Hill immediately upon setting off. It's a narrow rocky hill that is actually two directional even though that's actual impossible to do at the same time. As soon as you go up you get to go down the other side. The inside hill is characterized by several switchbacks. They are too narrow for even the smallest truck to make the turn so you end up having to reverse down one section of the switchback. Once down the hill, the trail is much more mild as you drive through a series of box canyons. There are overlooks and rock art a plenty. The trail makes a big loop and you get to exit via Elephant Hill, complete with reversing up the same switchback.

Difficult - 6-7 Rear locker required. Front Locker highly recommended.

- Hells Gate - An offshoot of Hells Revenge, The gate is a long (70-80 feet) V notch climb that is very steep. To navigate the obstacle, the vehicle needs to straddle the V while keeping enough momentum to climb the hill. The most common accidents on this obstacle are, slipping off the V which lays the side of the vehicle up against the rock wall, or giving it too much gas causing the front wheels to lift and the truck to roll backwards. Having a second vehicle at the top with a winch ready is recommended. A rear locker is a necessity and a front locker is highly recommended. Understanding what you're getting into is imperative as the entrance to the obstacle is harder to climb than the obstacle itself. Once you're at the bottom, climbing the gate is the easiest way back up.
- The Escalator - I have not done the Escalator. It is similar to the Gate in that it is a narrow steep climb. The Escalator is less a V notch and more a series of very large ledges. You get very tippy and rollovers are common. This is exacerbated by the near constant presence of water on some of the ledges, making things slippery.
- Top of the World - THE BEST VIEW IN MOAB - This trail starts at Dewey Bridge. The first several miles are washboard and sandy road. Once you start to climb, the trail becomes rocky and ledgy. Lockers are recommended. The payoff at the end makes it all worth it. You get an expansive view of Onion Creek and Fischer Valley below. The colors are absolutely amazing. There is a jut of rock that you can drive your truck onto for teh poser shot. It's not as narrow as the pictures make it look, still an amazing shot.
- Poison Spider Mesa - This trail starts off Potash road and climbs to the top of the cliffs surrounding you. There are several obstacles, only some of which have bypasses. The waterfall is probably the hardest. The direct route up is blocked by an 18" tall boulder with enough space between it and the waterfall to eat your tire and beach you. Only REALLY big tires or an amazing amount of ground clearance will get you through that route. Everyone else has to swing around and approach the waterfall at an angle. Off camber up the obstacle is much easier with lockers.
- Lathrop Canyon - If you're on Shafer Trail and looking for something a bit rougher, Lathrop is a good option. Along the way you'll pass Musselman Arch. At the beginning of Lathrop Canyon you drop down more switchbacks, narrower and steeper than the Shafer ones. Once at the bottom, the trail is predominantly sandy. As you pinstripe your way through the last bit of canyon brush you're presented with a beach and Colorado River views. It's common for boat tours to use this spot for lunch.
- Metal Masher - This trail starts off Gemini Bridges Road. This trail is predominantly wide open sandy terrain with ledges to navigate through. Nearly every ledgy section has multiple lines to be taken. None are easy but most are doable. Two of the three named obstacles (Widowmaker and Rock Chucker) are bypassable entirely. Mirror Gulch is not. Mirror Gulch is a narrow spot of rock with multiple ledges to climb over. Wider vehicles will have to put a tire up on one or both walls making for an even more interesting climb. The final ledge is a sliver moon shape that is severely undercut. The larger the tire the better here as you spin against the undercut rock face to bump your tires out and over the edge.
- Porcupine Rim - This trail is in Sand Flats OHV. It combines the best (worst?) of shelf roads and ledges. As you make your way up the side of this box canyon, you'll often need to choose between the harder line that's well away from the edge or the easier line that has a tire hanging off. The view from the top is the best Sand Flats has to offer.

Trails I haven't done: Flat Iron Mesa, Steel Bender, Moab Rim, Kane Creek

Great information. Thank You

 

[Rick Astley]

Wanted to give thanks to @Apples for the thread and others for their contributions.

The GF has been wanting to do some backpacking in Zion and Arches so we just planned and booked our trip. It will include 2 days of renting a Jeep (apparently they don't have Broncos for rent yet????) and driving trails in Moab. This thread helped me locate further resources and guided some of the trail selections.

Figuring I have zero off road experience prior to this (i've gotten the feeling from folks on here that my track driving experience might not be directly applicable) i'll try a level 4 trail first then scale up or down from there with the goal of being at level 6 trails by the end of the rental period.

The plan was to rent a stock 2-door Rubicon as it's the closest to my Badlands build, however the closest place to rent them is a 3 hour drive (each way) from our hotel in Moab so i'll have to be using a More-Door with 35" tires. We're glamping the night in Moab by staying in a hotel, most of the other nights we will be backpacking. Neither of us have a helmet-mounted-tent so that means sleeping bag on the ground, we can't simulate Overlanding while backpacking.

Using Red Rock 4-wheelers scale for all the above. https://www.rr4w.com/ratings.cfm

 

[Apples]

Wanted to give thanks to @Apples for the thread and others for their contributions.

The GF has been wanting to do some backpacking in Zion and Arches so we just planned and booked our trip. It will include 2 days of renting a Jeep (apparently they don't have Broncos for rent yet????) and driving trails in Moab. This thread helped me locate further resources and guided some of the trail selections.

Figuring I have zero off road experience prior to this (i've gotten the feeling from folks on here that my track driving experience might not be directly applicable) i'll try a level 4 trail first then scale up or down from there with the goal of being at level 6 trails by the end of the rental period.

The plan was to rent a stock 2-door Rubicon as it's the closest to my Badlands build, however the closest place to rent them is a 3 hour drive (each way) from our hotel in Moab so i'll have to be using a More-Door with 35" tires. We're glamping the night in Moab by staying in a hotel, most of the other nights we will be backpacking. Neither of us have a helmet-mounted-tent so that means sleeping bag on the ground, we can't simulate Overlanding while backpacking.

Using Red Rock 4-wheelers scale for all the above. https://www.rr4w.com/ratings.cfm

You're welcome. I spent a week in Escalante/Grand Staircase in 2019 and it was a blast. But I still haven't made it to either of the parks on that side of Utah. Definitely bucket list.

 

[Ramble_Offroad]

Great write up, I haven’t done all of these but I’ve rolled a few.
Hell’s Gate is spicy AF, I’ve been up it once in my Tacoma. As you said slipping off the V and laying it over is all too easy. Trust me, I’ve been there. Stay way, way, way passenger. .
The Escalator was a hard no for me, but I had fun winching a buddy out.
TOTW is rad, but last time we were there the bypass around the hardest ledge spot had become the hardest spot. Views are amazing up top, mind the wind of your near the edge.

If memory serves we did a rad 5 day loop years ago, went something like: Hurrah Pass > Chicken Corners > Lockhart Basin > Elephant Hill > Beef Basin.

Poison Springs Canyon is also a fun weekend.

One of these days I’ll get out to the Dollhouse.

 

[Apples]

Great write up, I haven’t done all of these but I’ve rolled a few.
Hell’s Gate is spicy AF, I’ve been up it once in my Tacoma. As you said slipping off the V and laying it over is all too easy. Trust me, I’ve been there. Stay way, way, way passenger. .
The Escalator was a hard no for me, but I had fun winching a buddy out.
TOTW is rad, but last time we were there the bypass around the hardest ledge spot had become the hardest spot. Views are amazing up top, mind the wind of your near the edge.

If memory serves we did a rad 5 day loop years ago, went something like: Hurrah Pass > Chicken Corners > Lockhart Basin > Elephant Hill > Beef Basin.

Poison Springs Canyon is also a fun weekend.

One of these days I’ll get out to the Dollhouse.

I want to do a Beef Basin/Elephant hill loop.

We had a failed trip into the Maze several years ago aiming for the Dollhouse. We still need to plan a redemption trip and get out there.

 

[grimmjeeper]

Here's a time compressed video of one of my runs through Hell's Revenge. The red Jeep ahead of me is a CJ3A, as in 1940's Jeep. Open differentials and maybe 30 or 31" tall tires at most. He never once needed to be tugged up anything. He had to try a couple of different lines to get up it but was able to make the whole trip without assistance. The new Bronco, even in stock form, will have no trouble getting over things.



Here's an excerpt of that video at regular speed of him lining up twice on a mild bump:

 

[Daktari]

ah, that brings back memories of my favorite trip over the last years. We went to Moab for a week in spring '19, rented a Wrangler. Was just a sport, carpets removed, factory lift, larger tires inflated to 32psi. Brand new, with the sunrider, punkin' orange. We did not only wheel but also hike, here's what we did:


Day 1: Gemini Bridges + side trail to stop for a hike ending up under the Gemini Bridges, then Shafer Trail back down to Moab.
Day 2: Arches National Park, a day spent on pavement and hiking
Day 3: Onion Creek and a bit further on the top, then back down and over to Fisher Towers for a hike, bizarre wonderful landscape!
Day 4: Chicken Corners all the way to the end, the last two turns were a bit heart rate increasing, Colorado River 450 ft down to the side, while "driving into the sky"
Day 5: Canyon Lands - Needles District out to the start of Elephant Hill trail, hiking from there, an other day on pavement and the Jeep did great!
Day 6: Dinosaur tracks/bones at Copper Mill, then part of the 3D trail to Thrusher Tunnel, then up to the top of the mesa and down Long Canyon, and then we managed to squeeze in the southern part of Fins’ and Things before going back to Moab so the kids could select some souvenirs and we grabbed a last dinner. Rest of Fins and Things has to wait until I return.

My off road experience is mostly dirt roads with some tricker things here and there, but on this trip I went places I had never tried before. 3D trail was great with some "really, that way???" moments, just follow the tracks
Fins n Things was super fun and easier than it looks and feels, especially those driving into the sky or descending right into the ground moments. Traction is fantastic there. Had a blast, definitely taking the Bronco there, do Fins again, Hells Revenge (though I'm gonna skip some of the crazier parts), want to do Elephant Hill (if the Bronco fits through the squeeze, but it should, saw an H2 make it through) and Top of the World.

Definitely get those books mentioned above, very handy to have. And download maps of the area to your phone, sometimes cell service is spotty.

Can't wait to get back there. 14 hour drive from my place, not sure yet if I'll do that all at once or stretch it out and explore along the way.

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