Moab Jeep Safari - The Trails Of Moab, Utah - Trail Wise

Kane Creek CanyonRating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 27' 58" / Lon: 109 36' 2"

Getting There: Head out of Moab on Kane Creek Road at the McDonald's on Highway 191. Stay to the left at the junction where the Hurrah Pass Trail forks off to the right. Kane Creek Canyon borders the Behind the Rocks area on the south between the Colorado River and Highway 191.

Description: This trail follows Kane Creek through Kane Springs Canyon from its mouth at the Colorado River south to Highway 191. There are over 50 creek crossings before the trail climbs along a ledge up the canyon wall. Depending on how much moisture there is, there can be nasty quicksand and deep water, sometimes so deep that the trail is impassable. Other times, such as in late summer, many crossings are almost dry. Watch out as you drive through the canyon for short, deep gullies that will pound your 4x4 if you're not observant. Many Moab trails follow the cliff edges above canyons. Kane Creek spends most of its time on the bottom, an interesting change of scenery.

Lockhart BasinRating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 25' 45" / Lon: 109 41' 18"

Getting There: Take Kane Creek Road off Highway 191 out of Moab to Hurrah Pass.

Description: This is a beautiful trail with a variety of surfaces, from sandy washes to steep, rocky ledges. There are spectacular views of the Abajo Mountains and the Needles area of Canyonlands National Park.

Metal Masher TrailRating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 39' 22" / Lon: 109 40' 34"

Getting There: Head north out of Moab on Highway 191. About 7 miles north of the Colorado River bridge, turn west on the dirt road that leads into Little Canyon. The trail encompasses the area between Little Canyon and Highway 313 to the west.

Description: Metal Masher traverses Arth's Rim, overlooking Highway 191 1,300 feet below (with superb views). The first climb up the rim is quite breathtaking, but it's an easy graded road. The trail then travels down Little Valley before angling to the top of the rim. Most of Metal Masher could be rated a circle, but Mirror Gulch, Widowmaker, and Mother-in-Law Hill give it its diamond rating. Right before Mirror Gulch, a narrow, technical squeeze, is Rock Chucker Hill. Rock Chucker used to be the trail but is now a double-diamond playground you can attempt if you dare. Widowmaker is a two-stage hill with a breakover that longer vehicles should not attempt.

Moab Rim TrailRating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 33' 34" / Lon: 109 34' 56"

Getting There: Head out of Moab on Kane Creek Road at the McDonald's on Highway 191. The trailhead is approximately 2-1/2 miles up Kane Creek Road on the left.

Description: The trip to the top of the rim west of town has the highest density of obstacles in the first mile of any of the nearby trails. The trail climbs a succession of rock ledges and features many tight turns as it makes its way to the top. The off-camber sections might not seem so bad if only they weren't tipping you toward the cliff's edge! One obstacle on the way up is called the Devil's Crack, where you can see the river below through the crack as you drive over it. On top, there are dunes to play in and a spur trail to Indian ruins and rock art.

Poison Spider Mesa TrailRating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 32' 1" / Lon: 109 36' 24"

Getting There: Head north out of Moab on Highway 191. About a mile past the Colorado River bridge, turn west on Highway 279. The trailhead is about 6 miles ahead on the right.

Description: Maybe Moab's most popular trail, Poison Spider leaves the Potash Road (check out the dinosaur tracks over your shoulder as you leave the road) and climbs to the scenic rim along sloping rock layers. Some of the ledges are quite difficult, but the views of the fins of Behind the Rocks and the La Sal Mountains are worth the drive. Up on top, there are a couple of short high-speed runs through pastureland, but most of the trail is tougher. A highlight is Little Arch, which you can look through and see the Colorado River far below.

Porcupine Rim TrailRating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 34' 54" / Lon: 109 24' 55"

Getting There: The trail turns off of Sand Flats Road about 9 miles from Moab. It covers the country north of Sand Flats Road and west of Porcupine Rim, which forms the west wall of Castle Valley.

Description: The only vehicle access to the vicinity of Coffee Pot Rock, the Porcupine Rim Trail leaves the Sand Flats Road above the Slickrock Bike Trail and drops down to a ledge above Negro Bill Canyon. Crossing the headwaters of the canyon, the trail climbs gradually to Porcupine Rim. Highlights are the views from 6,800-foot Porcupine Rim of Castle Valley, Castle Rock, and the Priest and the Nuns rock formations. A bumpy trail over broken rock and ledges, the only tougher obstacle has a bypass.

Pritchett Canyon TrailRating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 32' 8" / Lon: 109 35' 55"

Getting There: Head out of Moab on Kane Creek Road at the McDonald's on Highway 191. The trailhead is about 4-1/2 miles ahead inside a campground. It lies just south of the Moab Rim Trail.

Description: Once a county road, Pritchett Canyon could now be Moab's toughest trail. Starting from the Kane Springs Road, you pass through the campground and the fun begins. Sandy river bottoms, giant ledges, and difficult obstacles make Pritchett lots of fun for the hard-core four-wheeler. The steep-walled canyon and beautiful views make Pritchett a gem for passengers too. Highlights are obstacles that include Rocker Knocker, the Rock Pile, and Yellow Hill. All require the best equipment and skill. Once on top of Yellow Hill, you can return down the canyon or backtrack the Behind the Rocks Trail.

Rose Garden HillRating: Trail Head: Lat: 38 41' 20" / Lon: 109 13' 12"

Getting There: Take Highway 191 north out of Moab, then head east on Highway 128. After about 21 miles, follow the dirt road heading south that marks the beginning of the trail.

Description: Rose Garden Hill is a shorter, more difficult version of the Top of the World Trail. It provides some great views down into Cottonwood Canyon, but the most beautiful scenery is on an optional route on the return trip through the Onion Creek Narrows. The Rose Garden Hill obstacle is a long, steep hill with bedrock steps and loose, eroded rock that makes for a difficult ascent. The trail then climbs onto the southern part of Warning Mesa, where the Delores River Canyon comes into view.

Secret Spire TrailRating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 41' 4" / Lon: 109 54' 56"

Getting There: Head north out of Moab on Highway 191, then turn west on Highway 313. Follow 313 to the Dubinky Well Road, which exits to the northwest. The trailhead is just this side of the Dubinky Well, about 7 miles from Highway 313.

Description: This sandy, fairly easy trail rides the ridge between Spring and Hellroaring Canyons, finally crossing upper Spring Canyon to reach the Secret Spire, a strange tower of Navajo sandstone. Views include the Book Cliffs to the north and the San Rafael Swell to the northeast. Besides the Secret Spire, another highlight is the detour to Dellenbaugh Tunnel, a 100-foot-long, usually dry watercourse that goes through Navajo sandstone to a steep drop into Spring Canyon. The tunnel is tall enough to walk through, with only the tallest needing to stoop.

Sevenmile Rim TrailRating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 40' 48" / Lon: 109 41' 29"

Getting There: Head north out of Moab on Highway 191 about 11 miles. The trail begins just to the north of Highway 313.

Description: The Sevenmile Rim Trail is great for those interested in the post-WWII uranium boom. It passes the old Cotter uranium mine, then switchbacks above the mine and Highway 191. The trail then follows the most interesting part of a maze of core-drilling roads to reach the rim of Sevenmile Canyon. Two of the highlights passed are Uranium Arch and Merrimac Butte, where the trail gets its square rating for a portion on the south side that can be bypassed if necessary. Views include Arches National Park, the Book Cliffs, and of course, Sevenmile Canyon.

Steel Bender Trail:Rating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 32' 16" / Lon: 102 28' 23"

Getting There: Steel Bender starts on private land immediately northeast of the Moab Golf Course. The trail lies between Highway 191 and the La Sal Mountains.

Description: Steel Bender travels the terrain between Moab and the La Sal Mountains with great views into the North Fork of Mill Creek Canyon. Part of this trail winds through beautiful Mill Creek Canyon with many trees shading the trail as it crosses the creek. Other portions climb higher and traverse broken rock ledges. There are a few difficult obstacles that can be tried, but there are bypasses too. The final creek crossing near the end of the trail can be muddy and slippery.

Strike Ravine Trail:Rating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 26' 24" / Lon: 109 25' 44"

Getting There: Strike Ravine leaves Highway 191 going east, about 12 miles south of Moab.

Description: This trail south of Moab follows old uranium mining roads, most of which have deteriorated to the point that they're fun for four-wheelers. There are areas that have been chained for grazing, power lines, and many old mines. In spite of these signs of use, Strike Ravine offers a pleasant change of scenery as it explores Pole Canyon and other headwaters of Kane Springs Canyon. The canyon bottoms have large rocks that can catch those whose vehicles are too low.

Tip ToeRating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 26' 24" / Lon: 109 25' 44"

Getting There: Tip Toe leaves Highway 191 about 13 miles south of Moab just after climbing a long hill on the highway. The exit is on the right going to the west.

Description: Tip Toe is a less extreme version of the Behind the Rocks Trail. With only a handful of minor rock ledges to traverse, this trail is better suited for stock rigs than its bigger brother. It offers similar views as Behind the Rocks, as well as opportunities to watch other drivers tackling High Dive, Upchuck, and White Knuckle Hills.

Top of the World TrailRating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 48' 38" / Lon: 109 18' 16"

Getting There: The trail splits off Highway 128 just before the Dewey Bridge, about 30 miles northeast of Moab.

Description: The Top of the World is a 7,000-foot viewpoint on Waring Mesa. It affords a spectacular view of Fisher Valley, Onion Creek, and the La Sal Mountains. Onion Creek, so named because of the creek's onion-like smell, winds next to the beginning of the trail. There are some creek crossings, and at the beginning of the canyon you can choose to drive down the creek bed or take the high road out of the water. The high, red canyon walls with the clear water running down are extremely photogenic. Once out of the canyon, the trail travels by the Taylor Ranch and takes a left to head up Rose Garden Hill, probably the longest climb of any Moab trail. Rose Garden is long, rutted, and rocky with a cliff on one side.

Upper HelldoradoRating:

Getting There: Upper Helldorado is now located in Area BFE (www.areabfe.com). Travel south on Highway 191 for approximately 13 miles. Just after the uphill passing lane comes to an end, take the first left. Follow the maintained dirt road and signs for about 3 miles to the cleared parking area on the left.

Description: Upper Helldorado in Upper Kane Springs Canyon is hard-core heaven. Those who aren't up to the challenge can't get past the first boulders guarding the entrance. There's a squeeze that usually tears tops off Jeeps and a breakover rock that hangs up all but the shortest 4x4s. Then, the trail presents a waterfall that most need a winch to get up, so don't go if you don't have a working winch.

Wipe-out HillRating: Trailhead: Lat: 38 43' 37" / Lon: 109 43' 18"

Getting There: The trail begins about 14 miles north of Moab on Highway 191, near Mile Marker 141.

Description: Wipe-out Hill uses portions of Bartlett Wash, Tusher Canyon, Courthouse Pasture, and the cliff base of Big Mesa, so it offers a great variety of scenery and a wide range of trail surfaces. A long, wide, sandy wash is great fun. There are a few obstacles, one being the Tusher Wash sand hill which varies in difficulty depending on how torn up it is and what time of year it is. Wipe-out Hill is a steep, ledgy downhill that can be a real challenge for those who want to turn around and go back up.