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WELCOME! If you arrived at this page directly, you may want to read the introductory page: Roger's Favorite Singletrack Mountain Bike Rides
Please realize that I am an older, strong, intermediate mountain biker with a passion for singletracks and am suggesting these trails to others such as myself. Please do not rely totally on my descriptions -- get maps and trail guides locally. Also note that I do not live in Utah, but in California: I just enjoy visiting Moab once or twice every year!
Suggestions for minimizing trail damage:
-do not let your tires slide when climbing, descending, or
turning.
-ride over water bars, not around them.
-avoid riding on wet trails.
-carry your bike over or around deep mud.
-ride under control so that you do not run off the edge of the
trail.
Before you take any rides in Moab, buy the maps "Moab West" and "Moab East"; and a good book. "Above and Beyond Slickrock" by Todd Campbell, and "Mountain Biking Moab" by David Crowell describe the majority of local rides. Some local rides are also described in "The Mountain Biker's Guide to Utah" by Gregg Bromka. They will give you all the directions that you will need -- IF you follow them VERY carefully! Some of the trails are not obvious and some are very difficult to follow. If you are biking during the summer, a mistake may lead to dehydration and possibly death... Every map, book, and person will tell you this, but I will tell it to you again: Don't go anywhere in the summer with less than one liter of water per hour. Most trips around Moab will require 2-4 liters. Some will require more! That's a LOT of water!!
NOTE: A new book has just been published entitled "Rider Mel's
Mountain Bike Guide to Moab". Rider Mel states that "All reviewers
have been very positive about the book. I took care to include less
difficult rides and include an easy to read section on surviving in
the desert." His web site is www.moabtrailguide.com.
This is not a very long singletrack, and it requires carrying your
bike up a thousand feet, but it is very SWEET and worth every drop of
sweat! After the bike and hike, it starts off narrow, flat, and fast,
climbs through a sandy region, becomes rocky and steep as it
descends, and eventually dissolves into a very scenic and challenging
4WD road. You may also ride up from the river, or take the newly
built chairlift up from the river, and ride the other direction or
out-and-back.
The singletrack comes at the end of a LONG (but enjoyable) trip,
starts off fast and flat, and becomes more technical and scenic as it
approaches the trailtail. Some parts are not ridable -- or only
ridable by experts -- but it is still a fun and adventurous
experience! Warning: although the trail is better marked each year,
it is still hard to follow in places. Two bikers died on this trail
one summer when they got lost and tried to travel down to the river
by carrying their bikes cross-country. If you get lost and cannot
retrace your steps, please STAY PUT in an obvious place so that
rescuers can see you! NOTE: On my last trip to Moab I again rode this
trail and was reminded of how much fun the 4WD trail is to the
beginning of the singletrack. It contains lots of challenges as well
as great views. The singletrack was in GREAT condition and becomes
more fun each time I ride it! And if you do not have time to ride the
whole thing, you may "yo-yo" up and down the singletrack from the
trailtail.
This is not really a singletrack, but at the top of the rim, the "ducked" trail takes off cross-country toward the entrance to the Portal Trail. Trying to spot the "ducks" and trying to find the best route between them is a real challenge! Just keep heading toward the large dome to the southeast of you... (Ridden 7/95)
I cannot recommend the Portal Trail to intermediate singletrackers, as the upper section is so exposed that one cannot safely ride in many places even though it is "ridable", and the lower section is so rocky that I had to carry my bike most of the way down. I did take a group of teenagers down this twice, and they LOVED the lower section -- but I made them walk most of the upper section! I ended up carrying my bike up and down this trail several times since then -- to access the Poison Spider Mesa area -- and each time I was able to ride a little more of it... It does provide an easy access to Poison Spider Mesa, bypassing a LOT of sand that one would experience by riding up from the Poison Spider Mesa Trailhead!
I also cannot recommend the "Three Lakes" trip discussed in "The Mountain Biker's Guide to Utah" / "Moonlight Meadow" trip discussed in "Above and Beyond Slickrock" because cows have torn up some sections of the trail so badly that it is no longer enjoyable...
I didn't mention the Slick Rock Trail because it is not exactly a "singletrack" and because it is written-up in LOTS of sources. This "trail" is a good practice area. The trail itself consists of painted "dashes" on sandstone. Some parts of it are quite challenging -- but the bike may easily be walked around areas that are too challenging -- and many parts of it are just plain fun. I ride the Slick Rock Trail every time I go to Moab because it is good practice -- and GREAT scenery -- and LOTS of FUN! I would say DO IT! You make it as hard and as long as you want to and vice versa.
Since people tend to come to Moab to ride on its many 4WD trails
rather than on singletracks, I will recommend my favorite 4WD trails:
Amasa Back (2-3 hours) and Flat Pass (4-5 hours).
if you do a ride and enjoy it, please let the land manager know
that you did enjoy it and that the existence of singletrack trails is
important to you! A small donation for trail maintenance and
development might also be helpful!
Minimizing Trail Conflicts On Singletrack Trails
Minimizing Trail Impact On Singletrack Trails
Hints For Beginning Singletrackers
Back to Roger's Favorite Singletrack Mountain Bike Rides