3 Days in Arches/Moab. Which trails?

[Tyler225]

Hi all. My wife, dog and I are heading to Moab/Arches NP From May 11th - 15th. We plan on doing 1 day in Arches and 2 days on some trails in Moab or possibly checking out Canyonlands.

I have a JLUR w/ XR package. Added a front bumper and winch. Any recommendations on trails?

I am a very new beginner at off-roading and have only done some mild to Mild + trails through the woods in Mass/NH. We will be by ourselves on this trip, not traveling with any other Jeeps.

My current thoughts are "Fins N Things" "Gemini Bridges" and "Chickens Corners"

Are these all doable/worth doing? Or are there some others ones we should do instead? I really want to do Hell's Revenge but this is the first of many Moab trips over the next few years so that's probably better after having some experience?

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[BDinTX]

Hey Tyler,
I'll be making my first trip there the week before you so I can't offer any insight but a common recommendation is to check with this facebook group:
(1) Moab Friends For Wheelin' | Facebook

If you see a white rubicon with red wheels off in a gully somewhere, come check on me please. : )

 

[music293]

I'd check out Fin's as your first. Great intro to BoH trails and Moab. I'd also recommend Hell's Revenge. You'll be fine in a stock JLUR, let alone XR package. Plus you're already paying to get into the park and what not, so you'd might as well.

I'd also highly recommend checking out Canyonlands, as a National Park, not for the wheeling. It's incredible. If you don't have a lot of time, do Island in the Sky (entrance near/north of Moab) and take it all the way to the Grand View Point (or whatever it's called). Absolutely stunning.

GLHF!

 

[Gaffer]

Check out this video of a stock Sahara on Fins and Things. Rear tow hook scraped a bit on a very steep downhill at 16:15.

Some easy scenic trails are
Shafer Trail
Gemini Bridge
Kane Creek Trail
Chicken Corners

 

[Themistocles]

I am planning my first trip out there in late June / early July...yes I know hottest time to go, but only time I can get away from work. As of now I am planning the following:

1. Fins and Things
2. Chicken Corners (easy trail to do with kids)
3. Hells Revenge
4. Top of the World
5. Poison Spider Mesa

I am also going to run down to see the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and hit Point Sublime. Additionally on the way back home I am going to go North and do a couple in Colorado...probably Engineer and Imogene (as long as they remain open...haven't check that yet).

I am on 35s and a 2.5 inch Clayton suspension with a JLURD. Set up is pretty close to where you would be with an XR.

 

[Jeeps2Little]

Just be aware that to enter Arches NP you now need to reserve an entry time before you go, no more just showing up and waiting in line. Make sure you check out the website on the specifics.

Once you get to Gemini Bridges, assuming you are going up from Hwy 191, keep going west to Dead Horse Point road, check out Dead Horse Point and then go down Longs Canyon to Potash Road and back to town, great way to make it an easy but very scenic loop.

Google Maps Link

 

[Matanzas]

Skip Arches, skip Canyonlands and go get the Wells guide.

 

[jessedacri]

Poison Spider is absolutely amazing. When I was through there I did Fins and Things, Hell's Revenge, Poison Spider, and Long Canyon. Long Canyon is an easy scenic sunset cruise you can do after some other trail, but I really gotta say Poison Spider was the most incredible trail I did. Hell's and Fins are a lot of fun but I'd say they're both pretty similar.

Poison Spider has the most satisfying obstacles and the offshoots take you to incredible 360 degree views of Moab, the Colorado River, the snow peaked mountains, Canyonlands, and Arches all from one spot. Don't miss the offshoot that takes you to Little Arch (I forget if it's on the main line or not, but it's worth hitting!). You're more than capable for all of these trails in a JLURXR. If you get in trouble, look up Rory Irish of moabmotorsports and save his info, he's the undisputed king of trail fixes and recovery out there. He's also on the Moab Friends for Wheeling FB group along with a lot of other great people.

One direction of that view spot looks like this, where you end up on the cliff overlooking the city of Moab with the snowcaps in the background and the river directly below you.

The other direction you look is this, incredible views of canyonlands as you descend back into the main trail. The Parks are cool but honestly I don't miss them when I do the trails. Arches is nice but the backcountry that you see on these trails is easily as good as anything you'd see behind the gates of a national park, especially Long Canyon.

 

[dchemphill1]

If you want a more mountainous adventure to escape the heat...do LaSal Pass to Geyser Pass...as a loop. You can add Shaffer switchbacks to the longs canyon for a nice loop.
We are headed out that way in late June. We hit trails in Colorado last summer for our first offroading experience. You will meet a lot of great people out on the trails.
Have fun.

 

[wibornz]

Just be aware that to enter Arches NP you now need to reserve an entry time before you go, no more just showing up and waiting in line. Make sure you check out the website on the specifics.

Once you get to Gemini Bridges, assuming you are going up from Hwy 191, keep going west to Dead Horse Point road, check out Dead Horse Point and then go down Longs Canyon to Potash Road and back to town, great way to make it an easy but very scenic loop.

Google Maps Link

Good info here but not entirely accurate. You can gain access to Arches National Park with out getting a reservation. As a jeep owner you can skip the line and the whole reservation process. How might one do that? Well as a Jeep owner you take 191 north of Moab to Willow Spring Rd and drive down to where it says Dinosaur Tracks with an arrow to the left. It is a 4x4 high clearance road that takes you directly into the park. It is 7.9 miles long and brings you out by Balanced Rock.

pic is from the Moab book.

I have been in Moab running trails for the last three weeks. Still have a week or so before I leave. This is our third trip to Moab. If the OP does run Willow Spring Rd into the park he could also run TowerArch trail and see three Arches along the way. I did this run today in fact and will post pics from it tonight.

These trails will be a 5 to six hour day with the short hikes to each arch.

mind you I have ran all the badge trails in the Moab area. In my opinion, Fins & Things and Hells Revenge are great trails to run on your first day. Maybe skip Hell’s Gate unless you have a spotter you can trust.I am running Hurrah Pass and Chicken Corners tomorrow and can provide feed back on that when I am done.

 

[wibornz]

If you want a more mountainous adventure to escape the heat...do LaSal Pass to Geyser Pass...as a loop. You can add Shaffer switchbacks to the longs canyon for a nice loop.
We are headed out that way in late June. We hit trails in Colorado last summer for our first offroading experience. You will meet a lot of great people out on the trails.
Have fun.

Geyser Pass was still snowed in two days ago.

 

[guarnibl]

Some easy scenic trails are
Shafer Trail
Gemini Bridge
Kane Creek Trail
Chicken Corners

Kane Creek is not an easy scenic trail IMO (and rated 7 on RR4W), if you haven't wheeled much. Very fun though, and very scenic. The others in your list can be done in a Subaru.

The stock suspension is very limiting on the hamburger hill climb unless you're coming from Hole 'N the Rock.

 

[Jeeps2Little]

Good info here but not entirely accurate. You can gain access to Arches National Park with out getting a reservation. As a jeep owner you can skip the line and the whole reservation process. How might one do that? Well as a Jeep owner you take 191 north of Moab to Willow Spring Rd and drive down to where it says Dinosaur Tracks with an arrow to the left. It is a 4x4 high clearance road that takes you directly into the park. It is 7.9 miles long and brings you out by Balanced Rock. ...

It is my understanding from talking to an Arches ranger earlier this spring, while out in Salt Wash actually, was they were going to be conducting spot checks on entry times, specifically on weekends everywhere in the park. Granted that may have changed and was just one person saying that.

 

[wibornz]

It is my understanding from talking to an Arches ranger earlier this spring, while out in Salt Wash actually, was they were going to be conducting spot checks on entry times, specifically on weekends everywhere in the park. Granted that may have changed and was just one person saying that.

There is no way for them to know when or where you entered the park because you can Enter the park before 6 am without a reservation any day of the week..

 

[Tyler225]

Hey Tyler,
I'll be making my first trip there the week before you so I can't offer any insight but a common recommendation is to check with this facebook group:
(1) Moab Friends For Wheelin' | Facebook

If you see a white rubicon with red wheels off in a gully somewhere, come check on me please. : )

Thanks I'll definitely check out that facebook group and keep an eye out for your jeep in a gully haha

I'd check out Fin's as your first. Great intro to BoH trails and Moab. I'd also recommend Hell's Revenge. You'll be fine in a stock JLUR, let alone XR package. Plus you're already paying to get into the park and what not, so you'd might as well.

I'd also highly recommend checking out Canyonlands, as a National Park, not for the wheeling. It's incredible. If you don't have a lot of time, do Island in the Sky (entrance near/north of Moab) and take it all the way to the Grand View Point (or whatever it's called). Absolutely stunning.

GLHF!

Thanks you. Sounds like we will do Fins to start the weekend and then maybe Canyonlands on the day we have still open! We are definitely looking to do more than just wheeling as we will be back to Moab a couple times a year.

Check out this video of a stock Sahara on Fins and Things. Rear tow hook scraped a bit on a very steep downhill at 16:15.

Some easy scenic trails are
Shafer Trail
Gemini Bridge
Kane Creek Trail
Chicken Corners

Perfect I'll check this out!

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