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3 Days in Arches/Moab. Which trails?

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Tyler225

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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.
I guess my nervousness with doing Hell's is its rated a 6 I believe? and my off road skills are basically non existent as living in the Northeast for so long legal trails are very hard to find. But it sounds like it really shouldn't be that bad and there are alternate routes for some of the harder obstacles?

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
Appreciate the heads up! We got our tickets a couple of months ago so we are covered there.
thanks for the trail recommendation!

Skip Arches, skip Canyonlands and go get the Wells guide.
Can't skip either. Might skip Canyonlands this time and do it the next trip to Moab but definitely doing Arches. We are originally from NY and only living in Utah for 4 years so need to cross as many National Parks off the list before my job moves me back to the Eastern U.S
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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.
EEE2BB44-2DE2-47D0-8C10-AC7F4FB841EB_1_102_o.jpeg


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.
32B344B3-7759-4957-BF5B-4138BF79F8BC_1_102_o.jpeg
Those views are awesome. I will definitely be adding this one to the list. might not be done on this trip but there will be plenty of trips over the next couple of years.

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.
B861B6E9-4399-4B27-95A0-6FA4B1B7E0B3.jpeg


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.
39A640DF-40A0-4BEC-8D40-7476FAF92E95.jpeg


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.
This is great info. We do have our reservation tickets this time but that route might be fun to do. Especially since it seems like it will bring us right to a few different arches with a small hike.
 

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Looks like you’re leaving the day I’m arriving in Moab. Fins is a great trail. If you want to see Canyonlands and off road may I suggest Shaffer Switchbacks. Very easy trail, great views of the park and a nice introduction to shelf roads!
 
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Looks like you’re leaving the day I’m arriving in Moab. Fins is a great trail. If you want to see Canyonlands and off road may I suggest Shaffer Switchbacks. Very easy trail, great views of the park and a nice introduction to shelf roads!
We actually just finalized our itinerary and added in the Shafer Switchbacks

Current plan is
5/12 - Fin N things & Hells Revenge
5/13 - Dead Horse Point State Park and then Shafer trail to Potash Road
5/14 - Boarding Dog and spending the day in Arches NP
 

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You should also plan to see Muscleman Arch. It’s not far past the turnoff for Potash Rd at the bottom of the switchbacks. It’s a must see if your down already. I sent you a PM.
 

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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?
I've been to Moab multiple times and live over at Sand Hollow. Feel free to PM me for my number and I can give you some tips and pointers for your visit.
 

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We actually just finalized our itinerary and added in the Shafer Switchbacks

Current plan is
5/12 - Fin N things & Hells Revenge
5/13 - Dead Horse Point State Park and then Shafer trail to Potash Road
5/14 - Boarding Dog and spending the day in Arches NP
This is a great plan for your first trip there. Each day will be something different and fun. Shafer Trail is a great way to go back to Moab from Dead Horse.
 
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Trip Report Part 1/2 - Thank you to everyone for the tips and advice. Multiple people gave me their phone number and told me to call them with any questions or if I just wanted some more advice/tips etc. Spent my whole life in NY and then lived in Boston for a few years where people aren't as nice
Jeep Wrangler JL 3 Days in Arches/Moab. Which trails? 1652728062109


5/12: Ran Fins N Things. This trail was so much fun and had the right amount of difficulty for my first real off-road trail. Learned a lot about the jeep and its capabilities. There were numerous obstacles we came up to where my initial thought was "How the f**K, there is no way we can do that" but we would pick a line and go and the jeep had no issues. There's a couple scratches on the skid plates and the front right wheel got a little dinged up (Bolts and fake beadlock ring are scratched so if anyone knows how to fix that let me know). Still amazed I did this trail and can't wait to do a bunch more as it was a lot of fun. We didn't get a chance to do Hell's Revenge because our puppy was a little fed up/stressed out from being off road. He started to adjust but it was a lot for him so we ended the day by running up Baby Lions back and heading back to camp.

5/13: Drove out to Dead Horse Point for the views. Definitely a cool view but basically paid $20 for some pictures. After Dead Horse we went to Canyonlands and did the Shafer Trail down to Potash Road and back to Moab. Took our time on this trail and was definitely a fun way to get back to Moab. The view from the top of the switchbacks looks a lot scarier than the actual drive. It was a nice easy trail. Wished we got to explore Canyonlands a little more but dogs aren't allowed so we entered the park and went right to Shaffer trail

5/14: Dropped the dog off at daycare for the day and then took Willow Springs Road into Arches. This tip was amazing, we got into the park hours before our reservation time and were the only ones on the trail. Saw some dinosaur tracks on the way in and then spent the day exploring Arches. Highly recommend taking this route into Arches.

Next Trip: Already planning our next trip back as we want to do a lot more off-roading. Hoping to do Hells Revenge next and then find a group for Top Of the World or Poison Spider. Debating going in August or the Fall. Is Moab doable in the middle of summer or should we wait until Fall?
 

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Trip Report Part 1/2 - Thank you to everyone for the tips and advice. Multiple people gave me their phone number and told me to call them with any questions or if I just wanted some more advice/tips etc. Spent my whole life in NY and then lived in Boston for a few years where people aren't as nice
Jeep Wrangler JL 3 Days in Arches/Moab. Which trails? 1652728062109


5/12: Ran Fins N Things. This trail was so much fun and had the right amount of difficulty for my first real off-road trail. Learned a lot about the jeep and its capabilities. There were numerous obstacles we came up to where my initial thought was "How the f**K, there is no way we can do that" but we would pick a line and go and the jeep had no issues. There's a couple scratches on the skid plates and the front right wheel got a little dinged up (Bolts and fake beadlock ring are scratched so if anyone knows how to fix that let me know). Still amazed I did this trail and can't wait to do a bunch more as it was a lot of fun. We didn't get a chance to do Hell's Revenge because our puppy was a little fed up/stressed out from being off road. He started to adjust but it was a lot for him so we ended the day by running up Baby Lions back and heading back to camp.

5/13: Drove out to Dead Horse Point for the views. Definitely a cool view but basically paid $20 for some pictures. After Dead Horse we went to Canyonlands and did the Shafer Trail down to Potash Road and back to Moab. Took our time on this trail and was definitely a fun way to get back to Moab. The view from the top of the switchbacks looks a lot scarier than the actual drive. It was a nice easy trail. Wished we got to explore Canyonlands a little more but dogs aren't allowed so we entered the park and went right to Shaffer trail

5/14: Dropped the dog off at daycare for the day and then took Willow Springs Road into Arches. This tip was amazing, we got into the park hours before our reservation time and were the only ones on the trail. Saw some dinosaur tracks on the way in and then spent the day exploring Arches. Highly recommend taking this route into Arches.

Next Trip: Already planning our next trip back as we want to do a lot more off-roading. Hoping to do Hells Revenge next and then find a group for Top Of the World or Poison Spider. Debating going in August or the Fall. Is Moab doable in the middle of summer or should we wait until Fall?
Awesome!! Glad you had a great time and I even learned something about Willow Springs Rd.
In terms of when to go back anytime is fine... we were there in mid July and pretty much had the place to ourselves. When it's hot (and it will be triple digits at that time) it is less crowded. Just bring lots of water, stay hydrated and when you take a break to eat open the Jeep's hood and let it breathe for a little. It will be a happy Jeep.
Fall is also amazing with it's cold mornings and beautiful mid day temps but it will be a little more busy.
 

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Looks like the trip has been great!

To clean up the Arches NP timed entry. I was there two weeks ago and planned on entering before 6am or taking the back route to avoid the entry but was told after 6am you must have the timed entry ticket with you to be in the park. Basically no way around it the way the wrote the rules :/

“On January 3, 2022, Arches National Park will implement a pilot timed entry reservation system to enter the park from April through October, 2022. Visitors will need three things for their visit, 1) timed entry ticket, 2) photo ID, and 3) park entrance fee OR valid park pass. **Each private vehicle entering the park will need a Timed Entry Ticket for each day the vehicle will be in the park between 6 am and 5 pm.** The reservation-holder must be in the vehicle with photo identification when you arrive at the park. The Timed Entry Ticket includes a $2.00 non-refundable reservation fee which is separate from the park entrance fee.”
 

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Looks like the trip has been great!

To clean up the Arches NP timed entry. I was there two weeks ago and planned on entering before 6am or taking the back route to avoid the entry but was told after 6am you must have the timed entry ticket with you to be in the park. Basically no way around it the way the wrote the rules :/

“On January 3, 2022, Arches National Park will implement a pilot timed entry reservation system to enter the park from April through October, 2022. Visitors will need three things for their visit, 1) timed entry ticket, 2) photo ID, and 3) park entrance fee OR valid park pass. **Each private vehicle entering the park will need a Timed Entry Ticket for each day the vehicle will be in the park between 6 am and 5 pm.** The reservation-holder must be in the vehicle with photo identification when you arrive at the park. The Timed Entry Ticket includes a $2.00 non-refundable reservation fee which is separate from the park entrance fee.”
That's odd because we were just there about 2 months ago and drove right in with our park pass. Nothing about timed entry or anything like that.
 
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Tyler225

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Looks like the trip has been great!

To clean up the Arches NP timed entry. I was there two weeks ago and planned on entering before 6am or taking the back route to avoid the entry but was told after 6am you must have the timed entry ticket with you to be in the park. Basically no way around it the way the wrote the rules :/

“On January 3, 2022, Arches National Park will implement a pilot timed entry reservation system to enter the park from April through October, 2022. Visitors will need three things for their visit, 1) timed entry ticket, 2) photo ID, and 3) park entrance fee OR valid park pass. **Each private vehicle entering the park will need a Timed Entry Ticket for each day the vehicle will be in the park between 6 am and 5 pm.** The reservation-holder must be in the vehicle with photo identification when you arrive at the park. The Timed Entry Ticket includes a $2.00 non-refundable reservation fee which is separate from the park entrance fee.”
So technically yes that is correct, but If you go in the back way there is nobody checking tickets or making sure you have a reservation. I'm sure a park ranger could ask you to show them your ticket at a random time while in the park but chances of that happening are highly unlikely. I didnt even see a park ranger and we were in the park for 5 hours. If it does happen you just say your phone died and has your ticket on it or something. Probably a little unethical but the back way in isn't common knowledge and a sedan isn't making it so they probably dont worry about it too much.
 

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That's odd because we were just there about 2 months ago and drove right in with our park pass. Nothing about timed entry or anything like that.
Two months ago was March. Timed-entry passes started in April and go through October.
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