Going to MOAB. Need some guidance

[Murphydog]

Red Rocks web site and Fun Treks will give you plenty of trails your Jeep can easily handle. Fins and Things is close to town, challenging without being overwhelming. Airing down (15-20 PSI) will improve the ride. A few slow scrapes of the underside is just fine, go easy on the throttle and don't bash anything.

You will see a whole cross section of 4x4 vehicles, from super lifted to rusted out hulks.

Take in the scenery, visit the National Parks and have a great time

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[DwnSth]

Like others have said. Finns and Things will be a fun trail. Fun Treks guide and rr4w are good resources. There are LOTS of trails and roads in and around Moab that are extreamly scenic that almost any vehicle can drive. If you want to challenge the vehicle there's plenty of that but check Fun Treks for the easier trails - we really enjoyed Long Canyon and Shaefer Switchbaks on our 'down day'.

 

[MichaelT333]

I use both the Red Rock 4-Wheelers info and the Funtreks book when I go to Moab. Funtrek also has a good website where you can download .gpx files of the routes. For a first timers in a stock Jeep, I'd recommend that you stick to trails rated 3 or less on the Red Rock scale. The trails rated 4 and above are best restricted to experienced drivers in a modified vehicle who are traveling with others that can assist with recovery or repair.

Trails that would be fun for you: Pucker Pass, Potash Rd., the White Rim Trail, the back door into Arches, Onion Creek Rd, Hurrah Pass, and the Schaffer Switchbacks.

Awesome thanks so much

 

[Jeepeto]

You’re gonna have a blast man. It’s kind of the perfect rig for your first time in Moab. Here’s Jeepeto II, brand new, still on paper plates and only 1,500 miles on the odometer, in Moab. It was just a stripper sport model with LSD, but it was perfect! Ran fins n things and hells revenge on day one.

 

[Jeepeto]

Thanks for all the responses. This is great. I keep seeing YouTube videos of people in like quarter million dollar Jeeps. I was just worried pulling up in a stock Willy’s people would be like haha get out of here with that.

Moab is a magical place with a bunch of like minded folks who are all having a fantastic time. With rare exception, everyone you run into out there is amazing and willing to help. If you’re on fins-n-things or hells revenge, you’re sure to run into other people out there, and it’s very easy to find yourself naturally being absorbed into a group. We’ve made friends from all over the country in Moab, friends that keep in touch and want to go back year after year. You’re going to fit right in with your Willy’s, and those guys with $100,000+ rigs are stoked to have you there, don’t be afraid to ask for a spot up an obstacle, you might just make a life long friend doing so.

 

[Shibadog]

Lots of good trails your Jeep will do just fine. There are some that are basically impassable for all but those “ultra modified” rigs, but most (all places I’d go in a DD) are fine with a stocker. If you come up on a place that looks too rough, bypass it or turn around. You aren’t trying to tear up your Jeep, just have fun. There are LOTS of cool rides that you can do and have fun and still bring an unscathed Jeep back home.

 

[txj2go]

If you’re on fins-n-things or hells revenge

It appears to me that these 2 trails are the dividing line between stock JL and modified rigs. You can do these in a stock JL if you have some experience but I wouldn't attempt them as your first trails. There are plenty of other trails in the Moab area that you can have fun on and learn on. Any trail rated higher in difficulty than FNT or HR wouldn't be so good with a stock vehicle. My JLU is mostly stock so I haven't studied the more difficult trails therefore I don't know which other trails are even reasonable in a stock JL.

You might check this thread too.
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/beginner-trail-suggestions-in-moab.68208/

 

[Jeepeto]

It appears to me that these 2 trails are the dividing line between stock JL and modified rigs. You can do these in a stock JL if you have some experience but I wouldn't attempt them as your first trails. There are plenty of other trails in the Moab area that you can have fun on and learn on. Any trail rated higher in difficulty than FNT or HR wouldn't be so good with a stock vehicle. My JLU is mostly stock so I haven't studied the more difficult trails therefore I don't know which other trails are even reasonable in a stock JL.

You might check this thread too.
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/beginner-trail-suggestions-in-moab.68208/

I’d agree with that. Hells revenge is probably a sane persons limit with a stock rig.

My suggestion to everyone is to start on fins if you’re wanting the real Moab experience. You’ll have optional lines, but everything on that trail is within reach of a stock JL sport. (Steel bumpers are nice)

If you find yourself taking the bypass around obstacles move up the list. If you find yourself looking at obstacles, getting yourself hyped, and then doing the optional obstacles, then move on to hells revenge. Take hells revenge out to the Colorado river overlook just past hells gate and then turn around and go out the way you came in. (I call this the lollipop root cause the gps track looks like a lollipop, you may also see it referred to as “tiptoeing through hell”) avoid the hot tubs and you’ll be fine.

Here’s “the list” as seen in Charles A Wells “funtreks moab” book. If you’re going to Moab, GET A COPY OF THIS BOOK! It’s absolutely worth it.

 

[Opus]

I understand your concern, OP. I'll be making my first trip through Moab in June. Since I'm running a stock Sport S, I'm planning to do more of the scenic drives than the true off-road trails (i.e. the back way into Arches, Shafer Switchbacks and Moki Dugway) on our way to Monument Valley.

 

[daboink]

When are you going to Moab? I'll be there next week with a couple people. We are running Fins & Things, a trail you most certainly can do in your vehicle. If you do it by yourself, and have never been wheeling before, it may be overwhelming. I took my stock JLUR there two weeks after I picked it up from the dealership. I went around the first two obstacles and got to the point where there are three options down. I got out and thought to myself, "what the heck did I get myself into?! I'm going to die." I was lucky enough to have a group of two come up behind me and take me in with them. It was a blast! Seeing other folks do the obstacles gave me the confidence I needed to do them. It also helped that at every large obstacle, their 4 kids got out and cheered me on, "MIKE! MIKE! MIKE! MIKE! YAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!" It was a blast, those guys seriously made my day and I'll never forget that trip.

Anyway, also check out the facebook group Moab Friends for Wheeling. You'll definitely find someone to go with you and I highly recommend not going alone if this is your first wheeling trip. If you'll be there next week, we can connect and hit some trails together too. There's one that I'd really like to see you try where you go really fast down hill then ride through an arch as a loop, you get to go upside down in your Jeep! Hopefully that's obvious that I kid.

I love the Jeep community! Whether you are a "mall crawler" or hard core, it is great to hear of experiences like this. I love every time I get in my Jeep and just take a drive. I also enjoy just getting out on the trails and meeting folks.

 

[MichaelT333]

I love the Jeep community! Whether you are a "mall crawler" or hard core, it is great to hear of experiences like this. I love every time I get in my Jeep and just take a drive. I also enjoy just getting out on the trails and meeting folks.

Thank you to everyone who replied. I was debating posting this or not in fear people would be like stay out of Moab mall crawler or something. But everyone is so helpful and nice. This forum is great.

 

[andy29847]

I guess I am a weenie. I've been on a couple of trails in Moad that are rated 4 or5 on the Red Rock Wheelers scale. Fins N' Things was one of them. I was out to have some fun, but I didn't want to beat my new Jeep up. Fins N' Things was OK except for a couple of hills. I don't have a movie of me going down this hill, but I made one of my buddy in a Xterra (lifted and with bigger tires). Watch it in the link below. BTW, there was NO bypass for this downhill.



Pucker Pass is just gorgeous (sorry about the singing):



You have to drive down the Mineral Bottom switchbacks to enter the White Rim Trail on the west side. It's an easy drive but the scenery is other worldly.



The White Rim Trail is in Canyonlands National Park. Access rules have changed in the past few years, so do some research if you plan to venture out on the trail. It takes a long full day to complete the trail from Moab. I didn't have a full day so I went out on the west side, drove for 1-1/2 hours going out, then turned around and drove back (everything changes when you turn around). This was enough time to reach Hard Scrabble Hill, which is a fun climb.

There is one narrow spot on the way out to Hardscrabble Hill.


Longish video coming down from the top of Hardscrabble Hill.


A must do for Moab is to ride up or down the Schaffer Switchbacks. The SS are on the east side of the White Rim Trail. It's just a dirt road in a beautiful spot, but the views are worth the venture.

 

[bbroich]

I’d agree with that. Hells revenge is probably a sane persons limit with a stock rig.

My suggestion to everyone is to start on fins if you’re wanting the real Moab experience. You’ll have optional lines, but everything on that trail is within reach of a stock JL sport. (Steel bumpers are nice)

If you find yourself taking the bypass around obstacles move up the list. If you find yourself looking at obstacles, getting yourself hyped, and then doing the optional obstacles, then move on to hells revenge. Take hells revenge out to the Colorado river overlook just past hells gate and then turn around and go out the way you came in. (I call this the lollipop root cause the gps track looks like a lollipop, you may also see it referred to as “tiptoeing through hell”) avoid the hot tubs and you’ll be fine.

Here’s “the list” as seen in Charles A Wells “funtreks moab” book. If you’re going to Moab, GET A COPY OF THIS BOOK! It’s absolutely worth it.

I agree. I took my stock Rubicon one month after I got it to Moab. Ran Fins and Things solo, and while interesting, not too bad. Next day ran Hells Revenge and determined my cut off point. With more experience and a spotter it might have been different. For now I will stick to trails a little easier on the list.
Also, the Wells book above is priceless. Wish I had it before my trip there.

 

[COJeeper]

Thank you to everyone who replied. I was debating posting this or not in fear people would be like stay out of Moab mall crawler or something. But everyone is so helpful and nice. This forum is great.

That's a true statement.

This forum is full of pretty good people, then there's me. I've been banned like 5 times, I'm an a-hole apparently. ?

The people who usually get that negative treatment are the ones with 1 post with their account saying something like, "my jeep suck it bad u suck why it broke? ugh i sue jeep it dumb u dumb you are drive jeeps"

Also, who cares what other people think of you? That's how I live my life. You'll like me or you won't but I'm honest all the time.

Anyway, have fun in Moab and I'm only 6 hours away with unlimited PTO so...... ?

 

[GATORB8]

Thank you to everyone who replied. I was debating posting this or not in fear people would be like stay out of Moab mall crawler or something. But everyone is so helpful and nice. This forum is great.

Just don't go with 50 ducks on your dash.

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