ATV Trails In Utah
Moab ATV Trails (Moab UT)
Whether you’re looking for a weekend or a week of riding, Moab has you covered.
With it’s stunning red rock formations, surrounding mountains and open desert, Moab has some of the most beautiful ATV trails in Utah.
But, what makes Moab truly stand out as a destination is it’s slick rock trails over and through the red rock formations. You won’t find trails like this anywhere else.
Most of the slick rock trails are on the moderate to difficult side, but there is still plenty of riding available for riders looking for something a little easier.
So, whether you enjoy challenging slick rock trails or relaxing dirt roads, you will find it in Moab.
Several hundred miles of trails are open to off roading with beautiful, challenging, fun ATV trails for all skill levels.
Chicken Corners is one of our favorite ATV trails in Utah
Hurrah Pass / Chicken Corners (Moab UT)
Overview
- Length: 39.6 miles
- Skill Level: Moderate
- Driving Time: 7-8 hours
- Usage: Heavy
- Open: Year round
- Surface: Hard pack dirt, gravel, rock steps
- Services Available: None
- Vehicles Allowed: ATV, SxS, UTV, full size, dual sport
This full day drive is one of the most popular rides in Moab. And with good reason!
This is the view you’ll have as you navigate a ledge 4500’ above the Colorado River:
It’s an out and back ride that returns on the same route.
Plan on 4 – 5 hours of driving, but you’ll want to add in extra time for sightseeing, photos, lunch and a bit of leg stretching.
The first part of this trail is an easy dirt road, this section is the Hurrah Pass Trail. Once you reach the canyon rim, the trail turns into Chicken Corner – at this point the trail becomes more difficult. And definitely not for people with a fear of heights.
A small parking area with room to turn around is at the very end.
Once you reach the end of the trail, you can see Dead Horse Point across the river. This is where Thelma and Louise dramatically drove off the cliff in the movie.
BLM Website: Chicken Corner
Best Guidebook For The Moab Area
More Awesome Riding In Moab
5 Family Friendly ATV Trails In Moab
Arapeen Trail (Mt. Pleasant UT)
Overview
- Length: 600 trail miles &
1,000+ miles of Forest Service roads - Skill Level: Varied
- Usage: Heavy
- Open: Mid summer for best access
- ATV Friendly Towns: Fairview, Mt. Pleasant, Spring City, Ephraim, Manti, Sterling, Mayfield
- Vehicles Allowed: ATV, SxS, UTV, full size, dual sport
Located just two hours outside of Salt Lake City, this is a popular trail that gets a lot of visitors. Fortunately, because the riding area is so big, it never really feels crowded.
With 600 miles of trails plus 1,000+ additional miles of Forest Service roads open to off roading, this is one of the largest ATV trail systems in Utah. You won’t have a hard time finding the road less traveled.
Large OHVs and full sized vehicles can also enjoy the region as there are lots of trails open to larger vehicles.
Multiple loops with spurs and off shoots make it possible to ride for days without ever repeating a ride.
With elevations ranging from 6,000’ to 11,000’, this is a high mountain trail that takes you through some incredibly beautiful terrain.
High elevation – trail may not be accessible until early July.
Best Arapeen Trail: Skyline Drive
This 100+ mile ride takes you along the spine of the Wasatch Plateau with epic views in all directions.
Forest Service: Arapeen ATV Trail Map
Best Map For The Arapeen Trail
Utah OHV Sand Dunes
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park (Kanab UT)
Little Sahara Recreation Area (Eureka UT)
Paiute Trail (Marysvale UT)
Overview
- Total Trail Miles: 275 mile loop (& 900+ additional miles)
- Location: Central Utah
- Skill Level: Easy/moderate
- Usage: Moderate
- Open: Late spring/late summer – late Fall (depending on elevation)
- Towns With Trail Access: Marysvale, Richfield, Beaver, Fillmore, Salina
- Vehicles Allowed: Bikes, ATV, SxS, UTV (Varies by section)
The Paiute Trail is one of the best (and most well known) ATV trails in Utah. In fact, we like it so much that it made it onto our bucket list of 10 Best ATV Trails.
Endless riding with stunning beauty abounds here.
The main Paiute Trail loop is 275 miles long which takes about 25 hours of riding to complete. This makes it perfect for a multi-day camping trip.
Small towns can easily be accessed from the trails making it easy to find lodging, food and gas. Of course, there are also plenty of opportunities for trail camping.
But, the main trail is just a small portion of the riding that’s available in the region. 900+ miles of additional roads and ATV trails pepper the region and can be accessed off the main loop.
Three mountain ranges, Tushar Mountains, Monroe Mountain and Pahvant Range are part of the loop, so elevations and conditions vary wildly.
With elevations from just under 6000’ to mountain passes that take you over 11,000’, conditions vary from desert to high mountain desert.
If you plan on riding the whole loop, your best bet is September – October. This is when it starts cooling down at the lower elevations, but the snow hasn’t started piling up at the higher elevations yet.
Best Map For The Paiute ATV Trail
Bear Lake ATV Trails (Laketown UT / Border of Utah and Idaho)
Hundreds of miles of roads and ATV trails in Utah and Idaho wind through the mountains surrounding the lake.
Great off roading with a lake makes it ideal for families.
Located right on the border of Idaho and Utah, the lake is about 60% in Idaho and 40% in Utah.
Bear Lake State Park is the perfect jumping off point for exploring the area. This state park has everything you need including RV sites with hookups and tent camping.
This is a full service area with everything you need. A local vendor has several locations around the lake offering various amenities including boat rentals, SxS rentals, paddle board rentals, kayak rental, water trampolines, a marina, waterside casual dining and cabin rentals.
The day use fee to use Rendezvous Beach is $15 – $20, but if you’re camping, you can just walk over from the campground.
Bear Lake State Park is “OHV friendly” meaning you can ride OHVs in the park. There aren’t any ATV trails within the state park, but you do have direct trail access.
A street legal vehicle will make it easier to get around, but there’s still plenty of access for ATVs and SxS that aren’t street legal.
OHVs must be street legal to ride on US Hwy 89 and Utah SR 30, but plenty of roads are open to non-street legal OHVs making it easy to access the trails.
Roads Open To OHVs That Are Not Street Legal
- Cisco Road and other roads in Garden City and Laketown
- Roads leaving from the park’s east side areas of First Point, South Eden, Cisco Beach, Rainbow Cove, and North Eden
Bear Lake Website (maps)
Bear Lake ATV Trails (detailed write up)
Burr Trail (Boulder UT)
Overview
- Length: 67 miles
- Skill Level: Easy
- Usage: Heavy
- Open: Year round
- Vehicles Allowed: Street legal vehicles
You will need a street legal OHV for this ride.
Not exactly 100% an ATV trail, but we’re including it anyway, because 1) it’s awesome and 2) it’s one of the most popular backroads in Utah. It’s primarily dirt, but small portions of it are paved.
The 67.4 mile long Burr Trail travels through the stunning hills, canyons and red rock deserts of southern Utah.
Ride through portions of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area with an overview at the border of Capitol Reef National Park.
On the Burr Trail, you can experience a little slice of Utah’s history. This road was once part of a cattle route used by early Mormon settler, John Burr. He used it to move his cattle between winter and summer grazing areas and to get them to market.
Back in the day, it was pretty inhospitable terrain, but now it’s an enjoyable scenic day trip.
BLM: Burr Trail Scenic Backway and Wolverine Loop Road
- Utah has very varied terrain, from low hot desert to snowy high mountains. Be sure to check the elevation, heat and snow before you head out.
- Utah state residents are required to register all off highway vehicles
- Out of state riders are required to purchase a non-resident OHV permit
- OHVs are required by law to have a spark arrestor device
- Utah allows for street legal OHVs
Velvet Ridge to Hell’s Hole (Bicknell UT)
Overview
- Length: 19 miles round trip (from the Velvet Ridge staging area)
- Skill Level: Moderate / Difficult ( last mile to Hell’s Hole is very difficult)
- Usage: Moderate
- Open: Year round
- Vehicles Allowed: ATVs, dirt bikes, SxS, full size, mountain bikes
Located north of Capital Reef National Park, this southern Utah area is famous for it’s stunning red rock formations, prolific canyons, beautiful high desert and red dirt.
The off roading is excellent here, but it’s also great for mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing and exploring.
And, Velvet Ridges also has a lot more off roading to offer than just the ride out to Hell’s Hole. There’s also an OHV play area with open sandy areas and trails for soaking up the local scenery.
This trail is part of the Great Western Trail (GWT), that runs from Canada to Mexico.
Unfortunately, most of the GWT is for non-motorized use, but there are some small sections open to motorized use.
Large vehicles can’t make it all the way to Hell’s Hole.
There’s a gate about a mile from the end that larger vehicles won’t be able to make it past.
Motorcycles and small ATVs can navigate past the gate, but larger vehicles won’t be able to make it. At this point you’ll have to hike into Hell’s Hole.
Hell’s Hole is located at 8,650’, so it’s high desert terrain, but it still gets plenty hot in the summer. There’s also no shade out here, so the shoulder seasons are your best bet for visiting.
Markagunt OHV System / Duck Creek Village ATV Trails (Duck Creek UT)
Overview
- Length: 500 +/– trail miles
- Skill Level: Varied
- Usage: Moderate
- Open: Year round (but too much snow for winter riding)
- Vehicles Allowed: ATV, OHV, SxS, dirt bikes, full sized
Extensive riding area comprised of both roads and trails in the Dixie National Forest.
With elevations over 8,000’ this is a true four season mountain destination.
Unlike a lot of other riding areas in Utah that get too hot for riding in the summer, this one is perfect with temperatures in the mid to high 70’s.
But, its high mountain elevation does mean lots of snow in the winter. With an average of over 6’ of snow during the winter, off roading isn’t an option. Of course, Dixie National Forest is still open for winter recreation, just not off roading.
Utah does allow for street legal ATVs, but even street legal ATVs aren’t allowed on highways, so OHV travel on Hwy 14 is off limits.
No OHV travel is allowed on Hwy 14
This make the very small village of Duck Creek ATV friendly and a good central location for hitting the trails in all directions.
Full sized vehicles have access to most of the trail miles, but they’re not allowed on 100% of all the trails.
Small segments of Markagunt Plateau, Sandy-Caddy Creek Loop, Birch Spring-Pass Creek Loop, Tommy Creek Loop, Strawberry Loop, Harris Rim Loop and Stout Ridge aren’t open to full sized vehicles.
Markagunt OHV System Main Loops* (open to all vehicles)
- Markagunt Plateau – 82 miles
- Sandy-Caddy Creek Loop – 22 miles
- Birch Spring-Pass Creek Loop – 20 miles
- Tommy Creek Loop – 17 miles
- Strawberry Loop – 12 1/2 miles
- Harris Rim Loop – 14 miles
- Stout Ridge – 11 miles
*These are the largest loops – there are lots of additional trail spurs and routes.
Trails are well marked and easy to navigate, so getting around is easy. With large loops, small loops and spurs with different difficulty ratings, you get to choose your mileage and adventure level.
Each trail segment has at least one intersection with another trail so it’s easy to combine loops and routes.
Forest Service: Markagunt OHV System
Swing Arm City (Caineville UT)
Overview
- Length: Open riding
- Skill Level: Varied
- Usage: Moderate
- Open: Year round
- Vehicles Allowed: All ATVs & OHVs
How to describe Swing Arm City…..
It’s a bit of a supernatural landscape, somewhat sand dune like, but not exactly.
Comprised of bennonite clay, the surface is on the soft side, but not quite as soft as sand.
What makes this open riding area really spectacular is the hills and ridge lines. Expert riders can really challenge themselves out here with epic natural jumps, advanced technical trails and breathtaking trails that run along the spine of the hills.
But, don’t worry if you’re not an expert level driver, there’s also open riding areas plus easy chill riding over the smaller hills and through the valleys.
Skill levels vary from easy to EXTREME.
Dispersed camping is allowed and restroom facilities are available onsite.
Swing Arm City is in the same region as Sam’s Mesa Trail, so, if you have time check it out too.
Sam’s Mesa Trail (Hanksville UT)
Overview
- Length: 30 miles from Roost Rd. (15 mile out and back)
- Skill Level: ATVs easy, OHVs moderate with some difficult sections
- Usage: Low
- Open: Year round
- Vehicles Allowed: ATV and experienced Jeep riders
From Roost Rd. Staging area to the Sam’s Mesa Staging Area is a dirt road that is accessible for most trucks. But, once you get to the start of the Sam’s Mesa trail, it’s only recommended for ATVs and experienced OHV drivers.
Only recommended for experienced full sized 4×4 drivers.
Travel high along a mesa to several overlooks with stunning views of the expansive red rock canyons. Dirty Devil river can be seen in the distance cutting through a canyon.
The 30 miles round trip is only if you do a straight shot to the end at Mesa Towers Overlook.
You’ll want to add in some extra time / mileage to hit the three other scenic overlooks: Happy Canyon Overlook, Sam’s Mesa Canyon Overlook and North Mesa Overlook.
Sam’s Mesa Trail is in the same region as Swing Arm City, so head on over there if you have the time.
Kanab UT
Overview
- Length: 200 miles
- Skill Level: Varied
- Usage: Light
- Open: Year round
- Vehicles Allowed: ATV, UTV, SxS, dirt bikes, 4×4 OHV
Kanab Utah is a great base for exploring the many miles of trails north of town.
Dramatic red cliffs, slick rock, rock crawling, sandy trails, steep climbs, sharp descents, mesas and beautiful high desert terrain are all accessible on this expansive trail system.
Trails feature vistas of the Vermilion Cliffs plateau, an overlook of town, valleys, canyons, mesas and tons of interesting, varied red rock formations and cliffs. Pinyon pine, juniper and ponderosa pine pepper the hills adding to the lovely scenery.
Be advised that Hog Canyon has one trail that is moderate, the rest is difficult to extreme. Don’t travel in here without having the requisite skills.
Hog Canyon Is Extreme: Proceed With Caution
Located in southern Utah, just north of the state line, these trails vary in elevations from 4,950’ – 6,690’.
Summers are very hot here, so not ideal for riding, but spring, fall and even winter are great.
Winters are fairly mild in Kanab, but it does get about 21 inches of snow per year. Temperatures, even in the coldest months of winter, get into the high 40s during the days, so it’s not terribly cold.
BLM: Hog Canyon OHV Trail System
Utah Parks and Recreation: Kanab Utah OHV trail map
42 More ATV Trails In Utah – FREE Maps
(Links take you to DNR maps / brochures of riding areas)
Off-Highway-Vehicle (OHV) Maps
- Amasa
- Black Mountain OHV Trails
- Burbank Hills
- Casto Canyon / Limekiln Loop OHV Trails
- Chief Tintic
- Conger Mountain
- Cricket Mountains
- Dove Creek / Raft River OHV Trails
- Emery County OHV Trails
- Forshea/Table Mountain OHV Trails
- Garfield County Regions 1&2
- Garfield County Regions 3&4
- Gemini Bridges
- Green River/Ten Mile OHV Trails (Orange Trail)
- Grouse Creek OHV Trails
- Haycock Mountain / Black Rock OHV Trails
- Henry Mountain North
- Hook and Ladder
- Indian Peak OHV Trails
- Labyrinth Rims
- Lake Canyon
- LaSal Pass OHV Trails
- Little Valley / Cottonwood Canyon OHV Trails
- Markagunt Trail
- Mill Canyon OHV Trail-Wasatch Mountain
- Mill Canyon OHV Trail-Moab
- Mineral Mountains South OHV Trails
- Mountain Home Mountains OHV Trails
- Mt Carmel Junction OHV Trails
- Outlaw Trail
- Panguitch Loop OHV Trail
- Parowan Gap Trail
- Sanpete County Trail Maps
- Strawberry OHV System
- Strawberry Peak OHV Trails
- Shoshone Trail System
- Utah Rims
- Wah Wah Mountains OHV Trails
- Washington County OHV Trails
- Wayne County ATV Trails
- Yellowstone OHV Trail System
- Yuba OHV Trails