Looking for family friendly trail suggestions in Moab (1 Viewer)

[adamb]

I just arrived in Moab in the 200 with my family, and will be here for the next week. I'll be working in the mornings but in the afternoons, I'm looking to take the kids (age 4 and 6) on some fun trails. I'm a fairly experienced off-road driver, the truck is lifted 2" on Bilstein 6112/5160 combo, with KO2 tires but no sliders or skids. I've got recovery gear, but I won't really have a spotter so I don't want to push things too far. I'd love any suggestions for fun, interesting trails to to take the kids on. They are troopers and love wheeling with me - I just don't want to take them anywhere where they might not be safe (or where they might be waiting around all afternoon for dad to fix the vehicle, haha).

So far, Onion Creek is at the top of the list. Considering Top of the World, Chicken Corners, and Dome Plateau but would love any advice on if people think those my might be too much, given my situation. Also considering Willow Springs and Tower arch in Arches NP.

Thank you!

 

[mcgaskins]

I just arrived in Moab in the 200 with my family, and will be here for the next week. I'll be working in the mornings but in the afternoons, I'm looking to take the kids (age 4 and 6) on some fun trails. I'm a fairly experienced off-road driver, the truck is lifted 2" on Bilstein 6112/5160 combo, with KO2 tires but no sliders or skids. I've got recovery gear, but I won't really have a spotter so I don't want to push things too far. I'd love any suggestions for fun, interesting trails to to take the kids on. They are troopers and love wheeling with me - I just don't want to take them anywhere where they might not be safe (or where they might be waiting around all afternoon for dad to fix the vehicle, haha).

So far, Onion Creek is at the top of the list. Considering Top of the World, Chicken Corners, and Dome Plateau but would love any advice on if people think those my might be too much, given my situation. Also considering Willow Springs and Tower arch in Arches NP.

Thank you!

All of those are great choices except Top of the World - I would not suggest doing it without sliders and a stock rear bumper will definitely take some hits. The other trails aren't likely to cause any damage if you're careful on climbs and descents.

 

[ColoradoSequoia]

Fins n things provided some great thrills for the kids and only one rear bumper scrape that i could have avoided had i gone slower...

 

[tominboise]

Fins n things, Copper Ridge, Secret Spire, Day Canyon Point, Seven Mile Rim and 3D are all trails I have had my 80 or 200 series on, and most importantly, also my wife and family. I'd highly recommend buying a copy of Charles Well's book "Moab UT Backroads & 4-wheel Drive Trails". It has much info and directions for these trails.

I have also gone it the back road to Arches, which is fun and has dinosaur tracks to see. Potato Salad hill is worth a trip if people are going up it. The Baby Lions back is fun and your kids will like it.

All the usual caveats about having your stuff together re offroading apply.

 

[Moabbob]

Second fins and things a great place to experience slick rock. Shaffer trail while just a shelf road offers great views and is fun up or down.

 

[dcs111]

Onion creek is great- watch the weather. I second Schaffer.. we didn’t have time, but parts of the rim trail around Canyonlands is definitely doable (it’s like 80 miles long)- someone can probably clarify... there are several trails out of arches. We took a west bound trail out of arches - willow flats... this was probably the only trail I had to get out and evaluate several of the dips and bumps... it was also the most fun for us amateurs in a roughly stock cruiser. Also had a dinosaur tracks site that the kids enjoyed. As an aside, we passed a Prius going east bound as we were going west... they intimated there was an impassable shelf on our route. Turns out battery powered cars see things different than we do

mill canyon is really tame and has more dinosaur fossils in situ for the kids- they had a good time on this.

Gemini bridges is a nice, several hour journey to several arches outside both parks. I would plan four hours to get through this and be prepared for a variety of conditions from knife edge roads to mildly technical stepped rocks to soft sand- all doable in stock form with decent tires... lol I was passed by many who I assume had experienced this road before.

if you have a National Geographic map, you should pay attention to the trail ratings. We stayed 3 and under and no scrapes to the Tupperware or otherwise having to deploy tow kit... good luck and take a pic for us!

 

[adamb]

Thanks everyone for the great advice! Decided to just go for it today and do Dome Plateau. It was definitely the hardest trail i've done and man was it incredible. Both kids were literally jumping up and down by the caves, listening to their echos and yelling "This was the BEST DAY EVER". Between the Nat Geo Maps on Gaia GPS and Well's Utah book we (mostly) managed to avoid getting lost. I think I had a few heart attacks along the away but we didn't actually take any damage. Wells rates it as the most difficult intermediate trail and that's about as tough as I'd want to go without armor.

We were the only ones out on the trail today which made it feel pretty special. The view out from the overlook was absolutely breathtaking, and the caves on the way back were really interesting and fun to climb around (not in). I started to panic a bit when the sun started to set and we still had 10+ miles to go but fortunately the way out is basically just a dirt road so we made good time and didn't get caught out there in the dark.

Thanks @mcgaskins for suggesting to avoid Top of the World - I think that would have been too much.
@ColoradoSequoia, awesome vid on Fins and Things, may just have to give it a go later in the week
Thanks everyone else for suggestions for other trails - gives me lots of good places to look up! Well's book is awesome but I hadn't really calibrated his difficulty scale to my vehicle and ability yet. Now I think, I've got it.

 

[Dashome]

Looks like an absolute blast. I'm glad you started this thread as we have kids of all ages that would love these trails!

 

[mcgaskins]

Great trail choice! Dome is has a few amazing campsites and is also part of Kokopellis Trail which is pretty cool.