Recommend a trail...

[Hayes]

I've camped and backpacked all over southern Utah, buy I've never driven any of the real off road trails (was a passenger on Elephant Hill once).

Can anyone recommend a southern Utah (Moab or other) trail that meets these criteria:

1. Vehicles would be a lifted and unlocked 80 (mine), a stock Isuzu Trooper (tires larger than stock) and/or a stock LR Disco. All the drivers are more or less rookies.

2. Body damage is not an option.

3. Do-able over a weekend or long weekend.

4. Scenery and nice camping options (prefer quiet, primitive camping over front-country campsites) are a high priority.


Thanks for any input.

Hayes

 

[dmc]

Hayes,

A little harder than Teapot Flats or about the same? That trail road would rate about a 3. Maybe a 3+. I'm sure I can recommend a few based upon your opinion of that road.
dmc

 

[Hayes]

Thanks for the reply, Dave.

A wee bit harder than Teapot Flats would be cool (I felt like my 80 casually strolled through Teapot without even breathing heavy, but I don't want to scare my Trooper/Disco buddies away) .

Hayes

 

[Hayes]

...I wish I could have made it to Cruise Moab...

 

[alvarorb]

Hayes,


You could do the Beef Basin Road. There are some great camping spots in the area. It's pretty remote, but not hard at all. You can go in by natural bridges near the north shore of Lake Powell and come out on St. Rd 211.

You'll need to carry extra fuel.

Regards

Alvaro

 

[Hayes]

Hayes,


Beef Basin Road... ...not hard at all.

Regards

Alvaro

I have heard that Beef Basin is pretty cool.
Will my 80 get to stretch its legs at all?

Hayes

 

[alvarorb]

I have heard that Beef Basin is pretty cool.
Will my 80 get to stretch its legs at all?

Hayes

Yes if you exit via Elephant Hill. But what about your friend and his Isuzu?

Alvaro

 

[dmc]

Hayes,

Elephant Hill at this point is about the same as Teapot Flats. I guess I'm hesitant to recommend anything not knowing how 'rookie' your friends are and their trucks. Beef Basin is a great remote locale but wheeling isn't much. I'd suggest Hole in the Rock on the Halls Crossing side but it is very remote and not a good place for a rookie mistake to happen. I've seen it done in a stock height 80 although it was locked. Plenty of places in the Swell if you don't want to go too far south. Devil's Racetrack would be perfect. I can get you specifics if you need them. I'm headed out tonight for a weekend near Escalante but I can get you info next week.
dmc

 

[Hayes]

Yes if you exit via Elephant Hill. But what about your friend and his Isuzu?

Alvaro

I think his Trooper would do Elephant Hill.
That's the only Moab trail I've been on, and it was in my friend's Pathfinder, way back when...
I don't remember it being so scary.

DMC estimated the Teapot Flats Maze trail--at about 3 or 3+. My 70-year old grandmother drove her Exploder in there twice (true).
What is Elephant Hill rated?

Hayes

 

[alvarorb]

Hayes,

DMC is right. Elephant hill is pretty tame. It's still fun to drive from beef basing into the park. What you don't get difficulty, you gain on scenery. It's just mind blowing.

Alvaro

 

[Hayes]

Dave,
you beat me to the question.

My brother's been on Devil's Racetrack, I can get the info from him if I need to.

Speaking of my brother, if you stop in Boulder, he works at the Hell's Backbone Cafe. Hairy-faced guy also named Hayes. I've been trying to get him to buy an 80. You could proselytize while you were there...

Thanks.

Hayes

 

[dmc]

I think his Trooper would do Elephant Hill.
That's the only Moab trail I've been on, and it was in my friend's Pathfinder, way back when...
I don't remember it being so scary.

DMC estimated the Teapot Flats Maze trail--at about 3 or 3+. My 70-year old grandmother drove her Exploder in there twice (true).
What is Elephant Hill rated?

Hayes

Elephant Hill is rated a 3+ but some of the harder obstacles have been removed within the last year in the name of park sanitation. Now that I think about it Teapot Flats is probably a 3. Devils Racetrack is a fun trail and good scenery without much risk of other people. which is always a plus for me. a few pics.

I agree with Alavaro absolutely. You want to see some of the best Utah has to offer hit up Elephant Hill, Beef Basin and Dark Canyon. That was my favorite section of UCE. Pages 4 and 5 here. Have to wait until later in the year however. Probably too much snow up on Elk Ridge.

 

[canyoneer]

I'm enjoying this thread because we'll be heading out that way in not too long. Is this pic of Devil's Racetrack? What time of year, and how deep is that water?

 

[LIVERUST]

That was Devil's racetrack. Those photos are a few years old now (my FJ40 looks a lot shorter in those pictures) but if I remember it was about this time of year. Water wasn't all that deep. Trail was a lot of fun, not too hard, I was running open with 33" tires then.

troy