Riding season mid-March through November. Mountain Bike Deals, Copyright 2020 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | Add in a few other super gnarly routes like Amasa Back, the Moab Rim, and the genuinely deadly Portal Trail, and Moab’s reputation as a destination for none but the skilled and/or sketchy set became entrenched. Less than a 30-minute drive from downtown Moab, the Klonzo trail system offers a huge variety of mountain biking for beginners. They are intermediate to advanced rides. Moab mountain biking is a global attraction for athletes and families alike. Don’t be nervous, though—the vast majority of the north side is still rideable by a beginner who doesn’t mind dismounting their mountain bike for the occasional tricky section. See more ideas about moab trails, moab, mountain biking. Another 7.5 miles and you’re there—the trailhead shares a parking lot with the park’s visitor center. Among the best beginner mountain bike trails in Moab UT is Slickrock trail Practice Loop. This challenging 9.6 mile trail is considered by many to be the ultimate mountain biking experience. While there are several trails in the network better left for more experienced riders, beginners are sure to enjoy the one-way Lazy/EZ loop that lets riders get a taste of Moab without getting in over their heads in technical terrain—or having to worry about oncoming traffic. If you’ve ever thought about taking a bike vacation, but thought it may not be worth it because you don’t have the skills or fitness to get the most out of it, Moab has the goods to change your mind. MTB Podcast | Dino Flow This is an easy 4.5-mile singletrack within the Klondike Bluffs (Baby Steps) Trails system. But now, Moab has no less than a half dozen outstanding novice/lower-intermediate rides to keep any new or casual rider entertained for as much as a full week. Below are the top 5 intermediate bike trails in the Moab area, as rated by MTBProject.com. What’s more, these routes usually have adjacent trails with a slightly greater degree of challenge available. Times have changed. In-shape riders who don’t mind adding some pavement miles can also pedal straight from town on the paved Moab Canyon Pathway, which connects to Seven Mile Flat a quarter-mile from the trailhead. Support Us | If Big Chief leaves you wanting more, connect to the west side of the park via Crossroads and try your hand at Whiptail, Twisted Tree, and Prickly Pair. Bar M Mountain Biking Trail near Moab, Utah. These areas offer a great taste of Moab mountain biking for beginners, and will help newer riders build skills and confidence (as well as their overall enjoyment of off-road riding). Now in its fifth official year (previously a Yeti Cycles event), the annual THAW features demos, organized rides, bowling, parties and a ladies only ride and skills clinic including guided rides on Moab’s infamous Brand trails . Dead Horse Point is about a 40-minute drive from downtown Moab—to get there, drive north of town 11 miles on Highway 191, then turn left on state highway 313. It traverses the lower slopes below the EKG trail, crossing Baby Steps South, Salt Wash, Baby Steps North, and ending … Fruita came along touting its flowy smooth singletrack at 18 Road and the uber-friendly but gorgeous and entertaining Rustler’s Loop, and less intense riders found they could have a great time without white knuckles, and usually do it with an hour and a half less drive time from points east. The trail system is conveniently located off of Hwy 191. Recommended only for experienced riders since all sections contain difficult and technical areas. The “Slickrock” found around Moab made the original travelers of these trails – mainly horses – fight for traction. Terms | Privacy, First published September 12, 2016 @ 1:10:42, The 6 Best Moab Trails for Beginners and Casual Riders. The paved route provides easy cycling access to the MOAB Brand mountain bike trails just off U.S. 191 and a more challenging ride to the Intrepid trails in Dead Horse Point State Park and the Gemini Bridges Trail, which starts just outside the park. On this page, you will find links, maps and other information about bike, pedestrian and other trails in and around Moab. Starting southbound from the trailhead, stay right … This system features fun moderate singletrack trail riding with views of Canyonlands, the Colorado River, Behind the Rocks, and the La Sal mountains. As Moab’s name grew, riders would make the pilgrimage from points far and wide to ride what was supposed to be the quintessential mountain bike trail, Moab’s famed Slickrock. In a few hundred yards, turn right to start onto the Lazy / EZ singletrack. With so many trails to choose from, Moab will keep you coming back year after year. The La Sal Mountains, Utah’s second highest mountain range, are clearly visible from Dead Horse Point State Park. A popular mountain biking spot just a few miles north of town, the Moab Brand trails are a great place to get your feet wet (or dusty, more accurately). Click below to read about the best Moab trails for beginners! Widgets, Explore   The Klondike Bluffs Mountain Bike Trail System is a complex, interwoven set of trails north of the Moab Brand Trails. "Offering suggestions of trails that would be right for us to installing the bike rack right onto our rental car, they made sure we were comfortable and ready for the riding fun." Of course these are subjective and Moab has been building new trails like mad-so feel free to comment below about your must ride trails. To access this trail network, take Highway 191 north of town for just over 12 miles, until Willow Springs Road branches off to the right. The Top Mountain Bike Trails Near Moab, Utah First of all, it must be said that most of the trails in Moab don’t fall into the ‘easy’ category; in fact, it’s often quite the opposite. Bar M Mountain Biking Trail near Moab, Utah. Beginners will want to start on the trails on the east side of the main park road; the Great Pyramid to Raven Roll loop is a great place to warm up, and you can easily add the Big Chief trail onto your ride to introduce some confidence-building, lower-intermediate rock features into the mix. Dead Horse Point has become a can’t-miss mountain biking destination—the moderate drive away from Moab (and the nominal park-entrance fee) mean it’s less crowded than other popular beginner-friendly riding destinations in the area. The entire area is well-marked, with plenty of maps, signs, and color-coded lines designating the route on the slickrock sections of each trail. If a curb scares you, you are a novice. Most riders do 4 miles to the fence, or you can ride another 1.7 miles up narrower singletrack before turning back at the (unmarked) wilderness border. Taking a trip to Moab to experience its world-renowned mountain bike trails? Watch: Moab's Jackson Trail is not for the faint of... Watch: Top 5 Beginner Mountain Bike Mistakes, Five2Ride: The 5 Best Mountain Bike Trails in Arkansas, Mountain Biking Through the Rocky Trail of Grief, Most Popular Mountain Bike Gifts of 2020 (so far), Simply Grin-Inducing: Juliana’s Much-Loved Furtado Gets Even Better [Review]. The park’s elevation is also about 1,500 feet higher than Moab proper, which keeps the temperature about 10 degrees cooler—something to keep in mind when planning what layers you’re planning to bring on your ride. Moab is well known for the world famous, and highly technical, Slickrock Bike Trail. From the central Moab Brand area parking lot, take the wide doubletrack path, which leaves parking lot on the opposite side from where you came in. Learn more about trails, guides, and tours here. Just don’t be surprised if you find yourself daydreaming about your next trip—once you’ve ridden here, you’ll want to come back again and again. Moab has over 150 miles of singletrack mountain bike trails within easy reach of the main population center. Season mid-May through October This reputation was earned in the early days of mountain biking as intrepid cyclists would explore the as yet largely undeveloped desert, following the tracks of various motorized users and, occasionally blazing entirely new routes. All too often, Joe Weekend Warrior would wander out onto the steep, grippy rocks only to find himself in over his head quickly and return with bike, body, or spirit battered and ego bruised. Stay on the main dirt road for about 2.5 miles, and you’ll see the main trailhead and parking area to your left. A perennial favorite of Moab trails for kids, the Jurassic Trail is a beginner-friendly smooth singletrack trail with very little elevation change. Company   5 Best Moab Mountain Bike Trails. The Klonzo network spans across both sides of Willow Springs Road—the easiest trails are on the south side, while the trails on the north side feature slightly more technical terrain. Moab, Utah has some of the most spectacular and challenging mountain biking anywhere. The best & most popular mountain biking trails in Moab. The first lot sometimes fills up—if that’s the case, stay on the dirt road for another quarter-mile or so and you’ll see an additional parking area, also on the left. Slickrock is perhaps the most popular mountain bike trail in the world, boasting over 100,000 visitors per year. The Moab Brand Trails are a series of trails about 7 miles north of the Colorado River, north of Moab. There is no end of slickrock or dramatic red rock scenery. Highest elevation is 11,216’ and ends at about 4,000’ by the Colorado River. Enter your email address to receive our top stories via email each week. Follow the road for 14.5 miles before making a left to stay on the same highway (you will see signs directing you to the state park). Here’s the best of the desert just for you. These early Moab riders were hard-core, willing to face vast, forbidding, waterless, exposed landscapes without the aid of artificial power. For trail maps and more information on mountain biking in Moab, visit discovermoab.com. An easy access mountain bike trail system for all levels of riders. A NOVICE mountain biker is NOT a beginner. The Jurassic Trail is located in the Klondike Bluffs mountain biking area, a network of 50+ miles of singletrack located 20 minutes north of Moab. Moab riding is bucket list worthy, and if you're looking for advice or support for a bike trip here, definitely contact Western Spirit Cycling. The Green Canyon trail starts right at the edge of northeast Logan. To get there, take Highway 191 about 9.5 miles north of town, and take a right on BLM 261. It's a gentle climb on smooth fun trail. These trails crisscross the desert sands and stones, offering beautiful views and fun riding. MOAB MOUNTAIN BIKE TRAILS novice skill level. Trailforks ranks trails with a combination of user ratings and raw trail usage data from rides. You’ll make another immediate right, then backtrack on BLM 261 for a half-mile before turning left on a well-worn gravel road that leads straight into the trailhead parking lot. If you’re looking for a step up difficulty-wise from Lazy/EZ, try your hand at the North 40 trail—the terrain is similar, but you’ll find more ups, downs, and bike-handling challenges through the twists, turns, and broken rocks. A huge variety of trails allow for a gradual progression, and the duration of some of the bigger adventure rides always helps me feel more and more confident on my bike … Moab has long been a legendary mountain bike destination, featuring hundreds of miles of some of the best singletrack on the planet. Moab, however, also contains an assortment of easy and extremely scenic biking trails. To get there, take Highway 191 about 9.5 miles north of town, and take a right on BLM 261. There are paved bicycle trails, unpaved trails, and mountain bike trails. Best Bike Trails | The view from the main overlook at Dead Horse Point State Park is one of the most photographed vistas in Utah. About Us | Sure, there’s nothing actually mortality-inducing on the Slickrock Trail, but it is a bit much for the new or unprepared rider. Even the area’s main draw, the famed Slickrock Trail, proved to be too much for the average rider. TripOutside has done the research for you! A novice is generally defined as someone with start-up skills gained from riding a mountain bike for a period months at a rate of one ride per week. You can download it here. The average rider could spend an entire week in Moab and ride from a different trailhead each day without repeating. Most of the trails are relatively short, which makes it easy to piece together loops of varying lengths to match your fitness and bravery levels (as well as easily redirect course, should you find yourself on a trail that’s a bit more of a challenge than you’re looking for). Epic 25 miles of downhill in the La Sal Mountains. Not only is Moab the first name most cyclists think of when asked about a “mountain bike destination,” it’s also one of the first places that comes to mind for a broad variety and quantity of gnarly trails. The Slickrock Bike Trail is only 12 miles long and can prove absolutely exasperating. Porcupine Rim & Slickrock top the list of rides that made Moab famous. Moab offers a unique style of riding that makes for great progression on the bike, and the striking desert scenery adds to the vibe . IMBA Epics | It offers a huge variety of riding options. Singletracks Merch | Their guides have these trails dialed, plus they will get their massive support truck to camp, whip up amazing food, and keep the beer cold. Best MTB Gear | This system contains 6 trails including Burro Pass, Hazard County, and the upper, lower and Porcupine Rim trails. Rarely do you leave your easiest gears and "spin" at an easy cadence. You’ll make another immediate right, then backtrack on BLM 261 for a half-mile before turning left on a well-worn gravel road that leads straight into the trailhead parking lot. The City has an extensive urban pathway system that includes the Mill Creek Parkway and other trails. Dead Horse State Park – Intrepid Trail System Trailhead: Dead Horse Point State Park visitor center parking lot which is 32 miles west of Moab. "Excellent trail to get your skills going when visiting MOAB and doing a self drive." These are the 5 best mountain bike trails in Moab based on the amount of time you have away from the family. The Jurassic to Dino-Flow option provides a short riding experience that is still varied, challenging, and a great … At first, it was just a trail or two, meaning a destination visitor would play out his options in just a day, maybe two. Moab still has the lingering reputation as an experts-only destination, but they have fully put into place the trails, both quantity and quality, to begin luring more casual riders while advancing their reputation as a destination for literally every possible level of rider. Add in a few other super gnarly routes like Amasa Back, the Moab Rim, and the genuinely deadly Portal Trail, and Moab’s reputation as a destination for none but the skilled and/or sketchy set became entrenched. A word of caution: the dirt road crosses Courthouse Wash, which may have deep, loose sand. MOAB, UT – The 2015 Moab THAW hosted by Poison Spider Bicycles went off March 6 through 8, signaling spring and an unofficial start to the mountain bike season. Not all Moab Rides required legs of steel to ascend steep grades (photo: Ben Robator). For a more optimal web experience, please view our site on Microsoft's recommended browser, Edge. They get their name from four of the major trails that spell out "MOAB." Moab Brand Trails: The Brand Trails are made up of about 15 interconnecting loops that are geared toward the beginner and intermediate rider (though there are 4 “expert” sections). If he was foolish enough to take a non-riding spouse or his little tyke out there with him, the difficulties only multiply. As such the trails they blazed were generally also not for the faint of heart–or those lacking in cycling and route finding skills. This hardpacked dirt trail skirts the edge of a mesa. Moab Area Mountain Bike Trails Home of the original Slickrock and Upper Porcupine Singletrack Mountain Bike Trails, Moab has been the ultimate mountain bikers road trip destination for years. Jul 27, 2012 - Explore Rip3d MTB's board "Moab Trails" on Pinterest. Mountain bikers take some time to enjoy the view.