MOAB - What to expect on your first visit?

It's May and the count down starts before I pack up my gear and headout with the fellas to MOAB, Utah. It will be my first visit and hopefully not my last. Lol. We're all super excited.

Does anyone have any travel tips, pointers, good places to eat, recommendations to share? We are planning to ride slick rock but would like to explore the other trails.

Thanks!

Tom

 

So many better trails to ride than Slickrock.

Whole Enchilada
Amasa/Hymasa/Cpt Ahab/Rockstacker
Magnificent 7
Poison Spider
Portal Trail

http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/idx-moab.htm

 

Thanks J is that the preferred order of attack?

 

The first 2 are must do....

W.E.
Amasa Back/Hymasa/Cpt Ahab/Rockstacker

The link I posted has plenty of trail information.

 

+1 to that. Slickrock is an experience for sure, but you can get that same experience in a lot less time on the Slickrock practice loop and then get a better ride in elsewhere.

J's list is similar to my own, though I think climbing Poison Spider sucks (jeep trail). I would access Portal from Mag7 via Gold Bar Rim (formerly Blue Dot).

So top of my list is basically 3 must-do's - TWE, Mag7, Hymasa/Rockstacker/Ahab.

Just beware that some of these trails are very technical especially Gold Bar Rim/Portal, so if you're not into that you can take an alternate ending - Poison Spider as a descent would be ok, or exit to Gemini Bridges Rd. If you do exit one of those but want a longer ride, climb up a newer trail 7up. For TWE, you won't be able to do the whole thing from Burro this time of year, but if you start at Kokopelli Tr look into doing the newer Jimmy Kean Trail to start. It is a bit more work than Kokopelli which is just a fast downhill fireroad, but JK flows well and is very fun.

A newer trail that I haven't ridden is Navajo Rocks, have heard great things about it. Sounds like it has a ton of variety and not that long at 18 miles for the loop.

There are a ton of other systems in Moab that are worth checking out depending on your schedule and abilities within the group. Moab Brand trails, Klondike Bluffs and Sovereign networks are all spiderwebs of trail of all types and difficulties you can spend all day at, or just a couple hours. For a shorter ride from town Pipe Dream is fun. Also, I have not ridden it but Dead Horse Pt State Park is supposedly mellow (flat) but very scenic.

Arches National Park is nearby and worth checking out in the evening. If you will be there for a week, spending a day in each of Fruita and Grand Junction is worth it for some variety.

 

@evdog - That's some good intel! I will checkout the recommendations you provided on Google tonight! Which trail has the most covering and sweet single track?

 

Stay on the single track and remember there is only bedrock and sand. Oh, and sand sucks. So choose wisely
Happy Stick Rock Trails