Moab Rim Trail - Moab, UT

Round trip, it's only 8.2 miles. But it takes the most capable 4x4 vehicles over three hours to complete it. On a bike you can zip around much faster, but the terrain of Moab Rim remains a very worthy opponent, even for those with only two wheels, motorized or otherwise.


The trailhead is 2.7 miles west on Kane Creek Road out of Moab, and from there you begin to climb, steeply and immediately, up a "trail" that you can't even recognize from the road. The first mile is all uphill, and riddled with natural tricks like The Devil's Crack (a high, irregular ledge along the cliff edge with an awkward right turn thrown in for flavor), and the Z-Turn (three high rock steps positioned in the middle of three sharp turns). At the summit, the view of Moab Valley is spectacular. The new chair lift brings hikers and bikers up to this point for $9, and it's important to keep in mind that this trail is shared by all manner of travelers: hikers, mountain bikers, off-road vehicles and jeeps.


From the summit you follow a loop which winds through a vast hidden valley, with beautiful views of the La Sal Mountains in the distance. A short spur trail near the top of the loop leads out to an incredible petroglyph wall that stretches along a jutting ridge for over 1,000 feet. You can also access the Hidden Valley Hiking Trail, a beautiful hike, from the top of Moab Rim.


The return loop has several optional challenges, like a steep sand hill that many people attempt to conquer. Your last mile, though, is the same monster you climbed up.