Utah/Colorado Vacation Help

[sticky]

Hi,

Me and a friend are planning a riding trip out in the Moab area and are looking for advice on good rides. We would like to find a place with nice accomodations, maybe a cabin or something for the wives. Both bikes are street legal so riding right from where we are staying would be great if possible. Looking for some long loops with good riding and scenery too. Also, we are from Jersey riding at about 500ft on average, what should we be jetting at for the elevation out there (01'&02' WR426). Are GPS recommended? How about the weather conditions around June/July. Lots, and lots of questions. Any help would be great.

Thanks All,

Stick

[endurodog]

Been to the Moab area twice now, once on mountain bikes, once on the dirtbike. The one question I can answer for you is it will be HOT in June and July in Moab. 90 + degrees in the day time and possibly warmer.

[GPS Dual Sport]

This company has a bunch of ride info

web page for TrekNow

They do haved stuff near Moab. Their Website is a bit difficult to navigate but these links are what you need to check out.

Northwest Moab Overview

Northeast Moab Overview

Southeast Moab Overview

You can get more info from the web site.

A good friend has been to Moab a couple of times and I have some of his GPS tracklogs that do not appear on the Treknow webpages above.

I hope this helps

[brobixr250]

Take a look at San Raffel Swell also Just as good as moab but not as many people (and keep it Quiet!!) look at the new Drit Rider mag. it has some great trails in utah featured. and also check out motoutah.com. they talk about Poison spider mesa in moab wich is great! (I have only done that one on a mt bike) and yes I would deff. take a GPS. I got lost in San Raffel and never leave home without it now!! In moab you have to follow carens? (stacks of rocks) to follow the trails. sounds easy but the landscape is like you are on mars. rocks and sand everywhere!! You also should go to gemini bridges and dinosaur tracks (really cool) no place on earth like moab & the rest of southern utah. You are going to love it!!!!! let us know how it goes.

[sticky]

Thanks for the info guys, keep it coming. The more the better.

Stick

[PumpkinHumper]

Im planin a trip out to Utah also. 1st thing that I learned is dont go in the summer. From what I hear april and october are the best times to go. Its REALLY hot in utah in July. Like over 100deg.

We are going out for a week in october. driving out from Michigan.

Ive been told that we can spend a week out in Moab and never see the same place twice. Ive been told that some of the best maps of the area are the latitude 40 maps

Here are a few links to some posts that I did on the same subject.

post #1

post #2

post #3

post #4

Hope some of this helps.

[HighPlainsWR]

I agree with YZMAN400. Go in either March-April or October-November. My homies and me go twice a year during these months and any other time would be weather-risky. Moab is cool: dudes go riding, wives go shopping, kids play in the pool. Be sure to stay at the Super 8 (most modern), eat breakfast at the Moab Diner (huevos) and Sat. dinner at the Branding Iron (prime rib/kareoke). But it is crowded during those months. Green River, 35 miles further down the interstate offers White Sands Missle Range, Ten-Mile Wash and limitless BLM ride ops. For Colorado, I recommend Monarch Pass - single track everywhere, water crossings up to your seat, the famous Colorado trail. For Moab, 4K ft. no mods required. For CO, my former 02' WR426 used a 40 pilot, 155 main, 1 3/8 out on fuel screw and the needle clip in the 3rd position.

[mwhorped]

If you are wanting to ride in CO. go to Taylor Park, just north of Gunnison. There are cabins for rent that you can ride out of to the trails, which there are a lot of. Go between June and September for the best temps.(70/40), and the most open mountain passes, due to snow melt. You can ride 100 miles a day and not repeat the same trail heading out of Taylor Park.

Sean

www.whorp.com

[PumpkinHumper]

I was at Taylor park 2 years ago in July and there was still snow in the mountain pass's. We were able to get thru all of them. But some had only been open for a few weeks.

Taylor park is an awsome place to stay. Although the wive's may find it a little boring as there is nothing there but a corner store / gas station. The ridding from there is awsome. Check out "timberline Ridge" trail. Thas sucker has some sierious "pucker power".

[cnacc]

yzman400, Check out my signature for high evevation jetting. Crested Butte might be a good option some shopping/fun for the ladies. Hundreds of miles of good trails, you can even go over to tailor park, just get your gas before the station closes or it is a long walk back.

[Scaryfast]

You asked about some long loops to ride in Moab. There are many rides.

If you are street legal, I would suggest doing the White Rim Trail in the Island in the Sky portion of Canyonlands National Park. For one-day trips, a permit or reservation is not needed. Check with the visitors center. I'd ride counterclockwise starting on the Mineral Bottom Road descending Horsethief Point to the Green River. It is a 105 mile loop of the most beautiful country the area has to offer. The riding is fun on jeep trails with loose surface rock, sand, ledges, and hard pack. The trail rises and drops from many tiers or benches wandering close to the edge of sheer drop-offs. The view and scenery are spectacular. Toward the end, the trail will climb back on top of the "island" up the Shafer Trail.

Another shorter loop in the area would be the Jughandle loop. It is about 36 miles off-road with 26 miles of pavement. Leaving Moab toward the north, head to the Potash Plant to the evaporation ponds, up the Shafer Canyon to the White Rim trail kiosk. Then, Up the steep switchbacks of the Shafer Trail. Travel on Hwy 313 to the Long Canyon road down Pucker Pass. At the bottom is the Jughandle Arch and you are back on Hwy 279.

If you want a more challenging and technical trail, ride the Poison Spider Mesa trail to the overlook at the Portal trail. Head north connecting with the Golden Spike Jeep trail (follow the spikes painted on the slickrock). Great views of Arches and the La Sals. Follow the Golden Spike down Gold Bar Rim trail near Monticello Rock. From here you can leave by Little Canyon out to Hwy 191 at the Gemini Bridges trailhead. Or, head into Bull Canyon and view the Bridges from below. Then, out by Trigger road down the rocky hill and out Little Canyon.

As it has been said before, it is very HOT in July.

You may want to consider doing some mountain rides in the La Sals.

If you are looking to stay in a cabin, check out the Portal RV park in Moab.

Have fun!

[JADENHYRUM]

I live in Utah and ride all over the State, Call me if you want more info Gary 1801-642-0070

[KRobWR250]

It sounds like you know your SoUT riding. You ought to consider joining us for a ride in Moab on the weekend of April 11-13. We've got a group of 5 or 6 so far. The more the merrier. ?

[RCannon]

Moab is a cool little town. It might be nice to spend one night within the city. There are lots of unique little shops.

How could the ladies be happy staying somewhere they could not use a credit card?

[desertfoxx]

check out "Elitetours" they are on the web. Great outfit that offers tours in the Moab area. Dale Pariot owns this company and is a very good guide in the area. Also go do the Slickrock trail just above the town of Moab, only 5$ park entry fee and really fun and easy to find your way on! ?

[law_boy]

What do people think about the Paiute ATV trail? Any good? Is it ridable in late March?