Beginner Off-Road Trails Near Boulder, Utah

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Hells Backbone - NF153

Hell's Backbone is a rugged area that bridges between towering Boulder Mountain on the north and canyons cut by the Escalante River and its tributaries on the south. The Hell's Backbone Road is a winding…
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Total Miles
23.8
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Tantalus Flat - NF30168

Fun mixed terrain route accessing Lower Browns Reservoir, Jorgensen Flat, Tantalus Flats, Laurel and Hardy Arch, and the Western back-door access point of Capitol Reef National Park. This route starts out as a graded gravel…
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Total Miles
9.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Hole In The Rock Road

Hole In The Rock Road (BLM 200) travels through the heart of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Almost 60 miles in length, this out-and-back dirt road travels through some of the most remote country in the…
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Total Miles
53.4
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Aquarius Teasdale - NF154

Easy gravel road climbing up onto Boulder Mountain above Escalante, UT. This road accesses Posey Lake, Cyclone Lake, and a number of high alpine lakes. Climbing over 9,500 feet, this is a great place to…
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Total Miles
7.6
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Burr Trail Switchbacks

This trail goes from Notom-Bullfrog Road to Capitol Reef National Park over the Waterpocket Fold. Once the trail enters Grand Staircase a couple of miles from the top, it becomes a paved road. It winds…
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Total Miles
5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Smoky Mountain Road

This is a backcountry route bordering the Burning Hills Wilderness Study Area. It connects Alstrom Point above Lake Powell to the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. It starts with a steep climb up Kelly Grade.…
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Total Miles
41.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa

Loa Great Western Trail

This portion of the Great Western Trail stretches from the Red rock-covered low lands around Loa up onto the Thousand Lake mountain plateau. The higher elevations are covered in Pine and Aspen trees. There is…
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Total Miles
19.6
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Henry Mountain Road

The road stretches from Sandy Ranch Road on the West end. It traverses through a desert-type area with many small buttes, gullies, and clay-like soil. It can be very slick when wet. Sagebrush and Cedar…
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Total Miles
14.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Loop & Sand Wash

Really fun sand wash that has a few connectors that will get you back on to the main trail/ road. It has a few tight turns and high side that make it narrow in a…
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Total Miles
7.6
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp

Croton Road

Croton Road is a rarely used gravel road that stretches twenty-five miles through the Grand Staircase Escalante. It connects Left Hand Collett to the Sit Down Bench and Little Valley roads along the Croton Bench…
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Total Miles
23.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Deep Creek Lake Road

Deep Creek Lake Road traverse's the East side of the Thousand Lake Mountain range from the North end and wraps around the South end of the mountain. Depending on how wet of a year it…
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Total Miles
7.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Fa / Su / Sp

Powell Point Trail

This is a relatively short out-and-back road to Powell Point. The trail ends at a hiking trailhead sitting at approximately 10,000 feet above sea level. The land is administered by the forest service, and the…
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Total Miles
14.5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Elkhorn Road

Elkhorn Road is well-maintained and offers access to Deep Creek Lake Road and Elkhorn Campground. The campground and surrounding area are great for tents, as well as travel trailers. The area offers great views of…
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Total Miles
3
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

As Above So Below

This road connects Upper Cathedral Valley (campground) and Lower Cathedral Valley (Temple of the Sun and Moon). Stunning desert views all around. The dirt road is maintained, but there are river washes that could potentially…
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Total Miles
7.5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Su / Sp

McMIllan Springs Road

This short road stretches between the Henry Mountain road and the McMillan Springs campground. The campground has a vault toilet and designated camping spots but is otherwise an unimproved camp area. The foliage is mostly…
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Total Miles
2.3
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Northern Cathedral Valley Road

Nice and easy dirt road that traverses the Northern section of Cathedral Valley National Park and cuts into BLM land. Stock vehicles and passenger cars were spotted. There are a few dry river washes that…
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Total Miles
10.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Baker Ranch Road

Descending nearly 3000 feet from Hwy 72 at approximately 9200 feet down to the Lower Last Chance road on the San Rafael at 6400 feet. The road borders the north end of Capital Reef National…
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Total Miles
16.4
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Southern Cathedral Valley Road

Another stunning maintained desert trail that connects you from the main road to Lower Cathedral Valley. It is well maintained and scenic. All vehicle types can make it - I was passed by sedan cars.…
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Total Miles
14.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Geyser Peak Trail

The Geyser Peak trail extends for six miles along the eastern side of Geyser Peak. The south end the trail meets with the Elkhorn campground road. On the north end it meets up to Hwy…
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Total Miles
6.1
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

North Caineville Reef Road

This trail is a great trail to view the west side of Factory Butte. It is incredible to see red rock, brown rock, and gray rock (and sand and silt in all of these colors).…
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Total Miles
10.9
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Fa

Cottonwood Canyon Road

Cottonwood Canyon Road is a relatively easy route that serves as a shortcut between Bryce Canyon National Park / Utah SR-12, and Lake Powell / US-89. It follows Cottonwood Canyon and the Paria River, and…
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Total Miles
36.9
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Fa / Su

Lower Last Chance Loop Road

This road can be accessed on the north end from I-70 via the exit to Highway 10 to Price or Blue Road exit. There are also two entrances coming from Capital Reef on the south…
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Total Miles
48.5
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Mytoge road

Mytoge Road can be found along Fremont Road between Mill Meadow and Johnson's reservoirs. The road rises nearly 2400 feet from the junction to the overlook onto Fish Lake. Vegetation ranges from sage brush and…
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Total Miles
10.6
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

South Mytoge

South Mytoge Road offers access to the South and East side of Fish Lake. The road is maintained around the South end of the lake as it offers access to many campgrounds and primitive camping…
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Total Miles
5.9
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Hilltop Loop

This is an easy loop trail taking travelers through groves of aspen, pine, and cedar trees on their way up to over 11,000 feet of elevation. All along the trail, there are several unimproved camping…
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Total Miles
14.2
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Segers Hole Overlook to Carlysle Wash Road

This road can be accessed on the north end from I-70 via the Blue Road exit. There is also an entrance from Lower Last Chance Road. The area offers amazing views of Iron Red Buttes.…
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Total Miles
33.5
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa / Wi

Pelican Promontory Overlook

This is a short in and out trail with great scenic overlook views. The short drive begins traveling through a large grove of aspen trees and continues to Pelican Canyon. Climbing in elevation you begin…
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Total Miles
0.8
Tech Rating
3 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Sheep Valley Road

On the south end, Sheep Valley Road can be accessed from a paved, Forest Road 036. The road is well maintained and travel trailer friendly. There are several unimproved camp sites all along the nearly…
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Total Miles
10.9
Tech Rating
1 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Last Chance Road

This trail runs mostly east to west from Highway 72 to Sheep Valley. The eastern end is easy and maintained fairly well. It is suitable for towing camp trailers, and you'll find several spots to…
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Total Miles
11.3
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Sp / Su / Fa

Papa Bear Poker Run 2021

Easy route, can do it in any all wheel drive vehicle, a few mild hills and most rocks under 6". This is a charity run to/from Marysdale Ut, the charity does a different route every…
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Total Miles
62.7
Tech Rating
2 Easy
Best Time
Wi / Fa / Su / Sp