Muddy Creek Wilderness Trail

Muddy Creek Wilderness Trail is a scenic, 14.4-mile offroad route through Utah's San Rafael Swell, offering drivers of high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles and SxSs an engaging mix of winding canyon floors and elevated plateau driving. Perfect for intermediate adventurers, this trail features a mild technical rating of 3 but delivers big on excitement with snaking turns along sandy washes and sweeping canyon routes. Starting at an elevation of approximately 5,355 feet on the western end near Mulligan Point, the trail climbs through dramatic desert terrain up to a maximum elevation of 6,740 feet. Along the way, offroaders will navigate a mix of unpaved surfaces, with some soft, sandy sections that require maintaining momentum. The canyon floor sections are particularly thrilling, offering a flowing, rollercoaster-like drive with twists and turns around every sandstone bend. As the trail climbs onto the higher plateau segments, the landscape transitions to expansive, panoramic views of the rugged San Rafael Swell, though drivers must stay alert to steep drop-offs along the cliffside sections of the track. Due to the tight canyon walls and overgrown desert scrub, paint scratching and pinstriping are highly likely, so drivers of wider, full-sized rigs should proceed with caution. This is an extremely remote area with absolutely no cell service, requiring visitors to carry recovery gear, extra fuel, and plenty of water. The route is best enjoyed during the dry seasons of spring and fall, as heavy rains can quickly turn the canyon floor into an impassable mud trap or cause dangerous flash flooding. High-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicles, SxSs, and dual-sport motorcycles will find this route to be a highly rewarding remote wilderness adventure.