Trail Overview
Rusty Nail is an extreme offroad challenge designed for experienced drivers in well-built rock crawlers, buggies, and highly modified four-wheel-drive vehicles seeking intense obstacle crawling near Moab. Spanning approximately 1.9 miles as an optional bypass off the Gold Bar Rim trail, this short but formidable route climbs from an elevation of 4,542 feet up to 5,125 feet with a cumulative gain of around 583 feet. The trail demands high clearance, locked differentials, and large tires to tackle its severe terrain, which features massive rock slabs, deep undercuts, and ledges measuring up to six feet in height. Navigating this path requires exceptional wheel placement and spotter assistance, as the potential for body damage, drivetrain breakage, and rollovers is extremely high.
The trail features two legendary named obstacles that test the limits of both driver and machine. First, travelers encounter "Riff Raff," a brutal two-stage challenge beginning with an undercut rock slab that transitions onto a sloped ledge before forcing a steep climb over loose, undercut boulders separated by deep voids. Shortly after, drivers must negotiate "No Left Turn," which demands a precise hard right turn followed by a steep plunge into a tight corridor bordered by a sheer drop-off on the left and a solid rock wall on the right. To clear this section without crushing the vehicle's top against the wall, the driver must guide the driver-side tire up a massive rock, demonstrating the extreme technical precision required throughout this route. Completing Rusty Nail connects drivers to the Golden Spike trail near the famous Golden Crack, offering various continuation loops back via Poison Spider Mesa or Gold Bar Rim.
