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Riding off hi-way trails in southern Utah


Keith S

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Planing a Utah trip and been looking at maps of the parks etc of southern Utah and it seems that most of these off hi-way roads/trails are called Jeep trails. Anyone have local knowledge on whether you can use a street bike like a R1150RT with dual sport tires or would it take a dual sport/dirt bike to ride these trails. BTW not looking at climbing the rocks like you see the 4X4 folks down there doing on YouTube. Some examples would be, Hole in the Rock road, Cottonwood Canyon road, White Rim Road and Elk Ridge road are some of the bigger ones. Then there are the trails that feed off of them.

Thanks! Keith

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These roads are not going to be enjoyable on your RT no matter what tires you are using. They may be impassable if wet or if blowing sand has piled up. Keep in mind it doesn't need to be raining where you are for there to be water issues.

 

 

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These roads are not going to be enjoyable on your RT no matter what tires you are using. They may be impassable if wet or if blowing sand has piled up. Keep in mind it doesn't need to be raining where you are for there to be water issues.

 

 

So it's pretty much SUV or 4X4 territory then?

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These roads are not going to be enjoyable on your RT no matter what tires you are using. They may be impassable if wet or if blowing sand has piled up. Keep in mind it doesn't need to be raining where you are for there to be water issues.

 

 

So it's pretty much SUV or 4X4 territory then?

 

For the most part yes. If you like to experience these roads or roads like them you might consider renting a jeep. The best place to do that is probably Moab. There are lots of trails close to town. The rental people will be able to direct you to roads/trails that are appropriate for your skill level.

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Hole in the Rock road is passible in a car until the last mile or so.
Yes, but it's not marked as a Jeep trail.

 

I agree with Ed for the most part but whether the better gravel/dirt roads are passable on an RT/GS etc depends a lot on your riding experience. Calvin took his big K bike over Boulder Mountain but then Calvin could probably take my KLR to the end of Hole In The Rock and down to the river.

 

What specific roads do you have in mind?

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Hole in the Rock road is passible in a car until the last mile or so.
Yes, but it's not marked as a Jeep trail.

 

I agree with Ed for the most part but whether the better gravel/dirt roads are passable on an RT/GS etc depends a lot on your riding experience. Calvin took his big K bike over Boulder Mountain but then Calvin could probably take my KLR to the end of Hole In The Rock and down to the river.

 

What specific roads do you have in mind?

 

Ones that popped were....Hole in the Rock road, Cottonwood Canyon road, White Rim Road and Elk Ridge road are some of the bigger ones. I'm looking at a map by Latitude 40 maps "Moab west Utah trails" and another one, Topographic recreation map of Utah for the southern ones like Hole in the Rock. As for my skill level, deep sand would definitely get my attention. After reading the above replies I've been looking at more Youtube videos with a closer search for motorcycle videos and it looks like this might be well above my skill level when it comes to sand.

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Ones that popped were....Hole in the Rock road, Cottonwood Canyon road, White Rim Road and Elk Ridge road are some of the bigger ones. I'm looking at a map by Latitude 40 maps "Moab west Utah trails" and another one, Topographic recreation map of Utah for the southern ones like Hole in the Rock. As for my skill level, deep sand would definitely get my attention. After reading the above replies I've been looking at more Youtube videos with a closer search for motorcycle videos and it looks like this might be well above my skill level when it comes to sand.

 

Hole in the Rock would be OK if dry, it's a pretty good gravel road until the last mile or two, but you won't be able to ride all the way to the end, bum a ride with somebody in a Jeep!

 

Cottonwood Canyon was in great shape this year but if there has been any rain in the previous week forget it, don't even try it damp, lots of people get stuck.

 

White Rim is a long ride with some quite varied terrain, I certainly wouldn't try it on an RT, there are rock steps, lots of sand, definite possibility of deep mud at Potato Bottoms.

 

I don't know Elk Ridge but the roads in that region are either easy or rocky, since a number of sites say high clearance I'm guessing it's rocky.

 

If is dry and you want something slightly more challenging than Hole In The Rock and without sand you could try Hell's Backbone, it's a good gravel road with some sharp turns and an amazing view from the backbone.

 

If you haven't ever ridden on a gravel road none of these are really the place to start.

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