These two rides in and near legendary Moab show two sides of mountain biking in Utah. The Slickrock Trail is the ride that made Moab. The mix of strenuous wall climbs and hair-raising dips, half-pipes, and ledge drops on unbelievably high-traction sandstone will make you a changed rider. This is The Slickrock Trail. The promised land. The point to the pilgrimage. It is also crowded.
A GORP Content Partner
Adapted from
Mountain Biking Moab
by David Crowell
Two for Moab
Biking the famous Slickrock Trail &
the undiscovered Sheepherder's Loop
If you want to dodge the rat race, the Sheepherders Loop is 23 miles away from Moab, but a world away from the crowds. The loop is a pastoral excursion up (yes up) mountain roads then through a mountain meadow, skirting beaver ponds and jumping scrub oak roots.
But this is not a zero sum deal here. Do both. Both rides are beautiful, in their own way. . .
The Slickrock Trail
Location: 3.6 miles east of Moab on Sand Flats Road.
Distance: 10.5 miles with the practice loop (9.7 miles without). Numerous spurs and freeform exploring can increase or decrease mileage dramatically.
Time: 1.5 to 5 hours. This isn't a misprint. Riders in excellent shape can crank this out in 1.5 hours. Others sometimes miscalculate the time it takes to walk the steeps. Don't be caught in the dark on the rock.
Tread: 10.5 miles on slickrock. The geologically aware will get a laugh knowing that this rock is not of the actual Slick Rock formation. With the exception of an occasional sandy wash, the entire trail is on Navajo Sandstone marked with white dashes. Slickrock has come to mean any sandstone that holds bike tires like a pit bull holds a bone.
Aerobic Level: Strenuous. Most of the short pitches are amazingly steep. Your bike has the traction to climb them if you have the strength and technique to power it. A small front chainring will help!
Technical Difficulty: 5. The entire trail isn't one long trials maneuver. But any lapse of attention can mean a slickrock facial followed by a run to the emergency room. The technical spots are expert caliber with official danger sections marked with black diamonds in the painted dashes. Don't count on all the hazards being marked or described here!
Highlights: As I said, this is the ride that made Moab. It is also crowded. Riding it during high season means waiting above the drops for a wave of riders to climb up, then descending with your own wave. It means playing leapfrog with other groups as each struggles to climb, drop, and maneuver around the loop. For those not held by a necessity to follow the lines, crowds can be avoided by exploring the un-dashed rock. Either way, the views and thrills are unparalleled. If the trail frightens you, well, good. The hazards are fairly visible and therefore avoidable (walkable). This description chooses the "easier," clockwise, path gaining a big chunk of altitude on a steep pitch (a.k.a. "Cogs Too Spare") that is usually walked anyway, making this direction seem less strenuous. Either way sees each and every obstacle. The numerous spurs and unmarked rock offer days of fun and are left undescribed to allow self discovery of the freeform playground that is slickrock. Simply avoid crushing crust or poisoning potholes. Enjoy!
Land Status: BLM. The Community Sand Flats Team, (801) 259-2444, is doing a determined job of maintaining order in the area while nature repairs itself from past abuses.
Maps: USGS Moab; BLM Slickrock Trail Map (free with access fee).
Access: From the Visitor Center parking lot at Center Street and Main in Moab, turn right onto Center. Go 0.3 mile east on Center and turn right on 400 West. Go 0.4 mile south on this wide road to Mill Creek Drive and turn left (Dave's Market is on the corner). Go another 0.5 mile to a stop sign, then continue straight through the intersection onto Sand Flats Road. A cemetery is on the left. This road passes "America's most scenic dump" to reach the Sand Flats Recreational Area gate in 1.8 miles. Pay the appropriate fee (good for 3 days) and continue 0.6 mile to the parking lot for the world's most famous bike trail. Total distance from downtown to the trailhead is 3.6 miles.The Ride
0.0 From the parking lot head north to the well-marked trailhead. Odometer readings start at the mini-cattleguard gate. 0.2 This first hill foreshadows the ride's delights and arrives at the first decision point. Turn right on the Practice Loop. It is no easier than the rest of the trail, but it offers a taste of slickrock for those without time, strength, or desire to ride the entire trail. It also makes the trail longer for those who want more rock! A left here heads 0.5 mile to the junction described as 1.6 below. 0.7 A spur goes right to Echo Point. Spurs are marked with white dots instead of dashes. Be careful when going to viewpoints. They tend to be located on very high cliffs that appear suddenly. (Odometer readings do not reflect side trips on spurs.) 1.6 The Practice Loop merges with the Main Trail. Keep right to continue or left to complete the Practice Loop and return to the trailhead. By now you've gauged your skills and fitness to make a good decision. It's 0.7 mile back to the trailhead. If you're ready, let's go right. 2.1 The Abyss viewpoint. 2.2 The dashes descend into a wash to what is probably the hairiest move so far: a rough, ledgy drop into a sandy gully immediately followed by a rock hop back onto the sandstone. Locals call this Wooly Gully. Oh, what fun it is! A spur leaves to the left just prior to the wash heading to the Hell's Revenge Jeep Trail. 2.3 This sand trap precedes a spur left that cuts to the 3.7-mile point and accesses a sandy route beneath Swiss Cheese Ridge. To exit the trap requires a deft 5+ move and good line selection. Some riders' cheeks may hurt by now from all the grinning! There's plenty more ahead! 2.9 Join the main loop! "Easier" and "Harder" are painted on the rock at this intersection. This description opts for the clockwise—easier—direction. See highlights and profile for why. 3.5 Mountain View Cave comes into sight (to the right) up on the rock. Then a spur to The Black Hole goes right. 3.7 The spur from mile 2.3 re-enters on the left. Don't look now, but a rock wall blocks the path ahead! It's the hill mentioned in the highlights. To have any chance of climbing Cogs Too Spare, hit the lower part with some speed and clean a grooved section of rock while nailing the granny gear. "All" that remains is the incredibly steep climb up to Swiss Cheese Ridge—most mortals will dismount and push this one. The top is a welcome level grade. 4.3 Before the main trail turns right and leaves Swiss Cheese Ridge, look left to see Moab, Moab Rim, Gold Bar Rim, and The Portal. The Portal is where the Colorado River crosses the Moab fault and heads into Canyonlands National Park. It is also where the famous and dangerous Portal Trail runs. A spur continues ahead to the Portal Viewpoint. 4.35 Another spur goes right just after the first technical drop of the descent. It wanders past Upper Shrimp Rock and intersects with two other spurs. 4.4 The spur to Panorama Viewpoint darts left for some hair-raising vertical exposure! 4.7 Spin through a little sand to raise your appreciation for the smooth rock. A spur goes left to a cliffside view of the Colorado River below Updraft Arch. 5.4 A spur heads right to the three-way intersection below Upper Shrimp Rock. 6.1 A spur cuts right to a point 0.3 mile short of Shrimp Rock. 6.6 Natural Selection Viewpoint. Be careful near the edge to keep your DNA in the genetic pool. 6.8 The spur from mile 6.1 enters on the right. 7.1 Shrimp Rock. This may be the heart of Moab's mountain biking soul. Speak your favorite mantra and eat an energy bar to honor this holiest of rocks. 7.3 This steep, known as Stairway to Heavin', starts with a 3-foot rock hop. 7.6 This spur heads left to the Ice Box Canyon Viewpoint. 7.8 The Ice Box spur returns on the left. 7.9 Spurs head off right and left, marked by fake dinosaur tracks. Left is a sandy four-wheel-drive road, and right goes behind The Black Hole. 8.2 Drop down to some sand. 8.5 Back at the "Harder-Easier" junction. Go left to return to the trailhead. 9.8 Keep right for the direct route home. It's relatively level for 0.3 mile, then one last grunt. The Practice Loop leaves to the left here. 10.4 With the parking lot in sight, a sudden wheel-grabbing ditch sneaks up. "Matt's Mellon" lacks the tell-tale danger paint. 10.5 Trailhead. 10.6 Parking lot.
Want more? Move on to the Sheepherder's Loop.
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