Utah's singletrack sweet spot
Photo © Oi2

The Moab area stands as mountain biking's blue-ribbon destination: sweet sandstone singletrack surrounded by the awesome erosion-carved undulations in and around southwestern Utah's Canyonlands and Arches national parks. Whether you're a fat-tire first-timer or a repeat offender, any lung-busting exertion here is more than amply compensated by the arena in which you grind.

With the spring weather providing a comfortable but not-too-hot climate in which to ride, the 5,000-population flyspeck that is Moab becomes the epicenter of some of the country's best rides. Sure, there are other great singletrack secrets around the country, but the riding here is as classic as it comes. As Kirstin Peterson of local outfitter Rim Tours (800-626-7335, www.rimtours.com) puts it, the Moab-area fat-tire experience is "the perfect combination of fantastic riding and spectacular scenery."

The ne plus ultra of riding here is the White Rim Trail, a 110-mile circuit of slickrock trails, technical switchbacks, and bombing descents, a combination that Peterson rates as "the classic ride that everyone should do at some point." Other stellar rides in the region include the 90-mile Maze in Canyonlands National Park or the 130-mile Kokopelli Trail, both requiring varying degrees of technical proficiency and fitness.

Go independently with backcountry permits organized through the Canyonlands National Park office (435-259-4351, www.nps.gov), or join a tour to tap into the local knowledge and expertise of skilled guides. Rim Tours features a variety of itineraries to help you make the most of your time in the backcountry, running the gamut from multi-day, hundred-mile pushes where you camp at remote backcountry sites to "best of" samplers that showcase the classic trails by day and return riders to comfy lodges by night. Rates run from $155 for a full-day excursion to $645 for a three-day, three-night Best of Moab Inn Tour.

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Biking Moab
GORP Mountain Biking
Best National Parks for Biking