Along with the proper gear, groups should bring travel maps and possibly guide books. Although most of the graded roads and featured trails have directional signs, conditions are subject to change. In the event of an emergency, maps can show your options to evacuate. The government-agency maps and most commercial maps indicate which types of travel are permitted for each route. Be aware that motorcycles are not permitted on many singletrack trails, especially those closer to town.
On public lands, motorized and even bicycle travel is limited to designated routes. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) provides up-to-date designated route maps. Likewise, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) provides up-to-date motor vehicle use maps. Commercial maps include Moab Classic and Moab East/West by Latitude 40, which are available at the Moab Information Center (Main & Center Streets in Moab). Guide books include ATV Trails Guide and Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails. These books are available at the Moab Information Center, and can also be purchased in advance online from Canyonlands Natural History Association.
4WD trails are the perfect way for most motorcyclists to explore the canyon country. These primitive roads offer spectacular scenery, with difficulty that ranges from moderate to extreme. Their width provides room to pass, and provides an alternate line for riders to choose. Most of the routes used during Jeep Safari are marked, and extend from Moab in every direction. Originally blazed for uranium mining, these iconic trails made Moab a top 4WD destination, worldwide. For details, see our page on 4-Wheeling.
Riders seeking a longer-distance, or less-rugged, experience can utilize the network of graded, dirt roads. They are generally maintained, but of course wash outs and other hazards can occur. If your motorcycle is street-legal, you can follow graded roads all the way to towns like Green River, Monticello, and even Fruita, CO. Kokopelli’s Trail is dual-sport friendly, except for the rocky hill above Onion Creek and the non-motorized section below Cisco. Even ‘in the middle of nowhere,’ you could encounter oncoming traffic, so be careful around blind corners.
Note that, to ride the roads in national parks, your motorcycle must be street-legal and a permit is required. (Click here for permit information.) While Canyonlands and Arches are known for routes like White Rim, Elephant Hill, and Eye Of The Whale, the national parks have a mission of preservation. All kinds of use in these parks are regulated, so please be on your best behavior. For more information, visit Canyonlands or Arches.
At the most primitive end of the spectrum, motorized singletrack is available for riders seeking the confines of a narrow trail. These routes typically require a high degree of balance and coordination. Also they lend themselves to lighter-weight motorcycles with a smoother power band and low gearing. Unless you particularly value singletrack, then stick to the 4WD trails for a greater sense of freedom.
For example, motorized singletracks are shared with non-motorized users, and motorcyclists should yield to them. However pulling off the singletrack could easily damage plants and biological soil crust (the black and craggy dirt that’s actually alive). So you’ll need to pass by either leaning over the trail’s edge, or finding a barren surface such as slickrock to pull over. In the desert, singletrack is a scarce commodity, so please help to keep the “single” in singletrack.
If narrow trails sound like your idea of fun, there are a half-dozen small networks of motorized singletrack to choose from. Each of them requires a map, but here’s an overview:
