This was our first day of full wheeling. We met up at 8AM, gassed up, and headed towards the first trail.
Poison Spider Mesa
Difficulty Ratings:
Guide to Moab, UT Backroads and 4WD Trails: Difficult
Jeep Rating: 4-6
Poison Spider Mesa is one of the most famous trails in Moab and a Badge of Honor trail from Jeep. This trail is pretty challenging and has a lot of steep climbs and tough obstacles. There were a few spots on this trail that I had to take a different line, because of my shorter wheelbase compared to the four doors in the group. This trail involved a really good mix of off-roading and good views. The trail is pretty technical and resulted in some of the best off-roading pictures as well. This trail, like Hell’s Revenge, is a really great trail that does not take all day, but is also jam packed with good wheeling. At the top of Poison Spider, there is a nice treat of flat sandy road where you can go fast and have fun rather than being technical. The five mile trail can be done in around two hours.
Golden Spike
Difficulty Ratings:
Guide to Moab, UT Backroads and 4WD Trails: Difficult
Jeep Rating: N/A
Golden Spike is a trail after Poison Spider Mesa that leads to a peak with an American flag panted in the ground. This nearly 7 mile long trail includes the famous “Golden Crack” and can only be reached if you first get through at least half of Poison Spider Mesa. Golden Spike is part of the trail system that connects Poison Spider Mesa to Gold Bar Rim, which is the reason we did these three trails in the same day. Golden Spike is another trail that is jam packed with obstacles throughout, and they are a lot of fun ones.
Gold Bar Rim
Difficulty Ratings:
Guide to Moab, UT Backroads and 4WD Trails: Difficult
Jeep Rating: N/A
Gold Bar Rim is a very scenic trail, and you have to go through Gold Bar Rim after completing Golden Spike. From the Gold Bar Rim trail, you can see the town of Moab, the La Sal Mountains, and parts of the Colorado River canyon. This is a long trail, and the road back to the highway is long and along a steep cliff.
The day was a perfect 12 hours of wheeling, and we finished Gold Bar Rim just before a storm started to roll in.