Moab Off-Roadeo April 11

[Kach Vartan]

Hi all, I’ve signed up for the Moab Off-Rodeo on Friday, April 11 and wanted some guidance considering it’s also the beginning of the Jeep Easter Safari week. Admittedly, probably not the best time to hit up Moab, but it lines up with my wife’s spring break schedule and the weather should be nice. Also, I need to use my Off-Roadeo credit before it expires in June.

As of now, we are planning to fly up from Los Angeles mid day Thursday, hit the Off-Roadeo on Friday and then take a few days to explore Moab/Utah (first time visiting) before returning on Tuesday or Wednesday. Still considering driving up in the Bronco but probably a bit too long of a trip for us.

A few questions:

1. Given it’s Jeep Safari, will there be any issues accessing trails beyond just crowds? Do I have to register for the Jeep event to access trails and do I need a Jeep? I’d prefer to rent a Bronco if I can just to learn more about what our trucks can do, but then we’re probably going to stick out like a sore thumb.

2. Any recommendations on some less popular trails that might see less of a crowd? We were planning to explore Canyonlands and Arches NP, but don’t know the area at all.

3. Any recommendations on where to stay? First night we’ll be at the Red Cliff Lodge for convenience. I’ve seen others mention the main town can get crazy during Safari, but I’m hoping the first weekend is a bit tamer (we are not the party types).

Any guidance is appreciated (including if you think this is just a truly bad time to go) And if anyone is attending the same day, let me know as it would be nice to connect.

Thanks.

Sponsored

 

[gregf1099]

I was there in Jan with my son for the Off roadeo and picked up the Jeep safari booklet. I read through most of it and can offer some information. It will be busy and hotels will be expensive! Reserve your bronco now. You do need to sign up with https://www.rr4w.com/index.cfm if you want to go on their guided tour. The off roadeo route took us on a Cat 5 trail (if I recall correctly) but the safari has easier to much harder trails rides to sign up for. There are only two or three folks leasing broncos in Moab that I could fine while out there so again reserve now! We stayed in Moab close to everything but the off roadeo meetup location is about 20 mins east of town along the Colorado.

 

[gregf1099]

Oh and BTW, Easter safari requires you to have a CB radio. I don’t know if the bronco rentals have radios. You should ask them. Otherwise you’ll need to get one and recommend the wouxon cb handheld. People complain about 2.5 watts but for a convoy, you won’t need much more power and it will be easy to travel with. Plus it can charge from usbc. Positives that outweigh the cons in my opinion. Enjoy!

 

[DefNotBuddyLee]

EJS is fine to attend with the Bronco, so don't let that worry you (been there done that for past years). You may get some friendly banter, but always in good fun. Answers to your questions:

1) Crowds will be your biggest concern. Consider going to the Red Rock 4 Wheelers page (they host EJS) to check their trail schedule. They host various rides for various skill levels. Use this as your list of trails to avoid based on date/time. Registration for EJS is only needed if you are participating in guided events or certain other aspects, but the trails are public so no issues there. If you plan to ride on the guided events, bring a radio. Red Rock 4 wheelers officially use CB band for guided runs. With that said, everyone will pretty much be running GMRS radio. Another option is to use one of the guided tour companies in town. Basically tours running in their Jeeps/Razors. If you are thinking of this route, start calling them now to get availability and pricing. If running solo, consider getting the funtreks guide to Moab. Great book with maps and descriptions of trails in the area. A great way to plan. You can also use this to get suggestions from the Off-Roadeo guides on trails they suggest for your skill level, then just mark the trail in your book to check out.

2) I have so many faves, it is hard for me to narrow down. What is your off-road experience level?

3) Book sooner than later. There was a time I would be saying that if you haven't booked yet in February, you are sleeping in your car. Lots more AirBNB options, but expect everything to be 10x more expensive than the rest of the year. The cheaper in-town hotel options are likely picked clean at this point. To that end, plan on waits to eat at restaurants and small lines to get gas.

Lots of events around town, so check them out, ranging from meeting YouTube celebrities to vendor fairs. Spark up a conversation with some people while in town or out eating. The Jeep community is VERY friendly and outgoing. You may even find some people that invite you out with them.
If you see a guy named Rick Pei Wei, hide his sandals from him. Unfortunately I am going to miss EJS this year otherwise I would track you down.

 

[jbellousux]

Arches is always crowded. I would go there on Monday or Tuesday to avoid weekend crowds. Plan on entering the park BEFORE 7 AM to avoid the need for a timed entry and to beat the crowds. Drive through the park to Devils Garden. I would do the “Full Lollipop.” It’s a great 5-6 mile hike, passing many of the most iconic arches in the park. (Download the free “National Parks “ app. It has hikes with GPS coordinates for nearly all of the National Parks). Go clockwise. Around the lollipop. The first part of the hike will have a fair number of people, whereas the last part won’t have hardly any. You’ll be hungry for lunch after the hike so make sure you have food in the car or take some with you in your pack. After lunch go to Delicate Arch. It’s a fairly easy 3 mile round trip hike to what must be the world’s most famous arch. There will be plenty of people on this hike, but it’s one you have to do.
To beat the crowds, drive to the Needles district of Canyonlands. It’s over an hour from downtown Moab, but worth the trip. A great hike, that will have very few people is the Big Spring Canyon/Squaw Canyon loop. It’s about 7 miles. It’s a stunning hike. Elephant Hill Road to Chesler Park and then to the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers is a bucket list adventure, if you take your own Bronco and are reasonably confident in your off-roading abilities. It is a very full day and would require some research on your part. The road is limited to about 20 permits each day and definitely off of the beaten path.

The Islands in the Sky section of Canyonlands is closer to Moab and has some easy hikes/sights to see. Mesa Arch and the Grandview Overlook trail are easy, but worth checking out. If you’re in your own Bronco or a rented 4WD, take the Shafer Switchbacks to get back to Moab.

Moab is awesome! Enjoy.

 

[MNBigfoot]

10 hour drive according to Google, be there before supper, perfect.

 

[stampede1]

EJS is fine to attend with the Bronco, so don't let that worry you (been there done that for past years). You may get some friendly banter, but always in good fun. Answers to your questions:

1) Crowds will be your biggest concern. Consider going to the Red Rock 4 Wheelers page (they host EJS) to check their trail schedule. They host various rides for various skill levels. Use this as your list of trails to avoid based on date/time. Registration for EJS is only needed if you are participating in guided events or certain other aspects, but the trails are public so no issues there. If you plan to ride on the guided events, bring a radio. Red Rock 4 wheelers officially use CB band for guided runs. With that said, everyone will pretty much be running GMRS radio. Another option is to use one of the guided tour companies in town. Basically tours running in their Jeeps/Razors. If you are thinking of this route, start calling them now to get availability and pricing. If running solo, consider getting the funtreks guide to Moab. Great book with maps and descriptions of trails in the area. A great way to plan. You can also use this to get suggestions from the Off-Roadeo guides on trails they suggest for your skill level, then just mark the trail in your book to check out.

2) I have so many faves, it is hard for me to narrow down. What is your off-road experience level?

3) Book sooner than later. There was a time I would be saying that if you haven't booked yet in February, you are sleeping in your car. Lots more AirBNB options, but expect everything to be 10x more expensive than the rest of the year. The cheaper in-town hotel options are likely picked clean at this point. To that end, plan on waits to eat at restaurants and small lines to get gas.

Lots of events around town, so check them out, ranging from meeting YouTube celebrities to vendor fairs. Spark up a conversation with some people while in town or out eating. The Jeep community is VERY friendly and outgoing. You may even find some people that invite you out with them.
If you see a guy named Rick Pei Wei, hide his sandals from him. Unfortunately I am going to miss EJS this year otherwise I would track you down.

This whole post should answer most of your questions. I second that you get the Funtreks book for sure. Red Rock Four wheelers are off road enthusiats that welcome all comers and types of vehicles-they are not jeep snobs and they have a respect for the lands that they travel and expect the same form visitors to Moab. We stayed at Canyonlands Best Western in town and recommend it. Try and synchronize your trip to hook up with the jeep safari, it will be well worth the experience and you will learn much from those folks. Wish I could be there to join you guys. Don't miss Onion Creek and Chicken Corners both of which are easy and memorable. Good luck!

 

[BillTheCat]

Or...
Drive/fly over to the Nevada 'Roadeo and hit Moab in your rig when you have more time and less (shared trail) crowds. Jus' a thought...
-But the EJS does sound like fun!

 

[gregf1099]

https://jeepsafarimagazine.com/

 

[bellboyfab]

10 hour drive according to Google, be there before supper, perfect.

10-12 hr depending on which route you take and traffic, I did Moab offroadeo thanksgiving weekend and drove my bronco there from LA. I went thru the Navajo reservation and hit the four corners monument. That route took just over 12 hr with the stop factored in.

Personally I would fly in to somewhere closer if you’re gonna fly.

 

[BlarneyStoned]

I did my Off-Roadeo in 2023 during the same weekend as EJS, we landed in SLC on a Saturday got a rental camper and drove through Zion, Bryce Canyon, Dead Horst State Park, ARches, Canyonlands, then finally Moab. I had no idea it was EJS weekend when I planned the trip, and thankfully we had the camper van because there were not any hotel rooms under $1000/night and I was able to find places for us to camp.

I *had* planned on renting a jeep or UTV to do some trails but once I got there the prices/availability kept me from doing that.

There were a lot of Broncos there, including several from this forum. It was cool seeing all of the different jeeps, and the different vendor set ups. Most of the vendors were very happy to talk about their upcoming Bronco parts.

I'd do it again, but next time I'd make arrangements way in advance of EJS.

 

[Kach Vartan]

Thanks for all the responses. As many suggested, I did look into accommodations and since we are going up the first weekend of EJS, there is still a lot of availability. Managed to find something in $250 a night range, but many cheaper and more expensive options available. I imagine hotel availability for Easter weekend when EJS wraps up might be tighter.

@DefNotBuddyLee I found this schedule on RR4W’s site which shows when they run their tours and the few days/trails where they have exclusive use. I am not opposed to signing up for one of their tours, but would appreciate if you or others could recommend some of the easy to moderate trails on here that might allow for some variability in scenery
/terrain/difficulty. I do not have a ton of off road experience (mostly level 3-4 trails).

Thanks again!

 

[DefNotBuddyLee]

@Kach Vartan , sorry I thought I had replied but did not.
I would recommend anything in the yellow or green categories. At the level you mention, I would suggest:
Chicken Corners for a relatively easy trail drive, but with lots of sight seeing stops. Well known trail. At the end of the trail is a narrow footpath that takes you to a pretty cool flat opening.
Fins & Things - Iconic, close to town. Some spots may feel intimidating, but if you go as part of the RR4W tour there will be lots of help spotting and guiding. Unfortunately, because it is close to town it tends to get packed.
Not on the RR4W list is Gemini Bridges. Easy drive (you see alot of stock SUVs/Subarus). This is mostly to check out the Gemini Bridges arches.
White Wash Sand Dunes rec area is fun and a different terrain, but I wouldn't go deep into the sand dunes without a partner in case you got stuck.

 

[Kach Vartan]

@Kach Vartan , sorry I thought I had replied but did not.
I would recommend anything in the yellow or green categories. At the level you mention, I would suggest:
Chicken Corners for a relatively easy trail drive, but with lots of sight seeing stops. Well known trail. At the end of the trail is a narrow footpath that takes you to a pretty cool flat opening.
Fins & Things - Iconic, close to town. Some spots may feel intimidating, but if you go as part of the RR4W tour there will be lots of help spotting and guiding. Unfortunately, because it is close to town it tends to get packed.
Not on the RR4W list is Gemini Bridges. Easy drive (you see alot of stock SUVs/Subarus). This is mostly to check out the Gemini Bridges arches.
White Wash Sand Dunes rec area is fun and a different terrain, but I wouldn't go deep into the sand dunes without a partner in case you got stuck.

Very helpful, thanks!

Here's my general plan for 4 days (days will likely move around ) based on the input received (and some suggestions from Chat GPT!). Hoping this leaves some time for mid-day breaks/lunch (or picnics on the trail). Also tried to mix in some "on-road" site-seeing so my better half doesn't strangle me...

Day 1

• Morning: Potash Road to Shafer Trail
• Afternoon: Island in the Sky

Day 2

• Morning: Chicken Corners Trail
• Afternoon/evening: Arches National Park

Day 3

• Morning: Long Canyon Trail
• Afternoon: Gemini Bridges

Day 4

• Morning: Fins N Things
• Afternoon/Evening: Dead Horse Park

Sponsored