Fins N Things UTV Trail
- peteuga
- Nov 19, 2021
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
So you finally made it to Moab, good for you!!! One of the first things you notice is all of the Side by Side UTVs driving around town, and you are like, "I would love to try that." The thing is you don't know where to go once you have your rental. Don't worry, you don't have to go far.
If you want the full Moab experience on a thrilling trail that is relatively safe then you might want to check out Fins N Things. When I say safe, I mean safe for both you and your SxS. There are many trails just waiting to destroy your machine in the Moab area, I try to avoid them. People who are planning on visiting Moab always ask me about the most famous trails in Moab, which most often are the most difficult trails. Please take my advice: do not drive halfway across the county only to destroy your UTV at Pritchett Canyon or Kane Creek on your first day. There is so much to see without risking ruining your vacation.
The Fins N Things UTV trail is located in the heart of Moab, literally right above town in the Sandflats Recreation Area, small entrance fee is required. This is the first trail I often think of when I take first time visitors out on UTVs when they are lodging at our Moab Vacation Rental. The Fins N Things trail offers a great first taste of what makes riding Side by Sides soooo awesome in Moab.
The best part about the Fins N Things trail is that it is only about 2 miles away from the UTV rental places in downtown Moab, so if you are renting a UTV it is easy to visit this trail. The trail is located in the Sand Flats Recreation area just to the northeast of downtown. If you have never heard of this area it is the plateau above Moab's north side. Can you believe that one of the best UTV trails in Moab is located right in town? Up on the plateau, you will find some of the best scenery around. In my opinion, this area is more scenic than most of nearby Arches National Park I just love the way the huge sandstone fins roll like huge frozen sand dunes. One could easily spend several days exploring this area on foot, I often spend most of my time on the trail doing small hikes on the fins. Note that there is a small fee to enter the Sand Flats area.
The trail is easy to follow; just follow the tire tracks left by other users and the well marked signs. The trail starts on the south side of Sand Flats Road a few miles past the entrance station. The trail follows a winding path over and through huge red rock fins or domes. The rocks you are driving on are petrified sand dunes and are known as Navajo Sandstone. Some of the domes are hundreds of feet high and views from the tops are breathtaking. To the west, you can see the arches of Arches National Park and to the east, you can see the La Sal Mountains which typically stay snow covered until mid summer.
The trail makes transitions from slick rock to sand dozens of times as you go along. At first you will be intimidated by the slick rock fins and you might even feel some tightness in your stomach, but as you go along you will gain confidence as you realize that your tires magically stick to the rocks, how can this be with a name like slick rock. Your tires will stick to the rocks even if they are wet.
Between the rock domes are curvy sections of sand that are just as much fun to drive as the rocks. It is easy to imagine yourself in an action movie as you zoom through the turns.
On this trip to our Moab Vacation Rental, I gave some UTV first timers the thrill of their life as they got the chance to drive on the famous Moab fins.
I once heard a guy say that the Fins N Thing trail was not very scenic. Really? If you asked me what is the most scenic SxS train in Moab I would give this trail top consideration. Even though Fins N Things is a great trail you would be cheating yourself by not stopping to do a little hiking while in this magical area. There are no established hiking trails that leave the UTV trail, however, if you find a good parking spot just go exploring.
In my opinion, the best exploration is along the northwest section of the trail near the end. A short hike to the north will lead you to overlooks into Grand Staff Canyon, aka Negro Bill Canyon, aka The Abyss. How close can you get to the Abyss? There are also good views to the south of the Mill Creek area. Even in Arches National Park it is hard to get views like this one.
By the time you finish the Fins N Things trail you will likely be feeling kind of proud of yourself and will be thinking, "That was easy". Well, if you are feeling this way, you might want to check out Hell's Revenge. Hell's Revenge is basically a continuation of Fins n Things. The trail is still technically easy but the butt pucker factor is through the roof. Every fin is bigger and steeper than the biggest ones on Fins N Things. This trail can be overwhelmingly intimidating; choose wisely before entering. The entrance is located in the first parking area next to the entrance booth. If Hell's Revenge was not enough for you, you can up your game even more on Where Eagles Dare, that trail is almost to scary for me.
Once you are finished, don't miss a stop at Milt's Stop and Eat on the way back into town. They have the best shakes and burgers in Moab.
If you are considering a Moab adventure we would recommend checking out the town homes at Moab Adventure Condo. We stayed with them and it was so nice to have room to relax and not be stuck in a cramped hotel room. Since the cost of the rental was split between two families it actually ended up being cheaper than a hotel room and much nicer. Not to mention the pool and hot tub were just sets from our condo.
Comments