UTV Overlanding Moab, Utah's Poison Spider Mesa and Golden Crack Trails
- peteuga
- Apr 20, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 27
UTV overlanding is very popular with full-sized vehicles such as Jeeps and Broncos in the Moab area. However, with a little planning, overlanding can be just as much fun for those with UTVs. For this trip on Moab, Utah's Poison Spider Mesa, we used our Polaris RZR Pro 4 and our Can-am Maverick Sport XRC. Both Side-by-Sides were great choices for our adventure. The SxS provided enough storage for us to bring all of our camping gear and other supplies.
Typically, we would stay in our vacation rental back in town at Moab Adventure Condo. However, when you are with the guys and don't mind roughing it some, camping is an adventurous alternative. As an added bonus, we would be three days away from cell service, so no phone zombies or work interruptions on this Moab camping trip. This overlanding trip lasted 3 days and two nights. For this blog entry, we are covering the first night. We rode multiple trails, including Poison Spider Mesa, Rusty Nail, Gold Bar Rim, and Where Eagles Dare. Ultimately, we found one of Moab's best camping spots in an alcove along the trail.
This combination of trails included many of the most challenging obstacles in the Moab area. On Poison Spider Mesa trail, we had to navigate The Waterfall and V-Notch obstacles. But the trail offered great views of Pig Rock and Behind The Rock. I typically shy away from Moab's more difficult obstacles, but I don't mind obstacles when they lead to places like the above overlook. From here, the view is north, away from Moab along US 191. I would imagine most of the cars on the highway below have no idea there are such fantastic trails on the mesa high above them. Straight ahead of our Polaris Pro RZR 4 is Arches National Park. If you know what to look for, one can clearly see the huge arches of the Windows Section of Arches National Park.
When we got onto the Golden Spike trail, we rode Skyline Drive, Launch Pad, and Golden Stairs. Unfortunately, we actually rolled our Can-am Maverick Sport at the Golden Crack. Our long-wheelbase Polaris RZR Pro 4 had no problem with the Golden Crack, and I was literally like, "Why do people consider this an obstacle?" However, the crack proved too much for the short wheelbase of our Maverick Sport XRC. As soon as my cousin, who is an experienced driver, drove into the crack, the short machine simply rolled over. It probably didn't help that we had the UTV's high-centered trunk area was loaded down with firewood and camping gear. We only experienced minor damage consisting of a big scratch, a broken mirror, and a bruised ego by the driver. We quickly replaced the mirror, but the scratch and ego have permanent damage.
Route finding can be difficult on top of Poison Spider Mesa, and we actually made a wrong turn onto the Where Eagles Dare trail. This ended up being my favorite trail in the area. The trail is similar to Hell's Revenge with its huge sandstone domes with butt puckering accents and descents but is much less traveled. Climbing the huge domes was great fun and the views were spectacular! The first photo at the top of the page was taken from the Where Eagles Dare trail. The trail wasn't all about open views across the mesa, there were also views into deep canyons like this one into Gold Bar Canyon. The rock formation in the center distance contains Jeep Arch.
We eventually finished Where Eagles Dare and got back on the Golden Crack Trail. It was getting late in the day, and we were getting hungry and tired. We located a large alcove just off the trail and set up camp in the alcove at a location just past the Golden Crack. We built the perfect campfire, and the alcove really helped to keep our camp nice and warm all night long even though we were riding in late fall when temperatures can start to fall at night. That night, we experienced a rare Moab rain shower, but due to the alcove, we stayed dry and were not bothered at all by the rain. We were also close to Jeep Arch, which offered great vistas as we looked across Moab's beautiful red rocks. Check out our other videos if you are interested in making the hike to Jeep Arch.
The most interesting thing about camping in the alcove was the way our campfire cast our shadows on the walls behind us. Our shadows actually looked like Barrier Style Anthropomorphs, which are so commonly painted on sheltered rock walls in the area. Maybe everyone has been over thinking the meaning the Moab Petroglyphs and Pictographs and the images are nothing more than shadows.
Overall, I think UTVs are a great way to experience Moab, Utah's backcountry. It is great to get away from the crowded town and national parks but still see scenery that is arguably just as good. The best thing was that we were out of range of cellular service. IMO, it is great to get away from the influences of modern technology when you can. Our group of four had a great time sitting around our campfire, spinning yarns and remembering the adventures of the day without being distracted by the phones. Adventures like this are great opportunities for parents to reconnect with their kids.
After a refreshing night's sleep, we continued across the mesa on the Gold Bar Rim trail. After rolling our Can-Am Side by Side the day before at the Golden Crack, we had temporarily lost our ability to navigate trail obstacles. Several times, we got out of our UTV and studied the terrain and how best to get around things. Before the rollover, we would have never thought twice about them and not slowed down. By lunchtime, we had recovered much of our mojo and were able to get on with our adventure. The above image is of the Waterfall, the last but not the least named obstacle on the trail. We used a winch to climb the rock. It is the top of the rock that causes the problem, not the incline itself. Since UTVs use a belt drive and require a little momentum to get up rocks like this. The problem with the Waterfall is that there is no place to go once you reach the top. You have to make a hard turn, which can't be done with speed.
This vacation guide is part one of a two-part series that covers our 3-day trip. Subscribe and follow us to our next camping spot for the ultimate in Utah backcountry camping.
Maybe camping is not your thing, but you still want to experience Moab's great UTV trails. If that is the case, consider staying with us at https://www.moabadventurecondo.com Our condos are UTV friendly with secure double garages for storing your UTV overnight and lots of extra trailer parking. Return home after each day's adventure to a spacious vacation rental.
