We rented a Jeep through Friday so there will be many off-road adventures this week in Moab.
Itinerary:
- 8:00 am Contacted local Jeep rental companies for pricing and availability
- 9:30 am Picked up our rental from Canyonlands Jeep Adventures
- 10:00 am Headed in towards Hurrah Pass which leads to Chicken Corners
- 4:30 pm Arrived back at the RV
Our Adventure:
Today was excellent. Moab is the best place to off-road in my opinion. There are tons of trails of various difficulties. Also, the people you meet out on the trails are excellent and super friendly.
Canyonlands Jeep Adventures
After reaching out to several local rental companies, we landed on Canyonlands Jeep Adventures which we also used last year. We found that for what we need, a medium 4-6 rated course, Canyonlands Jeep Adventures provides the best value. They hooked us up with their newest bright blue Jeep on the lot which we took on its first off-road ride.
Disclaimer:
- If you are looking for the most extreme off-road capabilities, you will need to check which company fits your needs.
The pricing was fair, and the Jeep is capable of handling all approved trails. The employees were friendly and very helpful. They asked what we had planned and gave us some tips, so we didn’t run into any issues as today was a rainy day. They even recommended some trails that they believed we would love.
Getting Off-Road
Once we finished up with our rental contract, we were able to get right out on the road and over to the Trailhead. We planned to ride Chicken Corners, which requires the portion of Kane Creek Road that features Rock Art and all of Hurrah Pass to reach. This route is about 21 miles each way and is rather rugged so plan on 5-6 hours for the full run.
Birther Rock
The first stop to make on this route is a giant rock on the side of the road. The rock is known as “Birther Rock” or “Birthing Scene.” This stone displays dozens of petroglyphs on all sides. The reason for the name is because one of the markings depicts the only known instance of birth on a petroglyph in the United States.
Hurrah Pass
As you make your way up the trail to Hurrah Pass, the road turns from paved to gravel to dirt and Slickrock. Winding along the south Rim of the Colorado River, you can safely travel what looks to be a treacherous route. One side of the road covered with fallen rocks by the side of the mountain/mesa. The other side of the road in many places is a cliff drop off.
Chicken Corners
There are some cool stops along the route at Chicken Corners. One of the most random things we found was an old vehicle riddled with bullet holes that appear to have fallen from a nearby high point. It possibly was just placed or left there since nothing around it was all that high. Very curious to see what else I can find out about this car.
When we reached the end of the vehicle trail, we were able to hike a little beyond along the cliff side for some cool shots. Both Dead Horse Point and Pyramid Butte are across the Colorado from this endpoint and are viewable.
Chicken Corners trail is one way in and one way out. There are some points where you may need to check around to figure out how to get back. We ran into one dead end, but we were only off by a short span of a few hundred feet. Overall, this is considered a moderate trail, but there are a lot of easier sections. There is a ton to see and drive over, so I would recommend this trail to anyone with decent driving skills or any off-road experience.
Links:
This is Why You Should Visit Moab, Utah
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