The trail

Welcome to the home of the greatest mountain biking on the planet. Moab offers a huge variety of trails for a scenic ride through beautiful canyons and mesa mountain tops, but for a truly unforgettable riding experience, choose the White Rim Trail. Located in the ‘Island in the Sky’ district of the Canyonlands National Park, its undoubtedly one of the most beautiful – not to mention remote – trails in the south-west. The namesake White Rim sandstone, which is over 280 million years old, lies 360m (1200ft) below the imposing cliffs of the Island in the Sky plateau. The trail contours along this hard layer of sediment with magnificent views of the canyons 1000 feet below, carved out by the Colorado River to the east and the Green River to the west. At every turn, the trail reveals grand-scale geological formations, from soaring walls and buttes, to capriciously carved rock formations and arches, to the windblown sandstone layers that give the trail its name. The scale of the prehistoric landscape, the colour of the rocks and the orientation of the trail help create the perfect platform to enjoy the desert sunrise and sunset.

RIDING SURFACE

The White Rim trail is a four-wheel-drive road with a lot of open riding. Technically, the White Rim Trail is a beginner’s ride, yet the scenery is so alluring that even the most expert rider can’t get bored.

AVERAGE distance

50 to 80km (30 to 50mi) a day. The trail is a 165km (103mi) loop on fairly easy 4×4 road through the Canyonlands National Park. The major climbs adds up to 1800 vertical meters (6000ft) in total, with an average ascent of 600m (2000ft) a day.