Pritchett Canyon Jeep Road

Dogs Leashed

E-Bikes Allowed

If you intend to ride everything today, you may want to bring your pads!

Pritchett Canyon is generally considered the toughest 4WD trail in Moab for traditional vehicles, requiring significant equipment modifications, winching, strapping, and high risk tolerance. On a mountain bike, it's far less stressful yet still challenging and very fun. Go on a busy spring or fall weekend and you may get to watch a rollover.

Running through a beautiful canyon on the edge of the Behind The Rocks Wilderness Study Area, Pritchett Canyon offers a great ride in a spectacular setting. But it is not easy. Just getting to the canyon requires a long ride in on the Behind the Rocks road.

Park at the trailhead and ride out Behind the Rocks. Stick to the main road, and carry a map to help you sort out all the spurs. There is a lovely side hike out to Pritchett Arch just before the difficulties begin that is worth the detour.

Once you are in the canyon proper, be prepared to walk or detour around some of the larger features, which are seriously gnarly! You won't believe that a Jeep can drive up them.

When the canyon ends at the mouth of Kane Creek Canyon where it joins the Colorado River, you cross private property to exit. The property owners have posted a payment box and request a $3/person use fee.

You can also ride up Pritchett Canyon from the bottom and then back again if you just want the technical bits, not the whole menu. This will be an energetic 8-ish miles, instead of about 20-miles oneway from the Behind the Rocks trailhead, or a burly 35-miles if you make a loop via the road through Spanish Valley.