Utah Trails
Utah ATV trail systems
Eleven Utah trail and riding areas, from the multi-day Paiute and Arapeen systems to Cedar Mountain, Paunsaugunt, Great Western Trail segments and the dune areas. Every figure is tied to a numbered source and flagged when sources disagree or we could not confirm it. Last verified Oct 27, 2026 (America/Denver).
Quick answer
Start with the Paiute or Arapeen for multi-day trips, Cedar Mountain (Markagunt) and Paunsaugunt for loops from a base camp near Bryce or Duck Creek, and Little Sahara, Coral Pink or Sand Hollow for dunes. Check each page's width limits and the MVUM before you go.
Sources disagree two or more sources give different figures; both are shownNot verified not published on the pages we read, or only in a secondary source
The trail systems
Mountain trail system (multi-day)
Paiute ATV Trail
Central Utah's big multi-day system: a roughly 275-mile main route plus 1,000+ miles of marked side trails.
Mountain trail system
Arapeen OHV Trail System
Wasatch Plateau network on Manti-La Sal NF, ridden up one canyon and down another from the Sanpete Valley towns.
Mountain trail system
Paunsaugunt ATV Trail & Powell Ranger District
Dixie NF riding around Panguitch, Hatch and Bryce Canyon: the Paunsaugunt trail, Badger Creek Loop and the Fremont/Casto systems.
Mountain trail system
Cedar Mountain / Markagunt OHV System
Dixie NF loops on the Markagunt Plateau near Duck Creek, Panguitch Lake and Cedar City.
Forest OHV network
Fishlake NF: Gooseberry & Parker Mountain
Fishlake National Forest OHV riding: Paiute, Gooseberry, Parker Mountain and Great Western Trail routes.
Long-distance multi-use route
Great Western Trail (Utah segments)
The Great Western Trail crosses Utah in segments; the Dixie NF segment is documented at 110.5 miles.
Mountain trail system
Ashley NF: Outlaw & Yellowstone ATV trails
Uinta Mountains / Uinta Basin riding on Ashley National Forest: Outlaw (38 mi) and Yellowstone (44 mi) ATV trails.
Sand dune area
Little Sahara Recreation Area
BLM dune riding at Sand Mountain, White Sand Dunes and the Black Mountain trails; four campgrounds and a visitor center.
Sand dune area
Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
Utah State Parks dune riding on 1,200 open acres near Kanab, plus BLM trails next door.
Sand dune / slickrock area
Sand Hollow State Park & Sand Mountain OHV Area
St. George area: Sand Hollow State Park's 15,000-acre Sand Mountain dunes beside BLM's Sand Mountain Open OHV Area.
Designated route network (desert)
Moab area ATV riding & Sand Flats
BLM Moab Field Office designated routes, Sand Flats Recreation Area and the Moab motorized travel map.
At a glance
| Trail system | Type | Miles as published | Width / flag rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paiute ATV Trail Central / south-central Utah | Mountain trail system (multi-day) | 275-mile main route + 1,000+ miles of side trails (BLM); other sources differ | 50" and 60" trails; wider machines on "Open to All" routes |
| Arapeen OHV Trail System Central Utah (Sanpete Valley / Wasatch Plateau) | Mountain trail system | 350+ miles (USFS) vs 600+ miles (trail site) | Some routes limited to 50"/66"; most open to any width |
| Paunsaugunt ATV Trail & Powell Ranger District South-central Utah (Bryce Canyon area) | Mountain trail system | Paunsaugunt Trail 48.2 mi (FS layer) vs 25-30 mi (county) | Badger Creek Loop: 50" or less |
| Cedar Mountain / Markagunt OHV System Southwest Utah (Cedar City / Duck Creek) | Mountain trail system | Trail 1 about 82 mi; seven loops 11 to 22 mi | 72" or less on MVUM trails marked 72"; 2,500 lb and tire-pressure limits |
| Fishlake NF: Gooseberry & Parker Mountain Central Utah (Fishlake National Forest) | Forest OHV network | About 2,700 mi of roads and trails forest-wide | 50" and 60" trails |
| Great Western Trail (Utah segments) Statewide (documented here: Dixie NF) | Long-distance multi-use route | Dixie segment 110.5 mi; statewide not verified | See MVUM |
| Ashley NF: Outlaw & Yellowstone ATV trails Northeast Utah (Uinta Mountains) | Mountain trail system | Outlaw 38 mi, Yellowstone 44 mi (older guide) | Not verified |
| Little Sahara Recreation Area West-central Utah | Sand dune area | Dune area; acreage not verified | Whip flag at least 8 ft |
| Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park Southern Utah (near Kanab) | Sand dune area | 1,200 acres open to OHV | Orange whiptail flag; registered OHVs |
| Sand Hollow State Park & Sand Mountain OHV Area Southwest Utah (St. George / Hurricane) | Sand dune / slickrock area | 15,000 dune acres (state park) | Whip flag in dunes |
| Moab area ATV riding & Sand Flats Southeast Utah (Grand County) | Designated route network (desert) | Sand Flats: almost 30 mi of 4x4 trails (many not recommended for ATVs) | Designated routes only |
Mileage and rules are summarized from each trail page; the page lists every source, and conflicts are marked.
Utah rules that apply everywhere
| Rule | Summary |
|---|---|
| Operator education | Every OHV operator needs an Utah OHV education certificate (the adult course is free and online; operators under 18 need the youth certificate). Contact: (801) 538-5500, [email protected]. [1, 2] |
| Registration | Utah residents register OHVs with the Utah DMV. Non-residents need the Utah non-resident OHV permit: $35 per machine, valid 12 months. [1, 3] |
| Helmets & equipment | Helmets are required for riders under 18 (wear one regardless). A spark arrestor is required on public lands. Lights are required from sunset to sunrise. In sand-dune areas a red or orange whip flag is required (BLM Little Sahara: at least 8 ft above level ground). [2, 4, 5] |
| Street-legal OHVs | Utah has a street-legal OHV change effective Sept 8, 2026; see the registration guide. Road closures posted for OHVs apply to street-legal-modified machines too (Dixie NF order). [2, 6] |
| Routes | Stay on designated routes; cross-country travel is prohibited on the national forests we cover, and the MVUM is the legal map. [6, 7, 8] |
Sources:
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: Off-highway vehicles (program home)
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: OHV laws & rules
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: Non-resident OHV permits
- BLM / Tread Lightly!: ATV Riding responsible recreation tips (PDF)
- BLM: Little Sahara safety
- Dixie National Forest: OHV page (updated Apr 29, 2026)
- Fishlake National Forest: OHV page (updated Mar 9, 2026)
- Manti-La Sal National Forest: MVUM
Contents of the registration rules change; see the OHV registration and permits guide.
Where sources disagree
- Paiute: BLM says a 275-mile main trail plus 1,000+ miles of side trails; an older USFS publication says 238; the Paiute Trail Committee describes a 2,079-mile network.
- Arapeen: USFS says 350+ miles of ATV and 4x4 routes; the trail website says 600+ miles of routes it calls UTV-friendly (open to wider machines too).
- Paunsaugunt: 48.2 miles in the Forest Service trail layer; 25 to 30 miles on the county tourism page.
- Non-resident OHV permit: $35 on the Utah agency page; $30 on a tourism page (we use the agency figure).
Considered but not listed as ATV trail systems
- Kokopelli's Trail (Loma, CO to Moab): BLM describes it as a multi-use trail of 140 to 142 miles (the page gives both figures) whose primary through-route use is mountain biking, with dirt roads, paved roads and some single-track. The BLM page we read does not say it is an ATV route. A search summary suggested some road sections are open to motorized use and that a short Colorado River single-track section is non-motorized; we could not verify this. Treat it as a mountain-bike route unless the Moab or Grand Junction BLM office confirms ATV access. [blm_kokopelli]
- Hole-in-the-Rock Road (Escalante): A search summary indicated motorized travel in Grand Staircase-Escalante is limited to designated routes and that ATV use on the BLM segment is not specifically authorized; not verified, so we do not list it as an ATV route.
- Fort Pearce Wash, Warner Valley, Hurricane Cliffs: The BLM Fort Pearce page we found describes a short hiking trail to a historic site; a search summary described Hurricane Cliffs as primarily mountain-bike trails. Neither is documented here as an ATV system. See Sand Hollow / Sand Mountain for the documented St. George-area OHV riding.
Map
We did not build a Utah map. We have no sourced coordinates for the routes, and a map from guessed lines would be misleading. Use the official map links on each trail page.
Plan the trip
- Gear loadouts by trip type (day ride, overnight camp, multi-day, hunting, desert/sand, high-alpine)
- Trailside recovery and repairs
- Utah dispersed camping rules and ATV camping setup
- Registration and permits, trail etiquette
Data: trails.json · trails.csv.