Mountain trail system · South-central Utah (Bryce Canyon area)
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.
Quick answer
Spelled "Paunsaugunt" by the Forest Service; many sources use "Paunsagunt". Published mileage varies a lot, so confirm against the Powell Ranger District MVUM.
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
Key facts
| Location & counties | Dixie National Forest, Powell Ranger District, near Panguitch, Hatch and Bryce Canyon National Park. Garfield County area (Bryce Canyon Country is the county tourism office). [1, 2] |
|---|---|
| Managing agency | USFS Dixie NF, Powell Ranger District, (435) 676-9300 (weekdays about 8 to 4:30). Red Canyon Visitor Center (435) 676-2676. [1, 3] |
| Total miles | Paunsaugunt ATV Trail: 48.2 miles (Forest Service trail layer via Trailhead Atlas, trail #33003, class 3) vs 25-30 miles (Garfield County tourism, "moderate"). Badger Creek Loop length is not given on the Forest Service page. Forest-wide Dixie lists about 2,700 miles of designated routes; the county says 3,000+ miles across Dixie NF and Grand Staircase-Escalante. [4, 2, 3, 5]Sources disagree |
| Loops & main segments | Powell RD lists the Paunsaugunt OHV Trail with Badger Creek Loop (trail riding) and road loops: Straight Canyon, King Creek, Daves Hollow, Crawford Pass, Coyote Hollow, Badger Creek. Also the Fremont OHV Trail (Horse Valley Peak, Casto-Limekiln, West Hunt, Table Mountain loops), Casto Canyon #33089 and Rocky Ford #33082. County rides: Casto Canyon / Limekiln Loop about 90 miles from Panguitch (moderate); Yankee Meadows 25 miles round trip; Bull Rush Loop 36 miles (challenging); Pine Lake OHV Trail 21-mile loop. [1, 2] |
| Trailheads & access towns | Badger Creek Loop starts at the Tropic Reservoir trailhead: take SR-12, then East Fork road 087 for about 7 miles, then road 572. The trailhead has a loading ramp and vault toilet; there is no potable water except at the Tropic Springs Water Stop. Access towns: Panguitch and Hatch (county office 800-444-6689). [3, 2] |
| Elevation | Badger Creek Loop trailhead 9,730 ft. [3] |
| Season | Not published on the pages we read; high-elevation trails need snow-free conditions. Check Powell RD. Panguitch hosts the Bryce ATV Rally each August (2026: Aug 13-15). [2, 1]Not verified |
| Width limits | Badger Creek Loop is open to OHVs of 50" or less. Typical tread width for the Paunsaugunt ATV Trail in the Forest Service layer: 48-60". A 50" limit is the ATV (quad) class of trail. [3, 4] |
| Vehicle restrictions | Designated routes only; no off-road OHV riding inside Bryce Canyon National Park. Dixie closure order #0407-10-1: OHVs (including street-legal-modified ones) may not use roads posted closed to OHVs. [2, 5, 6] |
| Permits & registration | Utah-registered machines follow the Utah DMV OHV registration rules; machines from other states need a Utah non-resident OHV permit ($35 per machine, valid 12 months). Every operator needs the Utah OHV education certificate (adult course is free and online; youth under 18 need a youth certificate). Details in the Utah rules summary. [7, 8, 9] |
| Fuel & lodging towns | Panguitch and Hatch are the gateway towns; individual stations are not verified. Kings Creek Campground sits next to Tropic Reservoir about 9 miles west of Bryce Canyon NP; Jones Corral and Podunk guard stations are rentable Powell RD cabins. [2, 10]Not verified |
| Difficulty | County tourism rates the Paunsaugunt ATV Trail "moderate"; Casto/Limekiln moderate; Bull Rush Loop challenging. [2] |
Highlights
- Hoodoo country and high forest at the edge of Bryce Canyon, with many loop options from Panguitch. [2]
- Dixie specialty OHV maps exist for the Markagunt and Paunsagunt plateaus. [5]
Hazards
- No potable water at the Badger Creek trailhead except Tropic Springs Water Stop; bring your own. [3]
- Trailhead at 9,730 ft: cold nights and fast weather change. [3]
Maps and official pages
- Powell RD MVUM 2026 (PDF)
- Dixie NF MVUM page
- Bryce Canyon Country route maps
- Paunsaugunt Plateau OHV routes (secondary PDF)
Always download the current MVUM or agency map; the Utah OHV maps page lists statewide map sources. Utah rules summary: Utah OHV rules. We did not build a route map: we have no sourced trail coordinates.
Machines and loads
Mid-size machines suit the 50"-limited loops; confirm machine width. 2-up touring models need a width check before using 50" routes (see the Width column in the model database).
| Class in our database | Models | Front rack rating (lb) | Rear rack rating (lb) | Towing rating (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry (<500cc) | 9 | 66-90 lb | 133-180 lb | 802-1350 lb |
| Mid (500-649cc) | 15 | 75-121 lb | 100-242 lb | 661-1830 lb |
| Mid-large (650-899cc) | 14 | 88-120 lb | 176-240 lb | 848-1830 lb |
| Big bore (900cc+) | 10 | 120-200 lb | 240-300 lb | 1500-1830 lb |
| 2-up touring | 23 | 44-121 lb | 77-242 lb | 772-1830 lb |
Ranges across the models in our database for each class; blank cells in a source are skipped, and some front ratings are not published. Your own machine's rating is on its model page and in the owner's manual and is the number that counts.
See the model database and how to choose. Our database lists overall width where we could find it (see the Width column; blank means unknown). A quad of 50 in or less fits the 50-inch trails. Check your owner's manual against the width limits above, and remember that wide tires, spacers and cargo count toward width.
Gear for this trip
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- Day-ride loadout
- Overnight ATV camp loadout
- Trailside recovery and repairs
- Utah dispersed camping rules
- Recovery checklist, camping checklist, safety checklist
- Recovery gear roundup, satellite messengers & GPS
What we could not verify
- Paunsaugunt ATV Trail length (48.2 vs 25-30 miles).
- Badger Creek Loop length (a third-party site says 25 miles; not used).
- Season dates.
- Fuel stops.
Sources
- Dixie National Forest: Powell Ranger District (updated Mar 9, 2026)
- Bryce Canyon Country (Garfield County tourism): ATV trails
- Dixie National Forest: Badger Creek Loop (updated Mar 17, 2025)
- Trailhead Atlas: Paunsaugunt ATV Trail (built from the Forest Service trail layer; secondary)
- Dixie National Forest: OHV page (updated Apr 29, 2026)
- Dixie National Forest: Markagunt OHV System (updated Feb 27, 2026)
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: Off-highway vehicles (program home)
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: Non-resident OHV permits
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: OHV laws & rules
- Dixie National Forest: Camping & cabins (dispersed camping rules)
Last verified Oct 27, 2026 (America/Denver). Structured data: trails.json, trails.csv.
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