Klondike Bluffs

Klondike Bluffs

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	Klondike Bluffs
Location:	Utah
Nearest Town:	Moab
Directions to Trailhead:	Head towards Potash from Moab and it will be on the right after about 10 or 15 miles, its not well marked. Ask around people will know what you are talking about though.
Trail Description:	Gives you a nice warm up on a 4x4 trail then you get some up and down then some Slick Rock all the while you are gradually climbing, then you get to the top and you are in Arches National Park and you hike about a half a mile or so and you have a spectacular view. It is not a loop so it is awesome on the way back its about 80% down hill and the rest is flat.
Trail Length:	14-15
Trail Type:	Fire Roads
Skill Level:	Advanced
Submitted By:	Jack Benson

Steven from El Paso, TX, USA Date: June 25, 2003 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Take 191 North out of Moab and its on the right near mile marker 136 or 137. Trail starts here Other recommended trails in the same area: Secret Spire
Review: Great trail, not too hard. Make sure you follow the cairns, white dashes and bike trail signs b/c we got lost on the slickrock. Have Fun	Overall Rating:

Alex from Manitou Springs, CO Date: June 5, 2003 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: dont park in the first lot unless you want to ride almost 2 miles of boring dusty dirt road. I drove my 4X4 to the other parking lot, but ive done it in a passenger car, its nothing too rugged. The trail is pretty much one route Other recommended trails in the same area: porcupine rim, poison spider
Review: i enjoy this trail and i usuually ride this one and gemeni bridges the first or last day i come to moab. its way easy, and even if youre a hotshot the dull ride is worth the walk out to the bluffs at the end of the trail. Walk out there! its worth it, the view from those windy bluffs is amazing, if not for that i wouldnt ride the trail. The way back can be fun , but dont get lost as you hop yor way down the slickrock, it happened to us and took us nearly an hour to find the trail. i gave it 4 tires for a first day ride, compared to moabs other outstanding trails, i would give it 2 or 3	Overall Rating:

Monkey from San Diego, CA Date: May 29, 2003 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: It's located between mile marker 142 and 143 on the 191. You can't miss it there's a sign on the highway for it. Other recommended trails in the same area: Gemini Bridges (start at the base and ride up)
Review: This was a great intermediate ride. Nice mix of sand, gravel and slickrock. The sand was kind of thick in couple of spots, but then again it hadn't rained in a while and was making it worse. Make sure you follow the tail markings once you hit the slickrock. Some of spots were a bit worn and was hard to tell where it went. There's a short hike up to the bluffs with a great view of the area. Fast, fun ride down.	Overall Rating:

Will from Denver, Co Date: April 30, 2003 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Take 191 north from Moab about 15 miles. You'll see a sign on the right directing you to Klondike Bluffs. Pull in the first parking lot if you wish to ride the access road or continue along the access road to second parking lot. Other recommended trails in the same area: For beginners - Gemini Bridges... Just about 5 miles south on 191.
Review: If you are a beginner or looking to take a beginner on a good ride, continue. If you're into a challenge, stop now. You can either ride this trail from the first parking lot or skip the boring dirt road and ride it from the second lot. From the second lot the ride starts out pretty standard. Mostly double track across sand and rock until you get to a section of slick rock that continues for a couple of miles. After that you're back on double track with sand here and there. All this a steady climb which ends in a mini bike parking lot where you can continue on into Arches national park for some great views. Once you're done go get your bike and ride the same route you came in on. The ride back is a kick. Great beginner ride for those looking to get acclimated to Moab area riding. Nothing technical or too exhausting. I took my girfriend on this ride since it was her first trip to Moab and her second time on a real mountain bike trail. She loved it.	Overall Rating:

Truong from Rowlett, TX USA Date: March 17, 2003 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: This is a great intermediate trail in Moab. You will encounter an easy but fairly long climb. There is a mix of some gravel roads, slickrock, and some sand. At the end of the trail you can leave your bike and hike up to the overlook for some beautiful views. The way down is relatively fast and very fun. Hope you enjoy the trail as much as I did.	Overall Rating:

craigy from co Date: January 3, 2003 Trail Ridden: Every few months
Recommended Route: Use a local guide and a map Other recommended trails in the same area: Poison Spider Mesa, Slickrock, Amassa Back
Review: Good intro to Moab, it has slickrock, sand, babyheads and great views. A nice descent on slickrock and 4*4 takle you to the top, then a short hike into the Arches National Monument gives you a great place to eat lunch and enjoy the views. The ride back down can be hairy if taken at speed. But it is great fun. A great Intermediate ride.	Overall Rating:

Brian from Moscow, ID Date: October 1, 2002 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: Skip the approach road, park in the upper lot. Follow the cairns up the rocks, and PLEASE DON'T RIDE YOUR BIKE ON THE DINOSAUR TRACKS!!!!!!!!!! Let other people see them, too. Other recommended trails in the same area: I enjoyed Onion Creek, Spring Canyon (30-some mile version), and have heard that Bartlett Wash is an exciting ride.
Review: This is an AWESOME ride, one of my favorites that I've ever done. I've wanted to go back to Moab ever since about a week after I got home. Klondike Bluffs is a fabulous moderate ride: has some climbing, technical rough stuff, and heavy exposure to any weather. For kids it's a great trip, because they can go half way up to play on the rocks and see real dinosaur tracks. This is a popular trail, so watch for trail traffic on weekends. Mostly bikers, but occassional 4x4s. It's a good trip for 4x4s, too, if you're in to that. Just, please, don't drive it on a weekend. I got going a little too fast and bailed on my head trying to avoid some other riders. Cracked my helmet, wrecked my knee, and couldn't ride for a couple weeks afterwards. If this happens to you, go enjoy Arches on foot and go home smiling. Still, absolutely my favorite ride so far in Moab, and one of my favorites of all time.	Overall Rating:

DeezNutz from Naperville, IL Date: July 9, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: can't remeber how i got there, 'puffin' all week will do that to you. But once in Moab you can just ask someone. Other recommended trails in the same area: PorcRim, PorcRim, PorcRim, SlickRock, AmasaBack
Review: This is an intermediate skill trail BUT it was a killer ride back down. it takes a while to climb up the trail over some descent terrain. nothing to write home about. But once i turned around and started to fly back down i was hooked. even though it's not as technical as PorcRim the faster your ride the better it gets. It doesn't wear you out and so you can ride it twice and make an afternoon out of it. This was my fun ride out in Moab and I can't wait to bomb this run next year.	Overall Rating:

Monica from Salt Lake City Date: May 22, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Drive to the second parking point to avoid a long and boring stretch of dirt road. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: It took forever to get to the slick rock and then the rock was too rugged to have much fun, especially since you are climbing. I had to bail a couple of times in the sand, but nothing too serious. The worst part of the trail was the decent(which I was really looking forward to)in our jumping bliss we got off the trail and got lost for about an hour. We finally found the trail after about 1 hour of searching, but be careful to pay attention to the poorly marked trail on your way back.	Overall Rating:

Jeff from Longmont, Co Date: May 6, 2002 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: North from Moab, past the Dalton Wells road, past Mill Canyon, to the Klondike Bluffs road on your right. Park at the second trailhead and follow the main singletrack to the slickrock, then the cairns to the end. Don't skip the hike to some amazing views of Arches. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Klondike Bluffs is a good intermediate trail that rewards you for enduring the long steady climb. The jeep road from Hwy 191 is an easy but boring warmup, save your riding by driving to the second parking area. From the gate, ride past some bluish hills on your left, then into a section of rocky singletrack that takes you onto the first section of slickrock. Looking up the hill, it looks like the deck of an aircraft carrier.. get into a good climbing rhythm and watch for the few cracks and ledges that span the whole face, you get to practice your lifts. After what seems forever, you level off, bearing north (left) past the first ridge to (surprise) another climb. This shorter one crests the ridgeline and you swing south along an easy section. Fantastic views of Canyonlands and Monitor & Merrimac Buttes to your west. Further south the trail narrows and there is one last short steep climb, get into the small ring and grunt it up. Park your bike at the end and hike up onto the rocks. There you will find some dinosaur tracks (ringed by a circle of rocks), and some scrambling (trust me, you don't want to be wearing cleats) will get you near the edge of a canyon for a good place to have lunch. Hike back, find a bike that you like, and head on down the hill. It's all good from the top, but watch your speed .. remember those cracks and ledges on the way up? Loss of attention and you could endo.	Overall Rating:

John from Napa Valley Date: April 21, 2002 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: This is reprehensible, but: drive your car up the dirt road until you near the slickrock. Park and ride from there. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: Sorry for the above advice, but this trail leaves Hwy. 191, and for the first 2-3 miles you're just working your way away from the highway and passing 4WD types. At best, this is a short ride, 8 mi. or so. BUT: What an 8 miles. It's a great introduction to slickrock riding for the uninitiated/beginners. The Arches National Park (walk in) entrance at the end is magnificent.	Overall Rating:

mike from Draper UT Date: February 15, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: We Drove up to the fence part(not the one by the road). Other recommended trails in the same area: Porqupine(best trail yet),Slickrock,Gemni
Review: A little sandy at the start,but once you hit the slickrock its ok. Not Very technical. The Ride up is almost not even a workout and seems endless slickrock(I got bored and started to go in the big ruts). The Ride down was sweet (as ride downs usaully are). We got going as fast as we could (you would need a full) and almost hit several poeple though. Great for beginers and fun for you too on the way down. Me and My buddies raced the entire way down.	Overall Rating:

Rockfish from Victorville, CA Date: January 18, 2002 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Follow the directions in the guide book Other recommended trails in the same area: Slickrock, La Sal Mtn rides
Review: Scenic, view-filled ride. Not real technical but some cool dinasaur tracks. Probably only a 3 in slickrock but a 4 compared to the vast majority of other rides.	Overall Rating:

Nugget from SE Massachusetts Date: June 5, 2001 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: The trail head is about 14 miles out of Moab. A parking area is off the highway. Other recommended trails in the same area: Similar type trail (Monitor and Merrimac) is south 1 mile on the opposite side of road. More hardcore is Porcipine Rim.
Review: Loved this trail as a warmup to Moab riding for me and my girlfriend. I disagree with the "advanced" description of this trail. Strong beginner trail, and only because of the long uphill sections. DO THE HIKE AT THE END!!! Keep going when the trail looks like it ends. You will be able to walk through the bluffs and see Tower Arch.	Overall Rating:

Bryan from Grand Rapids, MI Date: May 7, 2001 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: We started at the second trailhead and avoided the dusty dirt road prelude. Saves time and makes for a more interesting ride. Other recommended trails in the same area: Gemini Bridges
Review: Our group of beginners to intermediate riders liked this trail a lot, although I could tell the better riders weren't as into it as the beginners. If you stay left, you can avoid the sand pit near the beginning. As an out and back, most of your climbing is in the first half, and the slick rock climb is a good aerobic workout ending in a nice stop to look at dinosaur tracks. Make sure you take the time to hike into Arches. Technically, it's not too difficult, but ridden fast, it gets a little hairy, especially on the way back. I'd recommend this ride as a good warm up for a tougher afternoon ride or as a scenic recovery ride.	Overall Rating:

JT from Denver, CO Date: April 25, 2001 Trail Ridden: Once a year
Recommended Route: I recommend parking by the highway and riding the entire trail for multiple reasons: You get extra riding, the return trip makes for a nice sprint back to your vehicle, and most importantly, you can sit on your tailgate after the ride and try to get the trucks passing on 191 to honk their air horns! Other recommended trails in the same area: Kokapeli trail by the Dewey bridge: Toward Grand Junction = jeep trails, lots of sand. Toward Moab = improved road (not paved) with lots of side trails (Top of the World Trail is excellent, slightly technical, and quite a climb).
Review: I would agree with others in that this is not too terribly difficult a ride, but the scenery is nice, and toward the far end of the trail - just before starting the climb up to the overlook - the trail gets real fun (especially coming back down). The slickrock mentioned seems like it goes on forever, but it's not too steep. Good ride for anyone, especially beginning to intermediate riders. We usually do this as the first half of a double-header ride.	Overall Rating:

shorty from Boulder, CO Date: April 16, 2001 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: There's one parkinglot along 191 north of moab and another one further in along the trail. So it's up to you if go the first miles on dustroad by car or by bike. On the trail: When you reach the first huge sandpit (actually the only one on that trail) go left at the fork. that will take you around it. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: I don't know what people like so much about that trail. We had most of the fun we had on the dustroad and dirt. But there are better places for that. If you want slickrock in that area, go across 191 to Bartlett Wash. The klondike slickrock is simple too uneven to enyoy it (compared w/ other slickrocks just around the corner). The view: Sure it's a view into Arches NP, but nothing outstanding compared to views you can get along any ride in the moab area. If you have newbies with you and you are looking for something easy, go Gemini Bridges (even the out and back version from 191) they'll enjoy it much more. Surrounded by so many so cool trails, this one actually earns something below two tires.	Overall Rating:

Ed from Los Gatos, California Date: February 27, 2001 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Did it from the parking area for the Monitor and Merrimac trail, but it might be smarter to actually drive a mile or so down the road to the parking area. Go out to the park boundary, come back. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: This is a relatively tame trail, which I think is part of the appeal. Beginners can ride most of it, but it's still interesting enough for intermediates. And for experts, if nothing else, this is a nice recovery ride after a hard day. I did this right after doing the Monitor and Merrimac trail, which left me less than impressed and looking for more. This was the closest trail, so off I went. The slickrock section is the only tricky section, only because there is no real trail marked out. Just head for the other side, avoiding the cracks and chasms and dead ends. That's the beauty of riding slickrock! At the other side, you're back on dirt. Head southeast at this point and eventually you'll get to the park boundary. You can't ride into the park, so leave your bike (everybody does) and hike up the hill. There's a cool view of Arches National Park from here. Most people who come to Moab never get to see this view, because they didn't earn it, and you did!	Overall Rating:

Alex from Ogden Date: November 29, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Start at the trailhead, ride out to the bluffs and ride back. About 14 miles out and back. This is not an advanced trail as described. It is intermediate in my opinion. Other recommended trails in the same area: Another good wife or family ride would be Gemini bridges even though I didn't like it as much.
Review: Awesome trail for bringing the wife, girlfriend, family, etc. But it was still technical enough to keep me interested. Great scenery. If you're with a bunch of dudes, then do Slickrock or Porcupine Rim, etc.	Overall Rating:

Jon Ormsby from Boulder, CO Date: October 23, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: We drove the 2.8 miles to the 2nd TH near the gate. I had two beginners with me, so no reason to add extra miles of booring dirt road. Other recommended trails in the same area: Amassa Back, Poison Spider are my favorites so far.
Review: Fun trail. The 4WD portion at the beginning is mellow. Some sandy sections, but no way near as bad as Poison Spider or Pritchett Canyon. The slickrock is fun, but pretty straightforward, not much waviness to it like Slickrock. Easy climb, just enough for beginners. The final 4WD/singletrack piece is a little more technical. The overlook at the top is gourgeous, and coming down the singletrack/4WD/slickrock/4WD was fun. My girlfriend had her 1st endo on a sandy section within the last couple miles - good for her.	Overall Rating:

raldi from canton, ohio Date: October 16, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: go to a bike shop and either purchase a map, use theirs for free, and try to make friends,,,its really easy to find... Other recommended trails in the same area: gemini bridges, but its not as fun as the bluffs...
Review: after riding in car for 31 hrs. from ohio me and my road dog decided to find camp,,,get a cold beer and be done...but none the less...we were in moab and we were jacked so the bike shop dudes said that we could do this ride in about 2 hrs. without trouble...so we went and climbed up hill forever it seemed like but it was mellow because the scenery is cool...we got aquaited with slick rock surface...saw some cool dinosaur tracks...hiked around a bit and took some of the coolest scenery in on the edge of some ledges...the ride back down was fast and furious....gotta watch for some of the early cracks though because they sneak up on you....keep it real and have some fun.....	Overall Rating:

Robb from Cleveland Date: September 7, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: I dunno how to get there but the other reviews will tell you. Other recommended trails in the same area: Slick rock is always nice, to warm up i recomend you ride the "practice loop" a few times before going for the race loop.
Review: Wow an awsome trail! You start out riding an acess road for a couple miles, small hills, then you start to get into single track with sand and rocks, then you begin the uphill. It is mostly on flat gray rock moderatly steep, not too technical. The only way i gan describe it is like a giant grey rock football field that seems to extend forever. You reach the top of this incline only to be rewarded by even more up hill same kind of stuff. Watch out for the large cracks! try to remember the trail you take up because soon you will be flying down and you dont want to miss your few important turn offs one of which includes crossing a row of foliage. If you have problems with long uphills, just put it in 1,1 and crank, try to think about how much fun this will be to come down! You get off of the rock and onto some hard packed dirt, there are a few small technical sections but nothing major. Follow the dirt road (a map is nice) then begin to climb up a few technical switch backs. Once your at the top, park your bikes and hike up. You will get an awesome view and if ou look there are some dinosaur footprints around too. Now to begin your decent. Pick (or fly) your way down the switchbacks, down the dirt road, onto the smooth gray rock and cruz....and cruz....and fly! for a long time. This is a great downhill, because you can fly down it or pick some different paths if you want more technical stuff. This downhill was definatly worth the climb! Don't forget to have fun...oh wait that shouldn't be a problem. things should start looking framiliar and soon ,(but not too soon) you will find your way to that now boring acsess road follow it to the small dirt parking lot, load your bikes and talk about Klondike bluffs the whole way home!	Overall Rating:

stan paoli from arlington, tx, usa Date: July 15, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: see intro for directions Other recommended trails in the same area: porcupine, slick rock, gemini bridges
Review: fun little trail. jeep trails, to slick rock and finally a little single track. mostly up hill (gradual) to the top of the bluff that over looks "arches national park". the view is spectacular when you get to the top of the bluff (bring a camera). this is a great trail to introduce someone new to riding on "slick rock". don't forget to look at the dinosaur tracks going up that way you can enjoy the flying back down on the way back. this is an out and back trail and well worth ride.	Overall Rating:

Jeff Doolittle from Coralville, Iowa Date: July 15, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Drive north out of Moab for around 15 miles. Go through the gate and continue on the jeep trail for another mile and a half to the inner parking area. Other recommended trails in the same area:
Review: The trail was a fun out and back. This is perfect riding for someone who is a bit tired from hitting lots of other trails. The ride out is mostly up hill, but it is a very gentle slope. If you parked up the jeep trail, you'll have a small amount of dirt before you hit the slick rock. About 80% of the trail is slick rock, and then at the end there is another dirt section that takes you up to the edge of Arches National Park. The riding isn't overly technical or difficult, but it is a lot of fun. This is probably one of the easiest rides in the Moab area, but I still highly recommend it since it was a fun ride with a beautiful view at the end of the trail.	Overall Rating:

John Maulding from Seattle, WA Date: June 28, 2000 Trail Ridden: Ridden Once
Recommended Route: Skip the access "4x4" road that starts this ride and park in the upper lot. It adds absolutely nothing to this great ride...unless you like dusty, flat, and boring road. Other recommended trails in the same area: Slickrock has its pros and cons, but it is still a must ride...it's so amazingly fun and challenging.
Review: This is a fun, something for everyone type of ride. It has some gorgeous, bizarre, white slickrock sections. It has some dirt singletrack. It has some nice fire road descents. It has amazing views once you get to the top and hike the last .5 mile so you can see into Arches Nat'l Park. Klondike Bluffs is just a great ride that can please a mixed group of riders...your experts can have fun, the intermediates will totally dig it, and the beginners won't be over their heads.	Overall Rating: