Brand Trails Area
The North 40 is a primer for what most MTB trails in Moab are like. Technical and challenging. Intermediate riders should try for a dab free ride.
Difficulty:
Length:
Time:
Moderate
4.2 Miles
1-3 Hours
Trail Type:
Pets:
Required Gear:
Loop/Mix
Yes
Standard gear
Rating:
Season:
Fees:
⭑⭑⭑⭑
All Year
None
The Brand Trails are a convenient trail system just a few minutes out of town on BLM land. These trails are between Highway 191 and the western border of Arches National Park. There are trails of all types here and no matter your experience or skill level, you can find something that you’ll enjoy riding.
Trailhead Info
The Brand Trails are accessed directly across the street from the Gemini Bridges Trail. Drive north out of Moab on Highway 191. When you cross the Colorado River, stay on 191 for 7 miles. The turnoff will be on the east side of the road. After turning onto the gravel road, make an immediate right and follow the road to the end where the large parking lot is. This is the main trailhead for all Brand Trails. There’s plenty of parking and a pit toilet at the trailhead.
Trail Info
This loop begins on the double track road heading east. Follow the road for 0.1 miles. You’ll take your first left for the North 40 trail and follow the trail for another 0.1 miles. At this point the actual loop portion of the ride begins.
You can choose either way to ride the loop. I’ll describe the route going clockwise. Begin by going to the left and follow the trail northward. The trail mixes dirt singletrack with several easier technical sections. Elevation gain is kind for the first part of the trail but there are several smaller short burst climbs.
After about a mile, you’ll encounter a small cutoff trail. You can take that to shorten the loop or you can use it to make a figure 8 of the trail or just ignore it and stay left. The top portion of this trail climbs a small bluff and can cause your cardio to step up.
The return portion of the loop going clockwise continues to climb up and down the terrain as the trail winds its way back to where you started.
NOTE: This area can get really crowded. Certain times of the year will find events here from the Outerbike event to High School MTB races. This area is also fairly exposed and can get very hot in the summer so plan accordingly.
Elevation Profile and Map
