The off-roading scene has grown exponentially in popularity since 2020, and here are five amazing destinations to set your sights upon.
From luxurious all-terrain RVs to fully kitted overlanding builds, the number of big-name automakers and aftermarket companies building products specifically for this growing community of enthusiasts has only grown year over year since the global health pandemic.
However, mapping out your first off-roading adventure can be as challenging as selecting the vehicle to take you there. To ease you into this expansive world of trails and sites, we’ve compiled a list of the top five off-roading destinations in the US, presented in no specific order.
Moab, Utah
Nestled 250 miles south of Salt Lake City sits Moab, a small city surrounded by expansive national parks on all sides. To the northeast, you’ll find the most famous: Arches National Park. As its name suggests, it is best known for its over 2,000 natural sandstone arches. If you’ve seen photos of the area, it’s likely of Delicate Arch, a 52-foot high natural structure depicted in Utah license plates and used for the Olympic torch relay during the 2002 Winter Olympics.
This area is ideal for beginners due to its sheer variety of off-roading trails, hiking trails, and local accommodations. Moab sits almost perfectly between Denver, Colorado, and Las Vegas, Nevada, making it easily accessible. Move southwest, and you’ll find Canyonlands National Park. It spans 337,598 acres, making it the far larger of the pair, but it offers an even greater variety of scenery, camping sites, and off-roading activities.
As with many locations we’ll cover, bringing your off-roading vehicle isn’t necessary, given the expansive amount of other rental companies in the area. Beginner-friendly trails include Shafer Trail, Gemini Bridges Trail, Geyser Pass, and Klondike Buffs. These take approximately four hours to complete, spacing at most 25 miles, including scenic views, while incorporating only light off-roading.
If you’re more experienced or just want to spectate some of the more difficult trails Moab offers, Hell’s Revenge, Fiery Furnace and Surprise Arch, and Syncline Loop present a more significant challenge behind the wheel.
Sedona, Arizona
Continuing the red rock theme is Sedona, Arizona. There, you’ll find the Coconino National Forest, which spans Flagstaff, AZ, incorporating massive rock formations, pine forests, and true alpine tundra. Covering over 1.8 million acres, this national park rises in altitude from a low of 2,600 ft to well past 12,000 ft.
Beginners will want to start on popular trails such as the Broken Arrow Trail, Outlaw Trail, and Van Deren Cabin Trail. These are popular, easy to traverse, and offer access to hikers, bikers, and those on off-roading vehicles. If a longer, slightly more challenging route is what you’re after, the Outlaw trail spans 23.2 miles and will take a few hours to complete. However, unlike Moab, most of the trails in the Coconino National Forest are listed as easy or moderate in difficulty, making the number of options for beginners slightly higher.
Sedona is easily accessible, sitting about 117 miles north of Arizona’s capital of Phoenix and a mere 32.8 from Flagstaff. Given that most of the Coconino National Forest exists within a desert climate, visiting during the summer months could prove challenging to both attendees and the vehicles selected for the trip.
Mojave, California
Easily accessible from Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the Mojave Desert has been home to countless famous movie shoots. These include “The Professionals”, “Top Gun: Maverick,” and “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.” Given its proximity to various major cities, including Palm Springs, the Mojave Desert is one of the off-roading areas in this list most closely surrounded by luxurious resorts and hotels. This makes it ideal to incorporate a visit to this national park as part of a larger vacation.
Given its location, temperatures during the summer can often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit while staying mainly in the 60s from November through March. Given that the Mojave National Preserve spans more than 1.5 million acres, there’s a great variety of scenery to explore. Famous trails such as the 137-mi Mojave Road Trail traverse towering mountain ranges despite sporting a moderate difficulty level.
In contrast, areas such as the Iron Canyon Scenic Trail, Tule Divide, and Jawbone OHV Area incorporate a greater variety of dirt roads, sandy areas, and smaller mountain passes. The Mojave Desert is an excellent choice for those looking for a full day of off-road exploration but wanting to be close to some of the best resorts and hotels Southern California and Las Vegas offer.
Lake Tahoe, California
Perched on the borders of Nevada and California, Lake Tahoe trades the desert for dense forests and snowy peaks. It’s home to the Tahoe National Forest, which spans 871,000 acres and features some of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the country. This area’s strength is the diversity of scenery. The lake offers easy access to water activities, while the surrounding valleys offer endless hiking, camping, and biking opportunities. This area is known as one of the go-to destinations for skiing and snowboarding during the winter.
Yet despite its easy access to plenty of outdoor activities, the Lake Tahoe area is also home to various off-roading trails. On the easier side, you’ll find options like the Sardine Lakes and Mount Watson Peak trails. Stepping up to a moderate difficulty level opens up longer options, such as the 38.2-mile Bowman Lake Road and Meadow Lake Road Trail. However, the area’s most famous is the 18.2-mile Rubicon Trail, one of the most difficult in the US.
Given its standing as a popular tourist destination, Lake Tahoe offers five-star accommodations near off-roading trails and outdoor activity areas. Out of all the options covered on this list, it provides the most options for those looking to test their all-terrain abilities without straying too far from luxury lodging.
Boulder, Colorado
No list of off-roading locations would be complete without mentioning the beautiful state of Colorado and the epic Rocky Mountains. Boulder is the largest city mentioned yet, with a population surpassing 100,000. Yet despite being a more urbanized area, it sits a stone’s throw from an expansive list of off-roading trails.
As its name suggests, this area is mountainous, incorporating dense forests, large lakes, and substantial elevation gains. For those looking to sample more trails in a shorter period, well-known ones such as the Loch Lomond Trail, Middle St. Vrain, and Crystal City Road Trail all come in at under 10 miles each.
This area is also known for having a high concentration of more challenging trails, such as the Chihuahua Lake Trail, Imogene Pass, and Mount Antero Trail, which, despite their relatively short length, will be difficult for those newer to the sport.
Alongside these options, the Boulder area offers expansive hiking, biking, and camping locations. It is easily accessible via Denver, which sits 30 miles southeast. However, given that the Rocky Mountains stretch over 3,000 miles, essentially slicing through Canada and the entire US, it presents an ideal location for making a stop as part of a larger vacation or tackling the range as part of a larger road trip.
This article appeared in our May 2025 Issue.
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