ATV trails

National Forests — The national forests of Utah are threaded with roads and trails that are appropriate for off-highway vehicle use. Inquire with each forest for suggestions.

Hardware Ranch — 17 miles east of Hyrum at the head of Blacksmith Fork Canyon, backcountry roads fork east to Randolph, north to Bear Lake or south to the Monte Cristo area.

Bountiful Peak — Open May through October, the 21-mile Bountiful Peak Farmington Canyon Scenic Loop from 100 North in Farmington to 400 N. 1300 East in Bountiful offers alpine scenery and what residents consider the most spectacular view possible of the Great Salt Lake.

Diamond Mountain Plateau in Brown's Park — Between Dinosaur National Monument and the Green River, a rider can explore the rugged scenic terrain where Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch wandered. Seventy miles south of Ouray are the wild Book Cliffs.

The Great Basin — Offers solitude and vast open stretches for off-highway exploration and some demanding mountain terrain as well. In the northwestern part of the state, the old Railroad Bed Road, a remnant of the first transcontinental railroad, which was completed in 1869, continues west from Promontory to S.R. 30.

The Oquirrh Loop Tour — This trail begins in Salt Lake and takes secondary paved roads to several historic sites and ghost towns. Thirty miles south of Tooele, the historic Pony Express Trail extends west for 150 miles through rugged sagebrush terrain and small mountain ranges to the Nevada border. Many beckoning off-road trails fork from the Pony Express Trail.

Little Sahara Recreation Area — Accessed 30 miles west of Nephi, two-thirds of Little Sahara Recreation Area's 60,000 acres are set aside for off-highway vehicles. Four-wheelers, dune buggies, dirt bikes and ATVs may be used on the sagebrush flats, Black Mountain area and the vast area of free-moving sand dunes.

Southern Utah off-roading

Boulder Mountain — Just south of S.R. 24, Boulder Mountain has many roads that are excellent for four-wheel-drive vehicles. North of Boulder Mountain over the back of Thousand Lake Mountain via Loa and Fremont is a ruggedly scenic 25-mile ride to Cathedral Valley in Capitol Reef National Park.

Cathedral Valley — Offers a 58-mile loop that can usually be driven by vehicles with good ground clearance. It passes some of Capitol Reef's most spectacular and stark landscape, including the Temples of the Sun and Moon and Glass Mountain. Road conditions can vary greatly depending on recent weather conditions, so check at the visitors center for current road and weather conditions.