Monticello to Moab MTB Tour: Highlights

The Wildest Desert Experience You Can Fit Into 4 Days

We love it when guests join us for a week (or more!), but we know that “short-and-sweet” can sometimes be the ticket. With that in mind, we’re excited to share our newest tour, the 4-Day Monticello to Moab MTB Tour!

Despite the trip’s shorter length, there’s no shortage of desert solitude, natural beauty, and other-worldly landscapes. Our route takes us from Utah’s Abajo Mountains through the top corner of Bears Ears National Monument then down past the Needles sector of Canyonlands National Park and onto Moab.

The bottomline is this tour offers a fantastic experience in some of the wildest land in the lower 48!

Bears Ears National Monument

On December 27th, 2016 much of the terrain that this  tour passes through was declared the Bear’s Ears National Monument by President Obama. This is a magnificent region of redrock cliffs, mysterious canyons and stone silence. We are stoked that this region is conserved, and grateful for the chance to share it with our guests!

The Riding: A “Gravel MTB” Experience

Over the last 10+ years, guest feedback from some of our favorite tours has shown us just how rewarding, and just-plain-fun, it is for folks to explore remote “roads” on a mountain bike. Some of our most popular trips, like our Crested Butte to Telluride Tour, feature MTB riding on remote roads! Because the riding on this tour is comprised of rugged jeep roads, it is similar to a “gravel” tour, rather than a singletrack-focused MTB trip. However, by utilizing mountain bikes (your own or one of our high-quality, carbon Scott rental bikes), we’ll have a smoother, more stable ride, be able to traverse washed-out and/or sandy sections of road, and enjoy easier gearing on climbs. And, if you’ve never ridden a carbon mountain bike, we’re pretty sure you’ll find it a lot more fun, and a lot more efficient, than you might expect!

This tour is suitable for intermediate to advanced bikers.

Monticello to Moab MTB Tour: Dates

Potential tour dates are listed below and not all tour dates will run. Lock in your preferred tour date early as unopened tour dates will be closed. Please see the Winter/Spring/Autumn Tour Calendar and the Summer Tour Calendar for confirmed departures. Any unopened date can be a Custom Week (9 riders required). Please contact us via email or call 970.728.5891

To easily register for a particular tour, please click the Book Now! link after the tour date listed below. This will select the tour name and the appropriate date on the registration form.

2025 Monticello to Moab Spring Tour Date

• May 24 to 27, 2025 (Book Now!)
• June 1 to 4, 2025 (Book Now!)
• September 14 to 18, 2025 (Book Now!)
• September 28 to October 1, 2025 (Book Now!)
• October 12 to 15, 2025 (Book Now!)

Tour Status Notes: NO STATUS = Date Set, no riders have signed up. TOUR OPENED = Tour Opened, rider minimums not met. TOUR A GO! = Tour is Go, rider minimums met. SOLD OUT = Tour Full, rider maximums met.

Why Should you Sign-Up Now and OPEN a Tour Date?
This is the proverbial chicken and the egg conundrum! We need our cyclists to first commit to the date that works for them so that we can commit to that date.

For starters, when you OPEN a date you get to pick your preferred departure date, and there is no penalty if the tour does not run. Once you pick your tour date, Lizard Head closes nearby dates and funnels all additional riders to your chosen date until the tour meets its 6 rider minimum.

BONUS: As an added bonus, we can also hold a spot for you on another tour date of your choosing. There is no fee to switch to another tour date.

In conclusion, if you want a tour to run, we need you to sign up and not wait for others to do the same! Waiting for others may mean that a tour date takes longer or does not confirm. Just Do It! Once a few riders jump into the proverbial waters, others will follow!

NOTE: In anticipation and encouragement of future tour signups prior to reaching the tour minimum, the Lizard Head Cycling website may be updated to show TOUR A GO prior to actual tour confirmation. So, even if the website says that this tour is a go, please wait for your official Email Confirmation before booking non-refundable travel reservations.

Monticello to Moab MTB Tour: Overview

Tour Length: 4-Day and 3-Nights

Meeting/Ending Town: Moab, Utah (contact us to discuss shuttles to/from Grand Junction, airport code “GJT”)

Total Miles: 145 miles

Daily Mileage Range: 29 miles to 41 miles

Ability Levels: Upper Intermediate (3) , Advanced (3/4)

Tour Cost: $1,650 per person.

Tour Discounts: Please see our Reptile Rewards & Tour Discounts page to learn more about Reptile Rewards, Tour Discounts, and Group Discounts. Tour discounts are not stackable with any other discounts or promotions – only the highest valued discount is provided. Please note that for discounts to apply the tour minimum must be met.

Tour Includes: 4-days of guide service, all meals, forest service fees, energy food, liquid refreshments, shuttles and mechanical support. Alcoholic beverages, bike rental, and camping equipment rental are additional.

Rental Tent, Ground Pad and Sleeping Bag: $85 – Lizard Head Cycling offers late model camping gear rentals. The rental tent is a 3-person Sierra Design tent (sleeps 2 comfortably). The ground pads are 1.5 inches thick and our synthetic sleeping bags are rated for 20 degrees (so you’ll feel warm & comfy in the wilderness). Tent-only rentals are $55.

Mountain Bike Rentals

NOTE: The make, model, and specifications of rental bikes may differ from what is described below. Please contact us if you have any specific needs for a rental bike or have any questions about rental bikes.

Mountain Bike Rentals

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is proud to rent the Scott Spark 930, a truly fantastic way to go up or down a mountain. We have been riding mountain bikes for a very long time here at Lizard Head, but we can easily say our rentals are the most fun mountain bikes we have ever ridden. The Spark 930 blends the featherweight lineage of its race focused cousin with the single track chops of a 120mm travel ripper - this bike is up for anything.

The Spark 930 features: Spark Carbon HMF-Alloy Frame, FOX 34 Float Performance 130mm Fork, FOX Nude EVOL/120mm/TwinLoc rear shock, Shimano XT-SLX 12 Speed Drivetrain, Shimano Deore Disc Brakes, Syncros X-25 TR Rims, Maxxis Rekon Folding Tires, plus Syncros Dropper Post. Approx. Weight: 28.88 lbs / 13.10 kg (without pedals)

Mountain E-Bike Rentals

The Strike eRIDE 920 offers SCOTT’s latest technologies together with the newest Bosch motor. Versatile, reliable, and accessible, the Strike puts the accent on the comfort with 150mm of travel, slicker tires, thicker grips and saddle to give you a solid choice for any outing.

☛ Learn more about our Mountain Bike & E-Bike Rentals and Equipment

If you have any further questions, please read more on our Rental Bikes FAQ page. You can also email us at info@lizardheadcyclingguides.com or call us at 970.728.5891

Meals On Tour

Lizard Head Cycling Guides provides most meals on all tours (unless otherwise noted) including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guides will prepare a daily lunch en route for nearly every tour, both road and off-road, as well as provide nutritious snacks at periodic aid stations during the day.

Most of our road tours utilize local restaurants for all meals and occasionally guides may prepare a dinner or two during a tour. Due to the nature of being "off the grid", most of our off-road tours feature guide prepared meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. FUN NOTE: When guides prepare a meal in camp and the guests sit around and watch, this is called "Guide TV".

We also pride ourselves on being able to cater to specific dietary requests and needs, so rest assured that you will be able to get the nutrition that works best for you during your tour. Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, or a someone who loves it all – we will keep you well fed during the tour!

Lunches: Lizard Head Cycling Guides prepares healthy lunches to keep you going. We will serve you fresh organic fruits and veggies, salads, hummus, sandwich fixings, nuts, gourmet cheeses and, of course, plenty of salty/sweet snacks such as chips and cookies.

Dinners: On our road tours, Lizard Head Cycling sources our favorite restaurants in each town that we visit. Our guides focus on establishments that offer fresh and local ingredients and guests choose whatever they desire to eat off the menu including: appetizer, salad, entrée, and of course, dessert... yum! Also, while on tour if a guest wants to dine early before the group and go to bed, this is fine. We understand that on some days sleep is the most important post-ride element.

Ability Level: Can I Ride This Tour?

Definition of Ability Levels

= Intermediate (2/3) Rides and/or takes spin classes 1 to 3 times a week for a total of 50 or more miles.
= Upper Intermediate (3) Rides and/or takes spin classes 2 to 4 times a week for a total of 75 or more miles.
= Advanced (3/4) Rides and/or takes spin classes 3 to 5 times a week for a total of 100 or more miles. Has ridden multi-day tours and done a century ride.
= Expert (4) Rides 4 or more times per week totaling 150 or more miles. Rides E.F.I. with regularity. Has done numerous multi-day tours, century rides and races.

How Fit do I Have to Be? If one month prior to the tour, you can ride 2 to 3 times a week equaling a total of 75 or more miles a week, you'll do just fine. We like to jokingly say that "one is ready for a Lizard Head Cycling Tour when they are finished with tour" and this is true! The only way to simulate a week long bike tour is to go on a week long tour.

Our average rider age is 55 years. These are bike tours, not races so we take our time to stop, take pictures and see the sights. We have all day to reach our destination and most riders take "bumps" at some points. We offer reduced mileage options for each day. Of course if someone wants to ride E.F.I. (Every Freaking Inch), we love to show them all the extra climbs, loops and hidden canyons that can be included!

Do the Bump! Daily mileage options allow cyclists of varying abilities to enjoy this tour. One of our favorite options is to give cyclists a "bump" via the support vehicle, or a 10 to 20 mile lift down the road representing an hour of pedal time. After the bump the rider is "off the front" and riding at his or her own pace without feeling they are being left behind the group. They'll then have time to linger and take in the spectacular scenery. All cyclists come together in time for lunch. Afterwards, cyclists can take another bump and/or continue riding.

Seamless Mileage Options: Lizard Head Cycling Guides designs multiple mileage options for each tour – something we're well known for in our business. This technique is similar to heliskiing in that one does not ski everything, they ski the best. 🙂

Slow or Fast? Many cyclists who sign up for our tours have worried themselves silly about not being able to keep up, but then they're surprised to find that all the worrying was about nothing. They do just fine! Slow and Fast only exist relative to other cyclists. Speed does not matter as long as one is moving on the bike. As long as one is moving, they are truly going fast enough.

If you have questions about your ability to ride this tour, please contact our office via email or call us at 970.728.5891 - we'll more than happy to guide you!

Please also see this blog post for more information.

Overall Route Map

 

Monticello to Moab MTB Tour: Itinerary*

*PLEASE NOTE: Tour itineraries are subject to change and modification based on the group, available accommodations, road construction, road closures, and other unforeseen circumstances including weather, wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, landslides and/or other acts of nature. Also, the distances and elevation profiles shown below may not reflect the actual distances and elevations while on tour as these are provided here to give an idea as to the anticipated mileage and terrain. Please view this itinerary, the distances, and elevation profiles as a general outline as to what to expect while on this tour.

Day 1: Monticello to Mormon Pasture Camp
40 miles and 2,690′ of climbing

This tour starts with a phenomenal ride that features many of the reasons we love riding in this area: spectacular views, captivating ancient petroglyphs, and fantastic pedaling terrain. We’ll leave Moab first-thing this morning and shuttle into the Abajo Mountains above Monticello, UT. We’ll enjoy expansive views northwards, towards Canyonlands’ Needles District before we reach Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument and soak in one of the largest known collections of petroglyphs in the world. In the afternoon, we’ll continue to camp, passing through the famous Indian Creek Climbing Area before we reach our evening’s camp, in the shadow of Mormon Pasture Mountain.

Day 2: Mormon Pasture Camp to Mushroom Camp
29 miles and 2,270′ of climbing

Today’s route takes us further from civilization, and further into the beauty of Bears Ears. We’ll pass remote, rocky buttes, wind beneath high mesas, and eventually reach Mushroom Camp, our home for the night. For those curious — Mushroom Camp is not named for any local fungi! Instead, the name comes from the mushroom-like shape of the naturally-occurring rock “hoodoos” in the area.

Day 3: Mushroom Camp to Hayduke Camp
35 miles and 1,050′ of climbing

Today we head north toward Moab. We begin by backtracking a bit, towards the midpoint of our ride from Day 1, before heading north and skirting the west edge of Canyonland’s Needles District. The riding today is fantastic — we’ll descend over 2,560′ and only climb 1,050′, so there’s plenty of easy pedaling to be had! Though we may see a few other folks today (perhaps some rock climbers looking to enjoy the famous walls we pedal past), the area we traverse is remote and wild — you can really feel the desert’s magnitude and solitude in this part of Utah.

Day 4: Hayduke Camp to Moab
41 miles and 3,050′ of climbing

Today is our victory lap! After a great 3 days of riding we go out with a bang, enjoying the spectacular Lockhart Basin Trail as we rip towards Moab. The Lockhart Basin trail belons on any cyclists’ bucket list. The route parallels the renown White Rim Trail on the opposite side of the vast Colorado River Valley before departing from the mighty Colorado and climbing to Hurrah Pass. From there, it’s a (rolling) 15-mile descent to Moab, some well-earned refreshments, and the end of our journey together. Congratulations!