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Moab, Utah is unarguably the quintessential mecca for mountain biking, hiking, rafting, climbing, jeeping, and many other off-the-grid adventures. The mountain biking here is world class and second to none. You will find no other place like this on earth and as such you will find adventure seekers from all over the world as they are drawn to the red rocks, the deep canyons, the rushing rivers, the smooth slickrock, the vast plateaus, the snow capped mountains… all juxtaposed and weaved together into a seemingly alien planet.

Join Lizard Head Cycling Guides as we guide you through this wondrous landscape along well groomed singletrack and dual-track roads taking in the glorious scenery and stunningly beautiful high desert terrain of southeast Utah. We will explore hidden places, discover ancient rock formations, take in beautiful sunsets (and sunrises!), enjoy clean desert air, ride mind-boggling trails, and then end each day back in the bike crazy town of Moab to take in the night life, beer, and great food!

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is a proud member of the Grand Staircase-Escalante Partners in support of their commitment to education, stewardship and restoration of the full National Monument.

Best of Moab MTB Tour: Highlights

Best of 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 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.

2024 Tour Dates

• October 6 to 10, 2024 (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!

Best of Moab MTB Tour: Overview

Arrival Town/Airport: Grand Junction, Colorado (Grand Junction Regional Airport – GJT) or Moab, Utah

Departing Town/Airport: Grand Junction, Colorado (Grand Junction Regional Airport – GJT) or Moab, Utah

Tour Length: 4-Days Cycling/3-Nights Lodging -or- 5-Days Cycling/4-Nights Lodging

Ability Level: Tour routes range from Intermediate to Advanced to Challenging routes. We provide options for easier dual-track open desert and singletrack routes. Please inquire with your questions.

Tour Cost: 4-Days Cycling/3-Nights Lodging $1990 per person -or- 5-Days Cycling/4-Nights Lodging $2,190 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 or 5 days of guide service, all meals aside from 1 dinner, forest service fees, energy food, liquid refreshments, shuttles and mechanical support. Alcoholic beverages, bike rental and massage are additional.

Lodging for 3 or 4 Nights: (subject to change) NOTE: Private groups can adjust lodging.

• All Nights: Moab Valley Inn, Moab, UT (elevation 4,026 ft)

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.

Best of Moab MTB Tour: Trails and Routes

Since the Moab region is loaded with a ton of fantastic riding, the below is merely a small sample of the trails and routes that can be ridden. If you have enough riders for a custom tour (8 riders minimum or the paid equivalent), we can customize the rides and itinerary based on your group’s riding preferences as some trails are easy, some are longer in distance, some are more challenging, some can be very difficult… but all are a ton of fun!

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Amasa Back/Cliff Hanger Out & Back
18 miles/intermediate to advanced

This is a great out and back ride from downtown Moab along paved roads for the first 5 miles adjacent to the Colorado River and then a turn towards Amasa Back up a challenging climb to a fantastic view of Jackson Hole. We then return along the same route back to Moab. This is an ideal early morning ride leaving the afternoon open for another Moab area ride.

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Dead Horse Point Singletrack
19 miles/intermediate

Dead Horse Point is famous for it’s hundred mile views and riding the singletrack here offers some of the best riding in the entire region. We will shuttle from Moab to Dead Horse Point and then ride a meandering course of beautiful singletrack while admiring the views.

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Gemini Bridges to Bar M Trails
27 miles/intermediate

Another classic Moab ride! We take a short shuttle from Moab to the top of Gemini Bridges road to ride along dual track to a view point of Gemini Bridges, a natural rock formation of two adjacent natural bridges hence the “Gemini” or twins. The ride offers iconic views of the distant La Sal mountains to the east. We then drop down to ride along the Bar M Trails singletrack where we have options to ride just some or all of the trails. An optional ride back to downtown Moab from the Bar M Trails will add 10 miles to the day.

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Gemini Bridges to Gold Bar Rim to Golden Spike Safari
24 miles/intermediate to advanced

Don’t let the distance fool you – this is a challenging ride along some rugged Jeep trails, but it offers stunning views of Moab and Arches National Park. We shuttle to the top of Gemini Bridges road with a stop at Gemini Bridges, then from here drop down to ride Gold bar Rim and the Golden Spike Safari trails. The ride ends at the bottom of Poison Spider Mesa with an optional 10 mile ride back to Moab.

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Hurrah Pass Out & Back
30 miles/intermediate

This is an easier out and back ride from Moab along paved and unpaved roads to the top of Hurrah Pass which offers gorgeous views of Canyonlands and the oddly blue/green colored evaporation ponds of the distant potash mine. This is another iconic Moab area ride which would make for a great morning ride.

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Ken’s Lake to Moab via Steelbender
16-26 miles/intermediate

This is a hidden gem of a trail not many know about. We can either shuttle from downtown Moab to the ride start at Ken’s Lake, or ride there adding 10 miles to the route. From Ken’s Lake we ride up to the Steelbender trail passing Faux Falls, so named as they are man made to divert water from Mill Creek to Ken’s Lake, Moab’s main water supply reservoir. There are several crossings of Mill Creek on this route and if the water is high, it’s best to take off the shoes and socks to carry your bike across… which can be quite refreshing on a hot day! We then return to Moab, but not without stopping at Milt’s Stop & Eat for one of the best burgers you will ever have!

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Porcupine Rim Trail
30 miles/intermediate to advanced

This is perhaps one of the best rides anywhere offering some great riding with stunning views deep into Castle Valley. There are distance options for this route with pre- and/or post-ride shuttles, but the best way to ride this is to do the full 30 mile loop from downtown Moab and then back… it’s what the locals do! Riding up Sand Flats Road, we reach the trailhead for the Porcupine Rim Trail. It’s a faily technical route the entire way, but so worth it! After completing the tail, we ride back to Moab.

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Slickrock Trail
10-17 miles/intermediate to advanced

This is the most iconic Moab area trail of them all! We ride up to the Slickrock Trail from downtown Moab, because that’s what you are supposed to do! We will first play for a bit on the Slickrock practice loop which helps acclimate riders to what comes next – riding the big Slickrock loop. This is a super fun ride on super grippy petrified sand dunes and it’s not for the faint of heart! You will talk about riding on this trail for years.

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Sovereign Singletrack
17-27 miles/intermediate to advanced

This is a stretch of super twisty singletrack to the west of Arches National Park and it has quickly become one of the top trails in the Moab area. Offering a mix of dirt, open rock, ledges, and short climbs mixed with fantastic views, you will soon fall in love with this trail. There are options to ride an out and back on the Sovereign Singletrack, or add a loop around Cedar Mountain for a longer ride.

Best of 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.

Sample 5-Day Itinerary: Adjusted to suit rider’s ability

Below is a sample itinerary for a typical intermediate rider based 5-Day/4-Night Moab area mountain bike tour.

• Day 0 – Pre-Tour Arrival in Grand Junction:
  Guests arrive in Grand Junction, Colorado on the day before the tour starts and stay at the designated meeting hotel (not included in tour cost). If driving to the tour, your car can stay at the meeting hotel while we are on tour. Those flying can take the complimentary airport shuttle to the meeting hotel.

• Day 1 – Gemini Bridges to Bar M Trails (27 miles):
  We gather at the meeting hotel at 7:00 am to meet, greet, and load gear into the support vehicle. We then shuttle two hours from Grand Junction to the top of the Gemini Bridges trail near Moab, Utah. Here we onload, gear up, and discuss the day’s route. We then ride to Gemini Bridges to admire the double stone arch bridges and then continue riding along the Gemini Bridges trail to the Bar M Trails. After riding on the Bar M Trails, we then shuttle a short distance south to check into our lodging in Moab, Utah. There is an option to ride from the Bar M Trails to Moab for extra mileage.

• Day 2 – Dead Horse Point Singletrack (15-19 miles):
  From Moab we shuttle up to Dead Horse Point to ride the magnificent singletrack. The trails here loop around one another and we will ride a circuitous route taking in all the best views and singletrack. The mileage can vary based on how the trails are ridden. We then shuttle back to Moab. This ride is best done in the early morning to catch the rising sun or in the late afternoon to catch the setting sun, plus to avoid the heat of midday.

• Day 3 – Porcupine Rim Trail (15-30 miles):
  This can be a shuttled ride to the start of the trail and from the finish (15 miles), or it can be made into a large loop from downtown Moab and back via the Porcupine Rim Trail (30 miles). We recommomend the big loop as the pre-trail gradual climb up Sand Flats Road will prime your legs for the twisty descent down the Porcupine Rim Trail and the post-trail ride will help relax the legs afterwards.

• Day 4 – Slickrock Trail (10-17 miles):
  This is another trail that is better either in the early morning or later afternoon to avoid the heat of the day. It can also be ridden to from downtown, or we can shuttle there as well. For those unfamiliar on how to ride slickrock, there is a short practice loop that we recommend a few laps on for you to get the feel of how the tires grip the sandstone. The big slickrock loop might take longer than you expect as it is a challenging, but rewarding circuit. So take your time to find your lines and have fun!

• Day 5 – Sovereign Singletrack (17-27 miles):
  After breakfast we check out of the hotel, load the support vehicle and then shuttle a short distance to the start of the Sovereign Singletrack. This is a super fun, super twisty run of singletrack and there are options of between 17 to 27 miles, or even more. We end the ride at the Archview Campground where riders can shower while guides prepare a final lunch. Afterwards we shuttle back to Grand Junction, Colorado to end the tour.

Best of Moab MTB Tour: Logistics & FAQs

General Tour & Cancellation Policies

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with all of our tour and cancellation policies, which can be found by clicking here.

Travel Insurance

If you have not already, now would be a great time to consider adding travel insurance to your tour. You are welcome to use any travel insurance company you would like. We recommend Generali/Trip Mate.

Generally, if contracting COVID causes clients to cancel or interrupt their tour, trip insurance companies would treat it as any other illness as long as it is contracted after the insurance was purchased. Please check your individual plan documentation for details. Please note that quarantine is usually only covered if clients are actually sick with COVID. If a state requires quarantine upon arrival because of standardized state law, coverage is generally not covered. Again, check your individual plan documentation for details.

American Guests - use this link: http://www.generalitravelinsurance.com/get-a-quote.html?partner=LIZA0855

• The Premium Plan is the only plan which offers Pre-Existing coverage so long as the plan is purchased prior to Final Payment.
• The Premium Plan is the only plan that offers an optional Cancel For Any Reason - the policy must be purchased within 24 hours of initial trip deposit, the full trip cost must be insured, and if they cancel for Any Reason, it must be 48 hours prior to departure, and the reimbursement for an Any Reason claim is 60% of pre-paid, insured, non-refundable trip cost.
• Customer Service can be reached at 1-800-874-2442 for coverage questions and policy modifications or to purchase by phone. Agency Code: LIZA0855

Canadian Guests - use this link: https://tripmate.catravelins.ca/?utm_source=lizardhead