Even though that's not one of the more gnarly trails, I would still take two vehicles. I went in with one in the mid '80's and tore apart my drive shaft and snapped my steering arm. Took 3.5 days to get the parts into the trail and had to drive out at midnight to get back to work. Took 2 vehicles the next time, and bent the tie rod on one. Then later did that whole road on a mountain bike with an overnight camp out (bad idea because of all the deep sand and high summer temperatures). Absolutely love that place, and now I want to go back there. Very nice video of one of the great trails/roads in the world.
Thanks for the comment! Man, those sound like some intense (and memorable) trips! I totally agree, two vehicles is always a better idea! Thankfully we had no issues on this occasion.
Thanks for sharing your adventure and refreshing my memories of Elephant Hill. We have run it 3 times in the past 12 yrs (but never in the rain) and enjoy it just as much every time. We hope to do it again soon in our JL but havent had the chance to get back to Moab the past 2 years. We love the Moab area and all the trails have been amazing. Poison Spider, Top of the World, Seven Mile Rim, etc always are beautiful and never boring..
Hey Mike, thank you for the comment! I agree, such a beautiful part of the country. I haven’t run Seven Mile Rim - will have to add that to the list! Take care 🤙🏼
Love this trail. Have done it more times than I can count and never get tired of it. First time was way back in 1979 in a Chevy Luv pickup. Most folks on here won't have any idea of what that is. The Taco would have made it okay. The last time I did it I followed a group in a Taco who were dong just fine. Great videography, editing and music. Loved the mix of the up-close technical parts and scenery.
Thanks for sharing Bruce! So cool to hear about some of your adventures - that old Chevy must have been fun to drive on this trail. Thanks for watching.
1978 was the year I discovered Elephant Hill and the next 25 years of vacation and just calling off sick at my job I averaged 3 weeks every year. I lived 5 hours away in Salt Lake. I was blessed to be able to see a lot of the Colorado Plateau. The first few years our group wouldn't see another camp or hiker for 2 or 3 days and not a bicycle to be seen. Very sad to see it being loved to death. In those 25 years I had just 1 vehicle a 76 CJ7 stock. Over the course of years I added power steering, 4 speed trans (T-18) and after 165,000 miles on my 256 6 cylinder to a small block chevy. After the bicycles I spent most of my time at Bears Ears. Watching the video gave me a rush. EARTH FIRST!
Great video of a trail that most of us can do. Its fun to watch the big cats tackle the crazy obstacles but it is for me no help on planning a trip to MOAB. I will definitely be watching more of your videos.
Love the video, adding this one to my list of trails this August. After doing the squeeze at Pinyon Mountain, I laughed at the devil’s pocket when you went through it 😂
I had the pleasure of enjoying the last few miles of this trail/road when i was hiking in canyonlands. Made a wing turn hiking ended up walking for two hours of the trail and these guys came up and offered me a ride. I.was like hell yeah! What a rush. Although i must admit i was white knuckled for a bit coming up a dropoff section. Great video, brings back memories.
Thanks for posting. That's one trail I haven't done yet. We did Hell's Revenge, Fins & Things, and Top of the World last time out. I don't own a Jeep yet, but I always rent from Twisted Jeep. They run Milestar tires. With the Rubicon lockers and these tires, I had zero issues on Top of the World climbing the ledges in a JKU. Can't wait to get back out there next spring (2022).
That’s awesome! Top of the world is such a great trail. I’ll have to keep twisted jeep in mind if I’m ever in Moab without mine, sounds like some well built rigs! Thanks for the comment 👊🏼
I have driven that route three times and backpacked it once, all terminating at the Confluence. I would do it again tomorrow with pleasure. It's just too fun. Just the right amount of each aspect of wheeling. The only thing missing is a grove of aspen trees, and that's another trail. Thanx for sharing, great video.
I was disappointed you didn't show the confluence. Such a great view. You did a great job showing the beauty of the area. Did you stop at newspaper rock? Thanks for sharing.
Just found your channel because of this video and love it. Actually doing my first trip out to moab in April 2021 and this "Road" not trail....lol has definitely been added. thanks for the great video.
Next week will be my first time to Moab too! This one is now a top priority!! Any other trails similar to this among your favorites that won’t Likely tear up the jeep?
@@chrisyoung9070 that’s awesome man! Check out Shafer Trail and White Rim Trail both in the Canyonlands area. Up in central Moab there are so many great trails...for easy and iconic check out Fins N Things and Hells Revenge. Have a great time!
@@4XTRAIL We hit a few. Poison Spider, Golden Spike and Kanes Creek were my faves. Though Hells Revenge is always a great trail for the slick rock aspect.
I need to hit Kane’s Creek next time out! Haven’t run that one. Gold Bar Rim / Golden Spike was something else 😅 made for a full day when we combined them w/Poison Spider. Now I’m really missing Moab!
@@4XTRAIL Yep we ran em all together. Kanes Creek is cool as you spend alot of the time in water, creeks and canopy of brush and trees. Hamburger Hill is the tricky spot, but theres a winch anchor to help make it over. Youll love it, Im sure. 👍
So the best thing about Canyonlands and or the trails around Moab is almost magical they are so beautiful, I've spent many years going to those places including this Elephant hill trail, very fun, we did thus trail the 1st time in an 85 3/4 Chevy truck with 8ft bed, not a scuff on the body, imagine how close that is to the walls on the canyon part, the tires rubbed on both sides and both mirrors were pulled in, my pint is the Rangers were probably being a bit conservative on the vehicles that can make this trail.
So cool to hear about your adventures here. I agree, we definitely played it safe that day - I think the Tacoma would have done just fine. Thanks for sharing!
All I can say is WOW , WOW AND WOW! I'm headed to Moab from Ontario , Canada in April if the boarders keep up the way they are . I have wanted to go to Moab for a very long time ! This video is stunning bro .... I hope to get some great video of this trip ..
Any issues with departure angle? From what I remember there weren’t many ledges you have to drive off of so I’m guessing not. Sounds like a great way to spend Thanksgiving weekend! Thanks for the comment!
@@4XTRAIL No issues. My lift + 37's prevent most issues. My rear receiver shackle takes the brunt of any rear-end impacts. Toughest part was "the parking lot", because on the return, two folks chickened out and parked there and you have to turn around to make the last descent.. that made it quite interesting to have 1x Colorado and 1x Jeep just sitting there.. I think the wife and I (she 2019 JLU, me 2020 JT) will likely hit this again mid-to-late March.. Its good being a local Utahn..:)
@@UTBruteForce That’s good to know, I bet my buddy could have taken his Taco after all. Next time (hopefully)! And definitely jealous of your home state! What a beautiful part of the country. Also - sounds like a great JT build you have. All the best! 🤙🏼
One of my favorite trails as well. The section where you have to backup and down the hill adds to the fun. The only traction issue I had was at the same spot in your video.
@@4XTRAIL brake pads.. you need to swap them out for a 5 sp.. you slide down a hill....you die...4.88 5 sp. granny first. .. i have a s/duty. 4.2tdi. brazilian,in australia. 4.11 gears,1356 transfer,35,s. zf 5sp,, i drive down all hills. even 70 degree...auto,s kill. my bronco is auto,4.11, 35,s. i turn the idle down to nothing. but still have to accelarate & brake,same time,down hill,its called brake modulation.. try it.. keeps the converter,,converting... ..diesel,manual,2 diffs. gospel..
@@phantomwalker8251 Not sure I’m following you here…I’ve upgraded pads and have no issues in 4Lo w/4:88s. I’ve done Black Bear pass twice, etc. Appreciate the concern! Brakes are certainly important, especially with larger tires. Planning for a complete caliper/rotor upgrade soon!
In 1980 I took my girlfriend camping in devil’s kitchen 1972 chevy C10 swb (2nd)!!! Started snowing on Christmas Eve We had to do the backside of elephant hill in a 2x in snow at dusk! I’m not lying!
Sounds like a great trip! Yeah, Ouray/Telluride and Moab in the same trip is the way to go for out of state folks like us. They are so close together by highway or take the Rimrocker from Montrose to Moab and do the whole thing on dirt!
I know im randomly asking but does any of you know a tool to get back into an Instagram account?? I was dumb forgot my password. I would appreciate any tips you can offer me.
@Zaire Cameron i really appreciate your reply. I found the site on google and im trying it out now. Takes a while so I will reply here later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
Thanks for sharing. Have you ever driven in the Mill Canyon area? This looks a lot like it. Will add to the list. I hope you have done Chicken Corners and Long Canyon.
Amazing scenery. Also, because of all of your older videos I knew exactly what you were doing just before you hit the trail! I’m pretty much an expert overlander at this point. 😂
Great job - thoroughly enjoyed the whole video - Wondering about the trail rating - rated "Difficult" but looks like stock JL could navigate with little issues
Thanks for the comment, Charlie! I think you may drag here and there with a stock height JL. Wether you would high center and get stuck is hard to say but there are a few sections where I would recommend having a small lift and 35s. That being said, if it’s a Rubicon and you’ve got a winch or another vehicle with you to assist and have good tire placement, you may be fine. Would love to hear if you give it a try! You can also check out the trail reviews on www.trailsoffroad.com to see what types of vehicles others have taken on the trail.
My favorite trip... Instead of continuing around to silver staircase go towards the park exit. Stop and hike joint trail. Then exit and camp just outside the park. Continue home through bobbies hole and check out the ruins along the way.
Thanks Dennis - just took a rough measurement and came up with 76" wide from outside of tire to outside of tire. The narrow squeeze section of Elephant Hill was definitely close to the same width as my Jeep!
Nicely done video! Some of the better off-road videography I have seen lately. What are you using for editing software for your video? Appears you are using at least one Go-Pro?
Appreciate the comment Joe! Back when I shot this particular video I was using almost exclusively my iPhone 11 - I now primarily use a GoPro Hero9. For editing I use iMovie on a MacBook Pro M1. Currently looking for a decent DSLR to use for static 4K video and plan to continue using the GoPro for anything dynamic.
That’s a tough one - maybe check out trailsoffroad.com and read some reviews of others who have done the trail. Here are my thoughts: I think chances are you will make it fine - especially if it’s a Rubi (lockers). You will get a few bumps and scrapes along the way - mainly undercarriage. Make sure you have a winch or a second vehicle to help if you get hung up since the tow fee is very high. Good driver + spotter definitely makes a huge difference.
I’m running a different tire/wheel setup now than in this video but my Jeep is roughly 76” wide which is about the width of devils pocket. I could hear my tire sidewalls squeaking on the stone walls.
Good question. We did a little exploring down an offshoot from the main trail but otherwise stayed on the primary loop which is well marked and easy to follow. There’s definitely some optional routes that would be fun to explore if you have more time.
I found that odd as well. I’m guessing it’s for erosion? They actually made it more difficult because the rain made them more slick than the slick rock. Lol
@@4XTRAIL Thank you for the reply. Maybe we'll meet out on the trails someday. If you see some old guy in a CJ5 that looks like he doesn't know what he's doing.....that'd be me.
Fun video. It's cool you were able to spend the day with dad and son. Think we could do this in our Grand Cherokee? We did Fins N Things and Hells Revenge with it, is it harder than those you think?
Hey thanks for the comment! Elephant Hill Road/Trail is a number or two higher on the rating scale than Fins n Things with taller ledges and obstacles. Clearance will be your main issue. Not sure how much lift you’re running and what size tire but I’d say a few inches of lift and at least 35s to make it through Elephant Hill. Really fun and beautiful trail but very costly to get recovered from so make sure you have a winch or another vehicle with you!
@@4XTRAIL I had a feeling it was a little harder. I have 2 inches, which is about max for the Grand Cherokee unfortunately, and almost 32" tires. I agree that clearance would be an issue. We are thinking about the white rim trail and then Rimrocker to Colorado so it will be a great time regardless. Just thinking of something else we may be able to do while there. Thanks for the info. I have a feeling we will be running solo so definitely don't want to take any chances.
No - while portions of the trail could be done in a stock sport Wrangler, other sections would be very difficult or impossible. I would recommend a minimum of 2.5” lift and 33s + a winch and full recovery gear or a second vehicle. Tow out fees start around $2k so you want to err on the safe side. For reference I’m running 3.5” lift and 37s in this video. Hope that helps!
Trailsoffroad.com is a great resource for this. The only one I have run that requires an actual trail permit is Elephant Hill and I was able to acquire one through the Canyonlands National Park website! Hope that helps.
@@4XTRAIL I did it for the first time as a very inexperienced trail driver with a TJ on 31's and a 3" lift. I did have lockers though and I used them. Last October I saw a stock Nissan Xterra at the Joint Trail head parking area so it made it though SOB hill. It had no body damage. I was surprised. Believe it or not there is a youtube video of some guys in a stock VW Touareg! Great video. It is my favorite trail too. I hope to be back there this October.
It’s worth all the highway miles to get out there. Some beautiful scenery and amazing trails to explore! I know some folks fly out and rent built Jeeps instead of driving their own. That’s not my preferred way but it definitely saves some extra time on the road.
Great videos man! I’m hoping to get out to Moab in the next few years. It’s a long haul from Michigan. I was wondering how you chose camping spots every night? Can you just camp anywhere?
Thanks! It is a haul but you will love it. As for camping - in Moab there are mostly designated camp sites but there are enough of them that you can usually find one the day of. I’d definitely recommend hitting up southwestern CO while you’re out there too! Camping in the Ouray/Telluride area is more dispersed so lots of options. One of my favorite trails to camp off of is Poughkeepsie Gulch near the Engineer Pass intersection. Also check out Porphyry Gulch. I like having a general plan of where we’re staying each night but also leave room for spontaneity. So much beauty out in CO/UT!
@@4XTRAIL right on. Thanks for the info. Will probably do two separate trips unless my wife can get two weeks off work. The Colorado trails look much milder and more picturesque so we’ll probably do that one first.
@@TrailExpedition Two weeks would be ideal but I’ve typically done both in about 10 days. This last trip we spent around 3 days in Ouray, a couple of days on the Rimrocker Trail over to Moab and a couple of days in Moab itself. When you count a days travel there and back it ends up being about a 10 day trip. The more time the better obviously but even a week out there will be totally worth it! trailsoffroad.com is a great resource for scoping out trails. Take care!
@@4XTRAIL yeah more of a two day trip there and back from Michigan as it’s over twenty hours each way. I’ll make the trip soon hopefully! Your Rimrocker trail video was great as well. I watched them all.
Want a great video. Really enjoyed. I’m headed out there in a couple months. Do you have lockers? Do you need lockers? I’ll be in a ‘17 JK. 3” lift on 35’s. Would appreciate any advice/hints. By the way will be there for three weeks. Gonna earn every badge the girl can muster.
Hey John, thanks for the comment! I don’t have lockers and you shouldn’t need them for Elephant Hill. I have a helical diff in the rear which does act as a locker of sorts and it definitely helps - but with the lift and tires you have you should be fine. Obviously disconnecting your sway bar and airing down are a must! You’ll have such a blast out there. Three weeks is a terrific amount of time too. If you get worn out in Moab I highly recommend Ouray, Silverton and Telluride areas in southwestern CO. The Rimrocker Trail connects Moab to Montrose CO and takes a couple of days to complete. Fun way to get between the two states if you like remote primitive camping. Would love to hear how the trip goes!
@@toddt14 Same! 👊🏼 Moonlight Racing in Sullivan has some decent trails. I’ve heard Pruitt Mtn near Farmington is good but haven’t been yet. Have you tried either of those?
@@4XTRAIL yes, i've been to moonlight but didn't really care for it for whatever reason. i like smorr down in seymour, mo. Much bigger place and wide variety of trails.
@@toddt14 Yeah, I’ve only been to smorr once and wasn’t as impressed as I hoped I’d be. It’s a subjective thing! It’s also tough finding “good” Midwest spots once you’ve been out west LOL. I’m hoping to hit up Arkansas and Tennessee in the near future. I hear there’s some nice trails down that way.
Haha that’s observant and a good question! There was a lot of sand and mud flung onto the Jeep so the “clean stripe” is from me dumping my water bottle on the outside my window and side view mirror to try and see out. I ended up just rolling my window down LOL
Yep, no lockers here 🤙🏼 You do have to make an online reservation as there are only a handful of vehicles allowed in per day. The reservation is free but there is a cost to enter the Canyonlands National Park...maybe $20? I can’t recall exactly. Totally worth it!
Dude NICE! Mine has been an evolution but currently on 3.5 JKS coils w/Teraflex 9550 shocks and Alpine IR mid arms. If you’re planning to do lift/tires you may find this video helpful: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-HOn01NJ85C8.html also check out TrailRecon’s channel if you haven’t already! He drives a diesel Rubi as well!
I’ve ridden ATVs quite a bit in the past and generally the reasoning behind certain trails being off-limits was to preserve the terrain. I think it’s just a lot easier for ATVs/UTVs to power slide, rooster tail and generally drive more recklessly than a road vehicle would. Not sure if that’s the reasoning for Elephant Hill or not?? Also maybe to keep the crowds down. There is a daily limit of how many vehicles can run this trail.
@@4XTRAIL greetings from the Great Nortwest! 5th generation North Idaho. Outstanding Video. I used to live in Durango, and hit Moab quite a few times. I had to get back home. Nothing like the Nortwest.
It was, yes. Reserved it online through the Canyonlands website. As I recall, you have to reserve a day early for the day pass and a couple of days early for an overnight pass.
Good question! There’s actually two schools of thought on this: 1. being the Rubi is better equipped out of the box for moderate trail use than a sport or Sahara (this is true!) 2. being that if you plan to upgrade to larger tires (37 +) and do more extreme trails regularly you’ll need to upgrade everything anyway - and in that case - the Rubicon is a waste because you pay more for a few added components that will need to be replaced regardless. For me, I didn’t actually know much about Jeeps when I first bought mine - if I had known what I know now I would have gotten a Rubicon for the stronger front axle alone. Hope that helps clarify a little!
@@4XTRAIL it does, thanks for the friendly reply. I think think the front locker alone, would have been enough a reason. I guess most people rarely use them anyway, though.
@@Frissdas1207 A front locker is great for sure. I’ve heard mixed reviews on the stock e-locker. I think for most wheeling it would hold up fine! Thanks for the comments!
Haha yeah, I remember passing a crossover on Ophir pass and thinking “I wonder why this is a badge of honor trail?” I’ve done quite a few badge of honor trails since this video and some are harder than others but most of the trails I’ve done (including the most challenging ones) aren’t badge of honor trails.
