Sovereign Trail, Moab

(Sovereign Sunset)

Sovereign is Moab's singletrack trail system. It's mostly smooth and flowy but provides plenty of technical opportunities to make it a well rounded, fulfilling ride. It's perfectly situated on the way in/out of town so you if you're into making the most of your stay by cramming a couple rides/day, you can hit this one on the way in to town if you only have a couple of hours of light left OR on the way home. To top it off with, there's camping right next to the trailhead, enabling the ambitious to knock a ride out in the early morning before the rest of the camp is stirring or a perfect denouement for the day.The colors of the rock formartions and dirt (purple) with the La Sal mtns in the background is absolutely beautiful. 

Ride Type: Single Track through slick rock ravines and buttes.
Distance: 10.11 mi
Elevation Gain: 1020 ft
Time: 1.75-3 hrs
Season: Spring/Fall to avoid the extreme heat
Recommended Map: Moab West by Latitude 40 (includes Amasa Back, Poison Spider Mesa, Gemini Bridges, Hurrah Pass, Jackson's, Sovereign and many more) 

 

(scroll over map with cursor for full size image)

Getting There: Coming from Moab, turn right on Willowcreek rd. (14 miles north of Moab). Coming into town, once you pass the airport on the right, look for the Willowcreek sign (turn left). Take the dirt/sand rd. for about 2 miles to the trailhead. There are a couple of forks in the road on the way. Follow the  paddle markers labeled "Sovereign Trail". You'll know you're at the trailhead when you see a map stand and a small utility shack. From the parking lot, ride east on the fire road and turn left on the first double track (see map above for "First Left"). For this ride, follow the blue dots all the way to Link 4(L4). At this point you'll see a "downhill only suggestd" sign pointing straight/uphill. Go left and traverse to the trail with green dots. Follow the green dots for awhile. After a small descent, you'll come to Junction 6 (J6). Take the hard right and this will bring you back up on top and set you up for the downhill section which is short but quite nice. After this, retrace your steps by following the blue dots back to the car. Have fun!

Camping: After traveling 0.5 miles on Willowcreek rd, turn right. Primitive Campsites are located all over the place. There are no bathrooms. Make sure to bring a small shovel to bury your toiletry remains.


(La Sal Mtns in background)