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MTB TRAIL STATS

Avg Rating:	25 trail reviews
Status: Open updated 5/7/09 by david_darling Closed Open Wet / Sketchy	Difficulty: Advanced
Length: 15 miles	Global Rank: 5
Tread: Other	Configuration: Loop
Ridden: 236	Wishlist: 75
Avg. Speed: 6.66 mph	Avg. Time: 3hr 21min

 

Slickrock in Moab

 

Bartlett Wash in Moab

 

Wasatch Crest in Salt Lake City

 

Sovereign Single Track in Moab

 

  
reviewed by GJ_Jackie on October 5, 2009

UPS and LPS are officially legal, and what a riot! They are also part of the Whole Enchilada but the upper section of that ride is pretty much closed for the year now. If you shuttle up Sand Flats Road to Porcupine Rim Trailhead, it's well worth the extra 1/2 hr to keep driving up to the LaSal Loop Road (Kokopelli Trail). UPS and LPS are sweet singletrack with a wide variety of terrain and massive cliff views into Castle Valley and up to the LaSals. LPS drops you out right at the first Porcupine Rim viewspot. Combine UPS, LPS and Porcupine Rim for LONG ride all the way to the river. Epic. Give yourself all day to complete and LOTS of water.

Similar Trail: Not another like this one! Shorter awesome rides include Porcupine Rim, Amasa Back and Flat Pass.

  
reviewed by JRAbraham34 on September 30, 2009

The most intense trail I've done... and I was silly enough to do it on a hard tail. Great scenery, incredible downhill!

  
reviewed by heatherfeather on September 14, 2009

Did the trail for the first time in Sept 2009. It did not disappoint. Every 1000 feet we dropped in altitude was like riding an entirely different type of terrain. The ride was everything we could have asked for - all types of terrain, lots of different lines and you could make it a technical as you wanted or as insanely fast as you could manage.

Similar Trail: We rode Slickrock the day before and this too would be high on my list!

  
reviewed by uniuniuni on July 21, 2009

Porcupine Rim is by far the most EPIC trail i've ever unicycled. i attended the moab mountain unicycling festival this march, and was blown away by the caliber and finesse this trail had to offer. i walked away feeling like a champion, and so should you... wear those pads!

  
reviewed by david_darling on May 7, 2009

A desert classic! Must do. Not for everyone due to rider ability. A tough demanding trail that can bite you at any time. Awesome views and a ripfest downhill.

Similar Trail: Amasa Back

  
reviewed by maddslacker on April 26, 2009

If you start from the normal, shuttle trailhead, the 3 mile climb is not that bad. And I am NOT a good climber. Also don't forget to catch some air for the photographer on the berm by the road!

  
reviewed by stillfat on December 1, 2008

I've ridden this trail once in a blue moon for about 15 years and it's always epic, always special - one of my top 5 favorites of all-time. It's everything everyone says it is and then some - to give less than 5 stars is heresy. Start and end in town, skip the shuttle. It's not as bad as you might be led to believe and the 3.2 Utah beers go down a bit easier when you're done.

Similar Trail: Something in the desert with many miles, crazy scenery and technical madness.

  
reviewed by wrightwoodfilms on August 26, 2008

amazing

  
reviewed by NoTrace on April 19, 2008

Of all the trails I've ridden in the US, this is my favorite. After the climb and a pause at the top, it's a mtb'ers dream ride back down with flowing singletrack, optional jumps and spectacular views. Watch the edge.

  
reviewed by lostcause on January 22, 2008

Finally got to do this ride. We started at 8000 ft. in the aspen groves of the La Sal Mountains rode UPS and LPS over 30 miles in all! It’s a fairly brutal ride A little overrated but a great ride. Take the Poison Spider Shuttle to the top for a few extra bucks it’s worth it.

  
reviewed by Siberian on October 9, 2007

I can't really add much to this trail other than to recommend paying the extra $5 to have Moab Cyclery drive you the extra few miles up the rim so that you start the trail going downhill. This takes out the 3 mile climb you get with the "normal" Porcupine Rim loop. Awesome trail, and next time we are going to go even further up on the shuttle.

  
reviewed by skibum on October 8, 2007

This is possibly the best ride in the world. The stiff, technical, three mile climb to the rim is awesome. Once on top of the ridge, you're treated to some of the best scenery Moab has to offer. Top it all off with the best singletrack descent you'll ever see. I could do this one a gazillion times and never tire of it. 5 stars is not enough--there are no words to prepare you for the sheer brilliance of this ride!

  
reviewed by BobinConifer on September 5, 2007

Porcupine Rim is just a perfect ride with lots of everything that is good in the world. I rode this most recently in Late May 07 with some pro riders that were kind enough to wait for me and I had an awesome experience. We actually started on the upper Porcupine entrance which is a VERY LONG SHUTTLE RIDE in the Coyote Express military troop transport that looks like some sort of overgrown escaped science project. The ride up the shuttle with 18 other riders was an experience in itself as everyone on the right side of the bus (troop transport) would shriek and pray every time the bus got close to the edge of the cliff for two hours the view kept our adrenaline pumping. After we all regained our senses near the top of Lasalle Pass we started the epic downhill sigletrack that may or may not be open to the public anymore. This is an awe inspiring ride that was clearly made simply for mountain biking enjoyment and no other reason. I got the feeling several times that I might have been trespassing as I helped or watched our leader move no fewer than 20 log barriers that had apparently just been installed the night before. But he assured us all that he had a permit... What came next was an awesome tightly wound single-track through the scrub on the cliffs edge above the typical half-way point and photo opp on the normal Porcupine Route. Packed with tight lines, super steep descents and some moderate drops. Upper Porcupine is awesome! Then just about when I though I couldn't descend anymore we hit the lower Purcupine and got onto the wide open blistering fast porcupine descent. Super fast and furious! Big air, spinning out in our big rings, and riding in a big group made this super epic experience. We had a bunch of snake bitten tires which suited me just fine so I could let my triceps rest as various riders replaced their tubes. Once while waiting for a tire changer i actually saw a very rare "shirtless biker" who we all quietly made fun of-- then watched him ride off a 30" drop without even slowing down or looking back to see if we noticed! There are some crazy technical sections with giant drops and gap jumps but all of it is optional with easy ride-arounds. Likewise, a little bit of exposure near the very bottom but it's all good as long as you're going fast enough to have to concentrate on the trail and not the consequences!

  
reviewed by raleighman91 on July 24, 2007

Sweet trail love it cant beat it

  
reviewed by RideorDie on June 6, 2007

Best trail I have ever ridden! This trail made me a better rider because you get going so fast on the DH that you don't have time to not negotiate technical drops, turns, obstacles etc, you just take it! This is a great trail to see what youíre bike can do. I have decided to make it one of my pilgrimages each year.

  
reviewed by Lancefan on April 29, 2007

This was an amzing trail. I was only able to ride some of it because some people inour group weren't ready for the down hill. We went to where the trail turns away from the rim. The climb was fun and techy, great to test your skills on. The downhill, even though it wasn't the official downhill, it was great, alot of fun and all of the clifs were fun to hop.

  
reviewed by dauw on March 15, 2007

Simply a great downhill with good opportunities for drops, etc. with views to boot. Good variety!

  
reviewed by sandm96 on September 19, 2006

I rode this trail during a road trip while living in Montana. Camped in the campground in moab which has the dirt road leading to the main climb for Porcupine rim. We rode Poison spider the first day, Porcupine rim the second day and Slick rock the third day then we went to Durango (was a nice road trip). This was in April of 1995. I was on a hard tail of course with a total of 2 inches fron suspension, but even then, It was the best trail I've ever ridden and still, I think it is the best trail I've ever ridden. We made it an epic. Left the camp ground on our bikes that morning, and made a 30 something mile loop of it with the last few miles on the road, mostly uphill back to the tent. I think I better go dig up my old photos, yes we took a few pictures. The view from the top was sweet, actually the scenery thruogout the ride was awesome. I can't wait to go take my wife and kids out there and let them ride (my sons have a few more years before they could handle the likes).

Similar Trail: Poison Spider, Some Loop we rode in Big Sky that went from "the Canyon", up to Andesite mt and the back down into "the meadow, i forget the name of the trail(s), much of it might not even exist due to the growth around there.

  
reviewed by odogtriever on May 11, 2006

If you like fast technical downhills, look no further!!! I don't think I will ever ride another trail like this. Awesome scenery, fantastic terrain, and the last 3 miles send you into sensory overload. I LOVE this trail. If I were stranded on a island with only one trail to ride, THIS WOULD BE THE ONE!!! Can I rate it higher than 10?

Similar Trail: Not much else compares.

  
reviewed by gab26 on April 2, 2006

First time I rode this trail was on a hardtail and I paid for it. I went back and rode it again. This is a great ride one of the best around Moab but do it off season to avoid the crowds. The downhill is phenomenal just keep your eyes on the trail and not the bottom of the canyon next to it.

  
reviewed by bonkedagain on November 23, 2005

This is the #1 must-ride in Moab. Fantastic views; fun downhill that you wish would go on forever. I recommend that you be pretty comfortable doing singletrack before taking it on. I have seen all skill levels on this trail, and I have seen a lot of people get hurt. You can come around some high speed turns only to be presented with a rock garden with drop-offs, so keep your eyes open. And yes, there are some cliff areas in the lower section that make it wise to pay attention. Unless you like to do miles of grunting uphill take a shuttle. If you don't have the cars to do it yourself, or don't like the hassle, look into the local shuttles. They typically pick up at the major bike shops in town once an hour in the morning. Ask the shops for details. If you do your own shuttle don't forget to bring your receipt from the gate on your ride down so that you don't have to pay again bringing the other car up to the top.

  
reviewed by epoderom on July 16, 2005

One of the big three in Moab I would recommend, the other two being Slick Rock and Poison Spider

  
reviewed by woodiebikes777 on May 3, 2005

sick trail, just totally sick

  
reviewed by Pedro_Carvalho on December 23, 2004

A great trail with a long climb starting from downtown Moab and some great views of the Colorado river. Some sections are rough - better on a full suspension bike.

  
reviewed by BarDev on September 7, 2004

Porcupine Rim is by far the best trail I have ever ridden. We had 2 cars. We parked one car at the public park in town and used the other car to shuttle people to the trail head. This trail starts with a 4 mile climb that has some challenging areas, but nothing to impossible. The Jeeps, Hummers, and Toyotas got in the way on the uphill climb and we had to pass them, but never did see them again. The down hill is the best. There are usually multiple lines through technical sections, so you should be able to pick the line that meets your skill level, even if it means you need to dismount. We hade 6 people in our group and many of them had to dismount to make many of the technical sections. I saw everyone from the beginner to the pro on this trail. As long as you take you time you should be able to make. I did notice a group of people with no water or helmets, which were the beginners, I donít recommend this. Make sure you drink plenty of water, I cramped-up very badly on the road back to Moab. Also make sure you wear a helmet, one of the individuals in our group cracked a rib. The last few miles is through j*** a** canyon, this is a place where you do not want to mess up. With 100 foot drop-offs you can die easily if you do not stay on the trail. This is a very technical trail and at 14 miles from trail head to road it isnít short. I donít know how fun this will be for a beginner since they will need to dismount many times and may need to escort the bike up hill. Klondike Bluffs is a great trail for beginners.

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