Coyote Canyon, Moab, Utah 2012

Story Rich Walker,   Photos Kelly Walker

It seems like so long ago now, but back in 2006 was the first time we heard about a new trail called Coyote Canyon. Needless to say we were quite excited to run this new trail and it was so much fun we made it a staple on our annual Moab trips. Unlike most of the “slickrock” trails in Moab, Coyote Canyon is a short loop that goes up one side of a canyon and down the other. With numerous optional lines, even the most seasoned rock crawlers can find themselves challenged in more ways than one.

Fast forward to the recent years with the ongoing land use battles, and you will see Coyote Canyon on the closed list. All the 4x4 forums were full of discussions and online petitions to do everything in our power to keep our access to this trail open. As with most land use issues, the fight wasn’t going well and hope was dissipating.

A few months ago, Kelly and I were busy planning our Moab adventure and sorting through some trail options. While searching all my favorite 4x4 sites for info I stumbled upon a topic on the Area BFE forum (it’s a sub forum on the Rocky Mountain Extreme site) titled “Coyote Canyon Status?”.  After a couple hours of reading my hope of running this trail again had been re-kindled.

We spent a few days doing more reading and research to see what we needed to do to help in any way, shape or form. Turns out, there was a “test program” recently implemented to give access to full size 4x4’s (no quads, RZR’s, dirt bikes, etc) to run Coyote Canyon. The trail was only to be run on Friday and Saturday with a maximum of 7 vehicles per day and within the times of 9am and 5pm. You are also required to have current insurance on your vehicle or buy an OHV pass if you have a buggy or truggy.

From here, getting our permission to run the trail was all Kelly’s doing. She spent hours upon hours on the internet and phone making sure everything was double and triple checked. The program was so new that all the necessary information was not yet published. It was so new in fact, that the visitor centre in Moab didn’t know the proper steps to get everything done correctly. It was truly a learning experience for everyone.

In the end, we were given the code to the gate for a Saturday wheelin’ day, the final day of our trip! I am not sure if this is 100% accurate, but from what I understand we were only the second group to be given access since it was closed.

We arrived at the trail head to a beautiful new sign outlining all the rules and regulations with a nice map of the area. The excitement kicked in and we wasted no time unlocking the gate and heading in (locking the gate behind us of course). It was very cool to witness how well marked, signed and fenced the entire trail was. It felt like we were actually a part of something positive and helping with a move in the right direction for our side of land use.

It took the four rigs in our group about 3 hours to run the trail. We took our time and enjoyed every moment out there hitting all the optional lines and routes. The trail was in fantastic shape and I don’t think we found even one piece of garbage or litter. The only issue we had was my electric fan had stopped working. Some quick and creative re-wiring and we were back on track. We even stopped near the end of the trail for what we like to call “trail freezies”. Nothing says Canadians on the trail like some frozen treats!

Moab is a small town that is very dependent on tourism from wheelers, hikers, mountain bikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts. Right from day one of the trail being closed, many people joined the fight to keep access open. If it works, this test program at Coyote Canyon could be the perfect model to keep disputed trails open and to re-open closed trails. It just goes to show you that all hope isn’t lost when lands get shut down (in your area). Join the fight and you might be surprised at what can happen.