All activities / Overlanding / Expedition Driving / Moab
Overlanding / Expedition Driving in MoabUS
The global capital of technical 4WD terrain, and gateway to the White Rim Trail: a 100-mile sandstone loop through Canyonlands, driven self-supported over two to three days.
Why here
Moab is where the world learns to drive rock, and the White Rim Trail is the graduation: a 100-mile sandstone loop below the Island in the Sky mesa, driven self-supported over two to three days with permit-capped campsites keeping it wild. What no other 4WD destination offers is the pipeline: take a training course from Nena Barlow, an International 4WD Trainer Association master trainer, rent an expedition-prepped Jeep from the same outfit, and run the White Rim yourself the same week. Learn-then-do at this quality exists almost nowhere else in vehicle-based travel, and the slickrock playground around town lets you build skills before committing to the canyon.
Best months
April-May and September-October are the seasons; summer is dangerously hot and winter brings closures and mud. Canyonlands requires day and overnight permits for the White Rim; there is no water on the route, and high clearance 4x4 is mandatory.
Getting there & around
Fly to Moab (CNY) via Denver or Salt Lake City, or drive from Grand Junction (GJT). Book training, rentals, and White Rim permits one to three months ahead for the spring and fall windows.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced
Schools & guides (2)
Barlow Adventures
SchoolLed by International 4WD Trainer Association master trainer Nena Barlow: multi-day 4WD training courses, guided expeditions, and expedition-prepped Jeep rentals in Moab.
Moab Adventure Center
OutfitterGuided 4x4 tours and trail support across Moab's slickrock and canyon country.