A Progression for Off-Road Enthusiasts: Canyonlands National Park’s Elephant Hill Off-Road Trail
(All the pics are authorized by Delia and Enoch. So much thanks to @moleisurexventures for sharing such great off-roading experience with us! )
Welcome back to AUXITO's new column---the Special Off-Road Column! Last month we invited Scott to share his off-road and and Mustang Island State Park camping trip! (Click here to read it if you're interested.)
Off-roading can be a solitary experience for one person or a festive carnival for a group of people. This month we invited a off-road couple --- Delia and Enoch to share with us the wonderful Elephant Hill off-road story. They are adventurous, and off-roading is just a more efficient way they can explore nature.
Since Elephant Hill is one of the most technical 4WD roads in Utah, it offers drivers and mountain bikers alike steep grades, loose rocks, stepped drop-offs, sharp turns and tricky reverses. Therefore, experienced riders are strongly advised to go off-road during the day with a driving license as it is safer! Will you be brave trail folks?😎
Now let's welcome Delia and Enoch enjoy their Elephant Hill off-road trip!🥳🥳
The Like-Minded Off-Road Journey for Delia and Enoch
AUXITO: Hey! Keeping you waiting! May I have your name?😊
Delia and Enoch: We are Delia and Enoch and we are a couple off-road!
AUXITO: Hi! Delia and Enoch! Nice to meet you! Could you tell us a bit more about yourselves? What made you decide to go off-road?
Delia and Enoch: We are on a goal to visit all of the national parks in the USA. We try not to take highways and like to explore gravel roads. It’s all about the journey not the destination. And we like the challenge of off-roading.We drive and live in our 2009 Nissan Xterra 6 speed manual transmission. At the same time, because we are a husband and wife partner, we can deal with any problems in off-roading together.🏕
AUXITO: SO COOL!🥰 Cross-country activities are the most direct way to embrace nature! You seem to have a lot of off-road experiences and a love of discovering new things! So, what keeps you going off-road?
Delia and Enoch: Meeting like-minded people. The challenge. The adrenaline and thrill. There’s so much of the world to explore and a lot of it is areas that aren’t accessible by everyone. So we built a vehicle to allow us to go anywhere. Off-roading in a group is even better because of the support of the people. We have met a lot of new friends from offroading. Therefore, cross-country travel allows us to be satisfied in exploration.
Elephant Hill in Canyonlands National Park——A trail full of exciting off-road adventure progression
AUXITO: Awesome! It will be very convenient for you to travel far away! Of the many off-road activities, do you have a favorite off-road trail? Can you tell us about it?
Delia and Enoch: I don’t think we can pick just one trail. We love offroading in Moab, UT. It’s like an off-roader's paradise. One of our favorite trails is Elephant Hill in Canyonlands National Park.
AUXITO: Yes, as an experienced off-roader, there must be many recommended off-road routes. So why is this one your favorite?
Delia and Enoch: Elephant Hill is a loop that is full of history. It has intense climbs, a desert section where you can go fast, a tight narrow section, and stops to see petroglyphs and the confluence of the Colorado and Red Rivers. It’s a trail full of excitement.
AUXITO: So can you tell us more about its geography?
Delia and Enoch: Elephant Hill is an around 6.4-mile out-and-back trail inside Canyonlands National Park. When you get to the trail, there’s no way to go but up. It’s a switchback road where one side is a wall and the other side is a cliff drop. Great views but can be scary. There are a few rocky obstacles along the way. You definitely need 4x4 to do this trail. You will climb in 4 lows for a low of the sections.
There is a flat section where you can take a break from going slow and speed up just need to be aware of whoops.
AUXITO: Very exciting journey! So apart from this characteristic of Elephant Hill, what else attracts you?🧐
Delia and Enoch: There's a lot of history inside the park. You’ll go through a couple of more cliff-ledge roads with obstacles before getting to the top with a view of Canyonland's beautiful scenery. There’s is a narrow section that can scrape your vehicle if you’re too wide. There is also a hike to the green and Colorado river confluence overlook. Before going back down you need to go up a steep obstacle with a dip. But after that, it’s a smooth switchback road down to complete the trail!!!
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AUXITO: The geographical location of Elephant Hill is really a great place for progressive off-roading! Is now a good season to have off-road activities on Elephant Hill Road?
Delia and Enoch: Spring and fall times are the best time to go. You don’t want to go during the rainy season because the rocks are slick when wet and the area can have flash floods. Summer is ok to go to but it is the desert and can be very hot. Therefore, you need to prepare enough water in advance.
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AUXITO: Just in the spring, many people started new off-road routes! Would you recommend this route for off-roading beginners?
Delia and Enoch: This is more of an intermediate trail. There are some obstacles that require the driver to be very familiar with the vehicle and what it can handle. So it actually requires you to be relatively experienced off-road.
Must-Haves for Off-Roading --- Skid Plates, Rescue Equipment & Lights
AUXITO: In this way, if we want to traverse Elephant Hill, we must have a lot of necessary equipment! In your opinion, are there any mods or accessories that everyone must have when going off-road on this trail?🏎
Delia and Enoch: The vehicle should be 4x4 with 4 low. We suggest having a lift and upgraded suspension. Some armor like skid plates and rock sliders are good to protect the underside of the vehicle. All-terrain or mud terrain tires are helpful as well. To go back for necessary accessories, it is recommended to have recovery gear like a shovel, traction boards, and either a winch or recovery ropes.
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AUXITO: True! the underbody of your vehicle can easily be damaged by rocks hitting it off-road! In addition, lights are also very important for off-roading! How important is good lighting for off-roading? Are there any suggestions for a light setup for a trail rider?🌟⭐
Delia and Enoch: Of course! We changed all of our exterior and interview lights to Auxito LEDs for a brighter longer lasting light source. We also have ditch lights on the hood and rock lights in the wheel wells for more visibility at night under the vehicle and on the sides of the vehicle. And we have dust lights in our rear bumper so people can see us from behind in dusty desert environments. If you end up on a trail at night, bright lights can help a lot. It can help you see better on the trail but also help others see you if you’re stuck.
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AUXITO: Yeah! In the future, AUXITO may launch some off-road special lighting fixtures. What kind of products would you like to see us launch?
Delia and Enoch: That’s awesome! We would love to switch all of our light fixtures to AUXITO. External lights would be great! Rock lights, ditch lights, light bars, and dust lights.
The following is the detailed Elephant Hill Trail destination Info provided by Delia and Enoch. If you are interested in, please refer to it!🗾
Name of the trail: Elephant Hill Road
Location: Canyonlands National Park between Moab and Monticello, Utah
Length: 13.9 total miles,
Round Trip Distance: 7 miles
Best time of year to go: Spring and Fall
Key Features: It features steep grades, loose rocks, stair-step drops, tight turns and tricky backing.
Technical Rating: Difficult
Elevation: 5004 - 5260 feet
Fees: $30/vehicle (plus permit)
Tire Pressure Advice: Standard
Rig requirements: High Clearance 4x4
Other consideration:
- Rock ledges require high ground clearance and 4-wheel drive. Skid plates are highly recommended.
- Carry plenty of water in summer.
- A day-use permit is required to drive the road but not for hikers and mountain bikers.
- Anyone wanting to camp at any of the backcountry campsites will also need an overnight permit.
It's well worth hiking in the Grabens area of the Canyonlands National Park for stunning views of the coniferous forest before driving back. Don't forget to take a unique photo with these Elephant Hill wonders!
Thanks again for Delia and Enoch’s wonderful Elephant Hill off-road trail sharing! Interested in Delia and Enoch's off-road sharing? 🤩 Give them a follow on their Instagram (@moleisurexventures) or YouTube channel (@MoLeisureXventures) to get more info on off-road travel experience!!!
Interested in other trails for off-roading? Check out the previous interviews! 👉 👉
Any questions about our products, please feel free to contact us! Our customer service team will be happy to help you.🥰🥰
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