As if Moab wasn’t already the greatest mountain bike mecca in the world… but in recent years, new trails have been discovered and built to make this southeastern Utah hamlet even more exciting for those of us living in the Fat Tire World. Sovereign Singletrack is one such ride of the “new class,” and it’s now the premiere ride among the Willow Springs Road network north of town.
Sovereign Singletrack is one of those buffet trails, meaning you’ll get a little bit of everything. Of course you’ll ride its namesake singletrack, along with generous helpings of rock ledges, exposed hillsides, double track, sandy washes, and technical challenges. For dessert, how does a huge section of amazing slickrock sound?
What’s also great about Sovereign Singletrack is that you can connect other trails to it for mucho variety every time you go back. The typical route is called the “Lariat Loop” because, like a lasso, you ride 6 miles from the trailhead north to a small loop that takes you into the legendary slickrock section. Other options include linking sections of the Salt Wash Trail, or riding Sovereign as an out-and-back from the Dalton Wells Road trailhead.
But for our purposes, the 16-mile Lariat Loop is the way to go. To ride, drive down the Willow Springs Road east from the highway and park at the trailhead after 2 miles of dirt road. From here, get on the bike and cruise the singletrack heading north. You’ll find dirt trails that transition to slickrock and back for 6 miles until it reaches the Dalton Wells Road. Signs direct you across a wash where it continues for over 2 miles to another dirt road where you’ll go right. Take the road for a half mile and go left onto double track that goes directly to a gigantic slab of slickrock. Ride up this enormous stone ramp, tool around a bit, have lunch, then bomb back down the way you came.
From the slickrock section, you can go back the way you came to make an out-and-back, or use the Dalton Wells Road to create the “loop” of the lariat and return to the singletrack you rode in on. Either way you choose to explore Sovereign Singletrack, it’ll be a sweet ride.
Sovereign Singletrack is a semi-technical route that can be difficult for beginner or even intermediate mountain bikers. Dozens of sections may cause the faint of heart to “hike-a-bike.” But if you have the chops, this ride will become one of your Moab favorites. To get a good sense of what to expect on the ride, watch the video below:
Sovereign Singletrack – Moab, Utah from Utah Outside on Vimeo.