Loam
Slickrock and soft connectors
Slickrock, Captain Ahab, Navajo Rocks, and Bar M are useful Moab examples, but a dry slab of sandstone does not tell you whether the approach road or next dirt section is ready. Wet clay cakes onto tires and is easy to rut. The BLM biking guidance says to stay off trails during wet or muddy conditions.
What affects drying time
Sand and clay
Soft connectors can take longer to dry than exposed rock. Give them time if they hold tire prints or mud sticks to your bike.
Higher mesas
Snow and overnight freezing can last longer above the valley floor. Check the forecast and condition for the actual trail you plan to ride.
Storm runoff
A wash can still be running after the sky clears. Do not use a dry-looking trailhead as a sign that the whole route is ready.
Before you ride
Check notices from the BLM Moab Field Office, Utah State Parks for Dead Horse Point, and Sand Flats Recreation Area. Respect closures and wet-trail advisories, and wait if the ground is soft or a wash is running.
Loam estimates conditions from recent weather, soil, terrain, and tree cover. Use the network pages below to check the latest estimate before you leave.
Moab trail conditions
Dead Horse Point adds a higher mesa example. Fruita and Lunch Loops in Colorado also appear in the full regional directory; they are separate destinations with their own weather.
Bare Navajo Sandstone in Sand Flats Recreation Area.
Slickrock and talus above the Colorado River, reached from Kane Creek Boulevard.
0% tree cover near the mapped location. Slope: 3.4°. Elevation: 1580m.
Part of the Bar M / Moab Brand Trails complex north of town.
Mesa trails above the Colorado River in Dead Horse Point State Park.
Sources and method
Loam estimates conditions from weather, soil, and terrain. It does not measure the trail surface directly or override an official closure. Read how the estimate works and see the published checks and their limits.
- USDA NRCS: Hydrologic Soil Groups, soil infiltration and runoff.
- USGS: Infiltration and the Water Cycle, saturation, land cover, and slope.
These references explain physical processes, not the accuracy of Loam's predictions.
