Hell's Revenge Trail

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Summary: The 4+ rated Hell's Revenge trail exposes great expanses of "Slick Rock" (sandstone) with slopes so steep you will wonder if your tires can maintain traction. The very steep climbs and descents on the slick rock are not for the faint of heart and cannot be bypassed. Hell's Revenge crosses the famous "Slickrock Bike Trail," a mountain-bicycle trail.

Location: The Hell's Revenge trail head is a little over a mile northeast of Moab on Sand Flats Road. Don't miss seeing "America's most scenic dump" (the Moab landfill) along the right just after you top the ridge and the famous Lion's Back on the left just beyond.

Scenery: From high points on the broad expanses of slick rock, views include the La Sal Mountains and more and more slick rock. The lunch break is often taken on a breathtaking overlook of the Colorado River gorge above Highway 128.

The Trail: The first optional obstacle is just off the paving of Sand Flats Road. The "Dump Bump" is the most difficult way to mount the sandstone fin that begins the trail. Your tires may slip a little even on the bypass. After passing through a low area that often stands with a foot or more of water and passing by a ridge that overlooks Lion's back and the Moab Dump, the slick rock fun begins. Steep ascents, sharp turns and steep descents will be the order of the day. Keep the vehicle in front closely in sight or you can get into serious trouble fast. A steep hair-raising descent on a narrow ridge allows no room for error left or right. As you start the decent your 4X4's hood will drop a long way before you can even see the narrow ridge top in front. After that is the Tip-Over Challenge which has seen many a 4X4 rise to the challenge and tip over. The Rubble Trouble Hill leads the way back toward smoother roadway and civilization.

Your trail leader may offer to let you go over and play on Potato Salad Hill either before or after the the main portion of the trail is completed. He will probably advise you that it is no longer an official part of the trail and is very dangerous. Listen to him. Several 4X4s roll there every year and countless more break gears, driveshafts and axles. Potato Salad Hill is a series of gravel covered rock steps that just gets more difficult every year. The name comes from a Potato Salad that bounced out of the back of a pickup that tried the obstacle years ago.

4X4NOW Same Day
Jeep Safari Trail Report
Monday, March 24, 1997

The weather was much cooler for the Hell's Revenge run as we lined up at the Branding Iron Restaurant south of Moab on Hwy 191. Around 40 4WDs signed liability waivers while waiting to head for the trail. There was more than a little concern about how well our tires would stick to the sandstone "slickrock" if the threatening clouds produced moisture.

The trail starts at the "Dump Bump" just off Sand Flats Road. Actually the original much more severe "Dump Bump" is a little to the west and is only attempted by the most hard core and fool hardy four-wheelers. All kinds of 4WDs participate in Jeep Safari.

Lots and lots of slickrock with very steep uphills and downhills. It's very important to keep the vehicle in front in sight in order to see the right line.

From a distance the 4WDs look like ants playing on the broad expanses of slickrock.

The "Car Wash" will get your attention. Our trail leader, Alan Jenkins, personally ground guided vehicles through this obstacle. See the Quick Time Video Clip of Mark Hinkley doing the Car Wash.

Getting off line just a little can furnish some excitement.

Don (Big Red) Carter crawls up the smoother part of the main obstacle on the trail, Tip Over Challenge.

A Hummer shows it's limited wheel travel coming up the "tippy" portion of Tip Over Challenge. The limited wheel travel didn't even slow this Hummer down. See a Quick Time Video of a complete run up Tip Over Challenge.

A modified Jeep TJ tops Rubble Trouble Hill to complete the last serious obstacle on the trail. The rain that had been threatening all day began in earnest just as the last vehicles topped this obstacle.

One broken spring hanger was all the damage we had on the trail today. An on board welder and lots of helpful four-wheelers took care of the problem. My thanks to Paul (PJ) Jensen for a ride today and lots of tales from his off-road racing days.

1999 Hell's Revenge Report
1996 Hell's Revenge Report

34th Annual Easter Jeep Safari (2000)
33rd Annual Easter Jeep Safari (1999)
32nd Annual Easter Jeep Safari (1998)
31st Annual Easter Jeep Safari (1997)
30th Annual Easter Jeep Safari (1996)
Moab, Utah, 4WD Trails Map with Links to all 30 Trails
Trail Difficulty Ratings

Utah Trail Guidebooks, Trail Maps, and Trail Videos

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