If you're newer to the sport of riding 4-wheelers and you're looking for a trail ride that is easy yet will allow you to use some of your newly learned technical skills for manuevering your 4-wheeler, Utah has a great riding destination for you. The Monte Cristo trail is perfect for this purpose. The difficulty rating of these trails is moderate and it's a great time for everyone. The elevation begins at 8,400 feet and ends at 8,800 feet, so it's not too steep of a climb for anyone to master on their 4-wheeler.
The entire length of this 4-wheeler trail is a 16 mile long loop and this is a multi-use trail so be on guard for other traffic including mountain bikes, other 4-wheelers, hikers and motorcyclists. The riding season is from late spring to early fall and there can be snow in the early and late parts of the 4-wheeler riding season so be aware if you haven't driven your 4-wheeler over slick conditions before.
Most of the 4-wheeler trail is open during the riding season, although a few areas will be closed during inclimate weather conditions, call ahead to verify if the trails are open for 4-wheeler riding before you haul your machine out there.
There are a series of ridge roads near the mountain crest join to offer an excellent loop trail for 4-wheeler riders of moderate abilities. The 16-mile loop offers views of the Wasatch, Uinta and Wellsville mountains, as well as a chance to see hawks, deer and other wildlife, especially if you are riding your 4-wheeler in the early morning or early evening hours. Matter of fact, pull over your 4-wheeler and take a few photos, this is certainly a photo-worthy venue.
There is a lot of mixed foliage and vegetation along the 4-wheeler trail, you will encounter everything from sagebrush and aspen stands, to some sub-alpine fir species, these trails are fairly densely foliaged so make sure and wear all your safety gear when riding these trails. Slaps from tree branches can hurt if you're not wearing good arm,chest and leg protection.
