Poison Spider Mesa Trail — Moab Canyon Country Slickrock Loop

You start Poison Spider Mesa off Highway 279 — the Potash Road — by airing down and committing to a ledge climb that tells you immediately whether your rig has what it takes. The trail earns its reputation fast: steep slickrock fins, tight V-notch climbs, off-camber shelf traverses with real drop-offs, and loose sandstone breaks where momentum management matters more than horsepower. The route crosses the mesa top with views across the Colorado River corridor and the Book Cliffs that will stop you in your tracks even if you’ve done Moab twenty times. The Portal Overlook spur offers one of the most vertigo-inducing canyon views on the Colorado Plateau — the cliff drops several hundred feet straight to the river below. The loop connects to the Portal Trail descent, which includes a notorious tippy shelf section that has claimed more than a few vehicles over the years. That section is where ARB lockers earn their keep.

This trail requires a modified, capable 4WD — front and rear lockers strongly recommended, high-clearance mandatory, and skid plates are not optional on the ledge climbs. Stock vehicles have no business here. Best season is March–May and September–November; summer heat on black slickrock is brutal and tire-damaging. No permit required for the trail itself, but Moab is a reservation-heavy area in peak season so camp early or pre-plan. Fuel in Moab, ten miles east. Cell service is spotty at best on the mesa top. This is one of those routes where the trail gives you exactly as much as you’re prepared to handle.