While it also serves as the jumping off point for rafting and climbing trips, Moab is the region's mountain-biking hub, and riding slickrock - sandpapery stone that provides better than usual traction - is the main attraction. Rent a full-suspension rig and pick up maps at Chile Pepper Bike Shop, which also serves a mean espresso.

Can't Miss Moab Day Rides

Of the 40 Moab trails, these three are must-hits:

• Gemini Bridges: Ride it as an out and back or get dropped off at top for a fun downhill (mostly). Gemini bridges is a natural rock formation toward the top of the trail. It's an easy 14-mile slickrock and dirt roller with a vertical drop of 700 feet. Shuttle up to the trailhead with Coyote Shuttles. Beginner to intermediate.
  
• Porcupine Rim:  Locals favorite! Intermediate to advanced riders, with a shuttle it’s 21 miles from the main trailhead back to town. 16 miles on dirt, with approximately 11 miles of downhill and technical riding. View Map.
  
• Baby Steps to Klondike or visa versa: Baby Steps is a 12-mile dirt and rock singletrack trail.  Great to climb if you like more technical climbs, makes the climb to the top of Klondike more fun and challenging.  At the top of Klondike you can do a short hike to the edge of the bluffs.  Beautiful views into Arches, also check out the dinosaur tracks near the beginning of Klondike. Intermediate level ride.
  

The Classic Long-Weekender

White Rim Sandstone is an extremely hard sedimentary rock sandwiched among the layers of the Colorado Plateau. Winding through the plateau, the Colorado and Green rivers have carved out a section of Canyonlands National Park called the Island in the Sky. The White Rim Sandstone encircles the Island and is thought to have been the border of an inland sea. Mountain biking is a wonderful way to experience the unique beauty of Canyonlands. This ride provides ample opportunities to explore the slot canyons and Anasazi ruins along the way.

Riding the 80-mile White Rim is a great experience for all levels of riders. The technical sections are short and can be easily walked by the less experienced, while providing a fun challenge for the more experienced. The White Rim really is a must do trip for everyone. Western Spirit Cycling Adventures, an eco-concious outfitter founded in 1989, leads four-to-six-day trips.

A Week in the Maze

Located in the most remote district of Canyonlands National Park, the Maze, unique in the world, was made famous by Edward Abbey's The Monkey Wrench Gang. A four-hour  off-road drive from Moab, the Maze is a labyrinth of wide, interlocking canyons lined with 8,000-year-old pictographs.

The vast open skies and magical rock formations are best appreciated from the saddle of your mountain bike. Begin at Hans Flat with incredible views of the many layers below. Over the next few days you will make our way down the Flint Trail to camp at the Maze Overlook. From here you will hike down into the convoluted canyons which give the Maze its name. Later you will ride to the Land of Standing Rocks, completing our journey with a ride along the Orange Cliffs.

The riding in the Maze includes rolling technical doubletrack. There is a 35 mile unsupported day. The route results in a net descent to finish on the shores of Lake Powell. The Maze is a true Canyon Country riding experience. On Rim Tours' five-day, 125 mile gourmet trip, guides lead riders through the Maze, set up camps on cliffs overlooking the mesas, and prepare such fancy fare such as Dutch-oven lasagna, chicken fajitas, and grilled salmon.