The Whole Enchilada: Complete Guide to Moab's Signature 27-Mile MTB Descent
The Whole Enchilada: 27 miles, 7,000 ft of descent, alpine to desert. Everything you need to know to plan, shuttle, and ride Moab's signature mountain bike descent in 2026.
Quick Stats
- Distance: ~27 miles (43 km)
- Descent: ~7,000 ft (2,134 m)
- Climb: ~1,500 ft (mostly the punches between zones)
- Trail style: Five distinct zones: alpine singletrack, desert chunder, slickrock, exposed cliff edge
- Difficulty: Advanced (when full route is open); Intermediate-Advanced for partial early-season starts
- Recommended bike: Enduro or long-travel trail (140mm+ rear, 150mm+ fork). A hardtail is not ideal.
- Time: 5-8 hours depending on group pace and how much you session
- Shuttle: Most riders hire one (pedaling up to Burro Pass isn't practical for most people)
- Season: July 1 through the fall for the full route to Burro Pass, if the snow is clear; March through June and late fall run lower drops
What the Whole Enchilada Actually Is
Five trails strung into one descent: Burro Pass → Hazard County → UPS (Upper Porcupine Singletrack) → LPS (Lower Porcupine Singletrack) → Porcupine Rim. Every zone rides differently. Burro Pass is alpine singletrack through aspen and conifer at 11,000 ft. Hazard County is rocky technical descending. UPS is fast jeep-road chunder. LPS is the technical rock crux: exposed ledges and slickrock puzzles. Porcupine Rim is the exposed cliff-edge finale that drops into the Colorado River canyon.
When riders say "the Whole Enchilada," they technically mean the full Burro Pass start. In practice, spring trips ride a partial Enchilada. The Forest Service regulates the Burro Pass opening, and operators say it opens July 1 if the snow is clear. Until then the shuttle drops you as high as conditions allow, and in early spring that can be as low as LPS or Porcupine Rim. Still excellent, just shorter than the full 27 miles. Ask your shuttle operator what's open for your dates.
Shuttle Logistics
Most riders hire a shuttle. A two-vehicle self-shuttle works, but the drive to the Geyser Pass trailhead is long and rough, and pedaling up to Burro Pass isn't practical unless you're a beast or enjoy suffering (one rider reported about 5 hours of moving time).
The two main operators:
- Whole Enchilada Shuttle ($35-$45 per person, depending on season). Parking lot at 675 N Main St in Moab. Permitted by BLM and USFS. Their website goes seasonal, so book by phone if you can't reach them online.
- Coyote Shuttle ($40-$50 per person). VW vans, running since 1995. Books out 2+ weeks ahead in peak spring.
Other Moab operators that run Enchilada shuttles (use these if the primary two are full):
- Hazard County Shuttle
- Big Rack Shuttle
- Moab Cyclery Shuttle (bundle with rental for a discount)
Tip $5-$10 per person.
Book your shuttle FIRST. This is the most-made trip-planning mistake in Moab. Lock the shuttle date, then build the rest of the trip around it.
Bike + Gear
Bike: Enduro (150-170mm) is ideal. Long-travel trail bikes (140mm+) work. A hardtail is not ideal by the time you hit LPS, where the technical sections demand suspension.
Tires: Make sure you've added tire sealant, and make sure you're carrying spares and tire plugs.
Hydration: 3 liters minimum, 4L if it's warm. There's no resupply on the route, so a hydration pack with bladder is the right call.
Food: 700+ calories of trail food. The ride is 5+ hours. Bring more than you think you need.
Other essentials: Multi-tool, spare tube, CO2 + tire plug, sunscreen (zero shade after the alpine), first-aid kit, headlamp (optional, since shuttles leave early, but cheap insurance on short days). Knee pads are a good idea for the whole ride.
Trail Beta: Section by Section
Burro Pass (when open)
Top elevation 11,000 ft. Alpine singletrack through aspen and pine forest. Fast and flowy with some loose corners. Roughly 4 miles. This is the alpine part of the "alpine to desert" ride.
Hazard County
Rocky, technical descending through scrubby high-desert terrain. Watch for hikers and motos. Faster than it looks. Roughly 6 miles.
UPS (Upper Porcupine Singletrack)
Wide jeep-road chunder, the "fastest" section. Plenty of riders treat UPS as a chance to recover before the technical sections later. It's a good place to drink water and eat something before the technical sections.
LPS (Lower Porcupine Singletrack)
The technical crux. Mandatory rock features, exposed ledges, slickrock puzzles. Falls have real consequences. Some sections have go-arounds, plenty don't.
Porcupine Rim (final ~5 miles)
The closer. Exposed singletrack along a 1,000-ft cliff edge with views of Castle Valley. Relentless. Near the end, a couple of ledge drops sit above the Colorado River. You're deep into the ride by then, and you can walk any you don't want to ride.
End at Hwy 128 along the Colorado River. Shuttle pickup or an arranged self-shuttle from here.
Best Season
- March-April: Lower drops only. One local guide lists March drops at Porcupine Rim and LPS, moving up to UPS in April, but it depends on conditions.
- May-June: Hazard County generally opens around late May, per one shuttle operator. The Burro Pass top waits for July 1 and the snow.
- July 1 through September: The full route to Burro Pass when the snow is clear. Hot midday, monsoons in July-August.
- Late September / October: Second peak. Cool mornings, fall colors in the La Sals. Early storms can close the top and move drops lower.
- November: Some shuttle operators cut back schedules. Cold mornings.
Best week of the year: Late September / early October. Cool weather, full route open, smaller crowds than peak May/April.
Common Mistakes
1. Booking the shuttle last. Book the shuttle FIRST, then build the rest of the trip around it.
2. Underestimating water. 3L minimum. The ride runs longer than it looks, and rationing leads to bonking on Porcupine Rim.
3. Wrong bike. A hardtail or an XC bike is not ideal here. Bring or rent an enduro.
4. No sealant, no spares. Add tire sealant before you go, and carry spares and tire plugs.
5. Pacing wrong. Save some legs for the LPS and Porcupine Rim crux moves.
6. Skipping the Burro Pass section when it's open. People shuttle to Hazard County for convenience and miss the alpine section. If Burro is open, take it.
7. Riding it on Day 1 of a trip. The Enchilada is taxing. Ride Bar M, Slickrock, or Porcupine Rim on its own first to acclimate before taking on the full Enchilada.
After the Ride
Plan a recovery beer and food. Moab's post-Enchilada rituals:
- Moab Brewery for pints and food, the obvious choice
- Milt's Stop & Eat, an old-school burger joint
- Desert Bistro for a sit-down dinner if you've got the energy
Most groups do nothing else useful that day. Plan your next-day ride as easy or a rest day.
What an Enchilada-Focused Trip Costs
Everything depends on how you travel, so here are the unit costs and how to combine them:
- Shuttle: $35-$45 per person on the Whole Enchilada Shuttle, depending on the time of year (published). Other operators price it differently, so check current rates when you book.
- Bike rental: about $85 a day for an enduro. Prices may be higher or lower for different kinds of bikes.
- Hotel: $150-$300 a night for a mid-tier room in peak spring and fall. That's the price of the room, not per person.
- Camping: $15-$20 a night at BLM campgrounds like Goose Island ($20).
- Food: $30-$50 per person per day.
- Gas: additional gas as needed to get to and from and around the town. If you fly in, add a rental car.
How to add it up: (rental per day x days) + (shuttle price x rides) + (room price x nights, divided by the number of people sharing the room) + (food per day x days). Every person who shares a room lowers everyone's lodging cost. Two people split a $200 room to $100 each, and four people splitting two rooms or one rental condo usually pay less than that. A solo traveler pays the full room rate. Bring your own bike and the rental line disappears. Camp instead of booking a room and the lodging line drops to the campground fee.
Full Moab cost breakdown for the broader trip context.
Other Moab Rides to Pair With It
The Enchilada is one ride; a Moab trip needs more. A common 4-day pattern:
- Day 1: Bar M / Moab Brands or Slickrock Trail (warm-up)
- Day 2: Captain Ahab or Klondike Bluffs
- Day 3: Whole Enchilada (the marquee)
- Day 4: Porcupine Rim on its own (recovery from the Enchilada, same cliff-edge finish)
Or swap Day 4 for a rest day plus the Arches scenic drive.
Bottom Line
The Whole Enchilada is North American mountain biking's marquee shuttled descent. Book your shuttle early, bring the right bike, pack 3+ liters of water, and save some legs for LPS and Porcupine Rim. Do it in late September if you can. Spring works too, but the Burro Pass top stays closed until July 1 at the earliest.
Frequently asked questions
›How long does the Whole Enchilada take?
5 to 8 hours of moving time depending on pace, group size, and how much you session technical sections. Most groups budget a full day from shuttle pickup to finish: typically 9 AM shuttle to 4 to 6 PM finish at Hwy 128. Plan no other riding that day.
›Do I need to shuttle the Whole Enchilada?
Most riders do. A two-vehicle self-shuttle works (leave one vehicle at the bottom and drive the other to the Geyser Pass trailhead), but the drive is long and rough, and pedaling up to Burro Pass isn't practical unless you're a beast or enjoy suffering. One rider reported about 5 hours of moving time. Shuttle costs $35 to $50 per person from operators including Whole Enchilada Shuttle, Coyote Shuttle, Hazard County, Big Rack, and Moab Cyclery. Book 2+ weeks ahead during peak spring and fall.
›When does the full Whole Enchilada open?
The Burro Pass top opens July 1 if the snow is clear, per operators, and the Forest Service regulates that date. Shuttles then run it through the fall and drop lower when rain, snow or road work closes the top. Before July 1 the drop depends on conditions: Porcupine, the lowest drop at about 6,000 ft, is the first to open in spring, and Hazard County generally opens around late May. Confirm with your shuttle operator for your dates.
›What bike do I need for the Whole Enchilada?
Enduro (150-170mm travel) is ideal. Long-travel trail bikes (140mm+ rear, 150mm+ fork) work. A hardtail is not ideal by the time you hit LPS and the rocky Porcupine Rim sections. Rent enduro at Poison Spider, Chile Pepper, or Moab Cyclery if you don't have one.
›How much water for the Whole Enchilada?
3 liters minimum, 4 liters if it's warm. There is zero resupply on the route. Bring a hydration pack with a bladder. Most riders also bring a salt tab or electrolyte mix. Desert dehydration sneaks up. Bonking on Porcupine Rim (the last section) from running out of water is one of the most common Enchilada incidents.
›How hard is the Whole Enchilada?
Solidly advanced when the full route is open. The LPS section has mandatory technical rock features and exposed ledges with real consequence. Porcupine Rim's cliff-edge sections require focused riding when you're already 4+ hours in. A confident intermediate rider can do it on a partial Enchilada (skipping LPS for the bypass), but the full route demands advanced skills.
›Can a beginner ride the Whole Enchilada?
No. The technical sections (LPS, Porcupine Rim crux) have exposure and mandatory features that aren't beginner-appropriate. Beginners should ride Bar M, Klondike Bluffs, or Slickrock Trail in Moab and save the Enchilada for after they have 30+ rides under their belt and feel confident on technical rock.
›What's the best time of year for the Whole Enchilada?
Late September through early October is the sweet spot: cool weather, full route open, fall colors in the La Sals, smaller crowds than peak May. Mid-June through August has the longest days but afternoon heat is a real factor. Late May to early June can deliver the full route earlier than expected if it's a low-snow year. Check shuttle operator status.
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