Moab in 4 Days: The Advanced Big-Descent Trip
Four days built around the two descents people cross the country for: Porcupine Rim and the Whole Enchilada. You warm up on slickrock, spend the middle days pointed downhill, and close with Captain Ahab if your legs and nerve are still there. Bring an enduro bike and more water than feels reasonable.
The plan
The classic advanced Moab week, stacked around Porcupine Rim and the Whole Enchilada.
Shake out on the Slickrock
Morning: Get in, pick up the enduro bike, and set sag before you point it anywhere steep.
Afternoon: Loosen up on the Slickrock Trail. even seasoned riders respect the traction, and it is the right way to remember how sandstone rides before the big days.
Eats: Settle in with beers and a full menu at Moab Brewery.
Porcupine Rim
Morning: Ride Porcupine Rim, 15.6 miles and about 2,800 feet down exposed singletrack along the cliff edge above Castle Valley. Save something for the rocky jeep-road chunder in the middle and the ledge drop near the river, which has a go-around on the left.
Afternoon: Recover by the water and let the arms come back. you earned the nothing.
Eats: Grease therapy after Porcupine Rim at Milt's Stop & Eat, the traditional post-Porc move.
The Whole Enchilada
Morning: The crown jewel. Catch the early Coyote Shuttle to beat the heat and ride the Whole Enchilada, 26 miles and around 7,000 feet of descent from alpine forest to desert floor. Pace the LPS ledges and the final Porcupine notch, because they hit when you are already cooked.
Afternoon: Roll off the trail near the river and do nothing. you just descended 7,000 feet.
Eats: Fuel up before the shuttle at Love Muffin Cafe. the breakfast burrito travels well in a pack.
Captain Ahab, if you are feeling it
Morning: Climb HyMasa out of the Amasa Back lot and drop into Captain Ahab, the locals' favorite: steep, ledgy, technical desert singletrack. Pre-ride or walk the first two features to set expectations. nearly every drop has a go-around line.
Afternoon: Pack up and roll out, or trade Ahab for an easy spin if the week already filled the tank.
Eats: Last-day beers and a proper meal back at Moab Brewery before the drive out.
Book these
Pro tips
- •The full Whole Enchilada top at Burro Pass only opens once the La Sal snow clears, usually after early July. confirm current permit and snow status with the shuttle, since early-season drops start lower at Hazard County or Kokopelli.
- •Run reinforced casings and carry a plug kit. goathead thorns and rocky chunder are the norm on Porcupine Rim and Captain Ahab.
- •Use Hoodoo's bike barn wash and repair station after the Enchilada. that 7,000-foot descent is hard on a drivetrain.
This is a proven template. The planner will tune it to your days, skill, and what you want to ride in about ten seconds.
Build a custom Moab plan →