Mountain trail system · Central Utah (Sanpete Valley / Wasatch Plateau)
Arapeen OHV Trail System
Wasatch Plateau network on Manti-La Sal NF, ridden up one canyon and down another from the Sanpete Valley towns.
Quick answer
The Arapeen climbs from the Sanpete Valley to the Skyline Drive ridge. The forest and the trail website give very different mileage totals, so both are shown.
Sources disagree two or more sources give different figures; both are shownNot verified not published on the pages we read, or only in a secondary source
Key facts
| Location & counties | Manti-La Sal National Forest, Wasatch Plateau. Accessed from seven canyons off the Sanpete Valley (Ephraim, Manti and Fairview on US-89) and from Ferron on the south-east side. [1, 2, 3] |
|---|---|
| Managing agency | USFS Manti-La Sal National Forest (Ferron-Price and Sanpete districts). Utah State Parks runs Palisade State Park, a ride-in base. [3, 4] |
| Total miles | Forest Service: over 350 miles of ATV and 4x4 routes. Trail website: more than 600 miles of routes it calls "UTV-friendly" (wider machines also allowed) over 350,000 acres. The figures use different definitions (ATV/4x4 routes vs all routes open to wider machines); the MVUM is the legal source. [3, 1, 5]Sources disagree |
| Loops & main segments | Skyline Drive (Trail #1) reaches 10,897 ft and is the last route to open; South Skyline Drive is a rugged 4x4 route for most of its 58 miles from UT-31 to the Fishlake boundary. Ferron Loop: 50 miles, rated easiest, closed seasonally during spring runoff. Palisade State Park sample rides: Palisade to Ferron 40-47 miles (moderate), Heliotrope Mountain 72 miles (easy), Ferron 90-Mile Loop (easy), Duck Fork Loop 68 miles (moderate). [1, 3, 2, 4] |
| Trailheads & access towns | Ephraim, Manti and Fairview (US-89), Spring City, Ferron and Palisade State Park. Local map retailers include shops in Fairview, Mt. Pleasant, Ephraim, Manti and Sterling (Palisade). [1, 4] |
| Elevation | About 6,000 ft on the valley floor to nearly 11,000 ft along Skyline Drive. [1] |
| Season | Upper trails typically clear snow by July 1 (not guaranteed). Early-access routes run Memorial Day to June 30 and are marked on the map. Fall color window quoted as Sept 20 to Oct 5. Palisade lists rides for July to October. Seasonal wildlife/cattle closures can apply. [1, 4] |
| Width limits | Most trails are open to any width. Designated narrower routes accommodate 50" and 66" machines (roughly 62 and 80 miles); size gates at trailheads enforce this. Palisade notes a 50" restriction on some routes (#72, #73). Older and secondary sources quote 52" or 60"; trust the MVUM and trailhead signs. For a quad rider: 50" routes are the ATV class of trail; the wider routes also take side-by-sides. [1, 4, 5]Sources disagree |
| Vehicle restrictions | The MVUM shows legal routes by vehicle width; routes not shown are not open to motorized travel. Limited single-track for motorcycles. [5, 1] |
| Permits & registration | Utah-registered machines follow the Utah DMV OHV registration rules; machines from other states need a Utah non-resident OHV permit ($35 per machine, valid 12 months). Every operator needs the Utah OHV education certificate (adult course is free and online; youth under 18 need a youth certificate). Details in the Utah rules summary. [6, 7, 8] |
| Fuel & lodging towns | Lodging, fuel and rentals are available in Sanpete Valley towns; several towns let riders use city streets to reach gas and food. Individual stations are not verified. [1] |
| Difficulty | Marked on the trail map and signs: circles easy, squares moderate, diamonds most difficult. Conditions change quickly after rain. [1] |
Highlights
- Cross the range in one day: up Ephraim Canyon, along Skyline, then down Manti Canyon to a different town. [1]
- Aspen color late September; wildflowers around July 1. [1]
Hazards
- Rain turns smooth trails rough; ride with margin. [1]
- Cattle and sheep graze the high meadows; bears and mountain lions live in the area. [1]
- Remote country: GPS or an Avenza map plus a paper map are recommended. [1]
Maps and official pages
- Manti-La Sal MVUM (official)
- Manti-La Sal maps & guides
- Arapeen trail map & Avenza info
- Ferron Loop (USFS)
- Palisade State Park OHV rides
Always download the current MVUM or agency map; the Utah OHV maps page lists statewide map sources. Utah rules summary: Utah OHV rules. We did not build a route map: we have no sourced trail coordinates.
Machines and loads
Mid-size and big-bore machines handle the long climbs; 2-up touring models suit a loaded two-rider trip. Check your quad's width against the 50"/66" routes (50" or less fits the narrower ones; see the Width column in the model database).
| Class in our database | Models | Front rack rating (lb) | Rear rack rating (lb) | Towing rating (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry (<500cc) | 9 | 66-90 lb | 133-180 lb | 802-1350 lb |
| Mid (500-649cc) | 15 | 75-121 lb | 100-242 lb | 661-1830 lb |
| Mid-large (650-899cc) | 14 | 88-120 lb | 176-240 lb | 848-1830 lb |
| Big bore (900cc+) | 10 | 120-200 lb | 240-300 lb | 1500-1830 lb |
| 2-up touring | 23 | 44-121 lb | 77-242 lb | 772-1830 lb |
Ranges across the models in our database for each class; blank cells in a source are skipped, and some front ratings are not published. Your own machine's rating is on its model page and in the owner's manual and is the number that counts.
See the model database and how to choose. Our database lists overall width where we could find it (see the Width column; blank means unknown). A quad of 50 in or less fits the 50-inch trails. Check your owner's manual against the width limits above, and remember that wide tires, spacers and cargo count toward width.
Gear for this trip
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- Multi-day trail-ride loadout (Paiute-style)
- Overnight ATV camp loadout
- Trailside recovery and repairs
- Utah dispersed camping rules
- Recovery checklist, camping checklist, safety checklist
- Recovery gear roundup, satellite messengers & GPS
What we could not verify
- Whether total is 350+ or 600+ miles (definitions differ).
- Joe's Valley Loop length (seen only in a search summary; not used).
- Per-trailhead fuel.
Sources
- Arapeen UTV Trail (utahatvtrails.org; Sanpete-area trail/tourism site, secondary)
- Manti-La Sal National Forest: Ferron Loop (updated Dec 31, 2025)
- Manti-La Sal National Forest: About the area
- Utah State Parks: Palisade OHV riding
- Manti-La Sal National Forest: MVUM
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: Off-highway vehicles (program home)
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: Non-resident OHV permits
- Utah Outdoor Recreation: OHV laws & rules
Last verified Oct 27, 2026 (America/Denver). Structured data: trails.json, trails.csv.
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