Dead Horse Point, near Moab, Utah - Photo credit: Austen Diamond Photography / Moab Office of Tourism
Local and regional partners spent nearly a decade planning the new mountain bike trail system that opened in San Juan County on September 11, 2026. The public trail network serves high school racers, families, recreational riders and adaptive cyclists.
Why Does Moab Need a New Mountain Biking Trail System?
The wider Moab already has hundreds of trails spread across its red-rock landscape. Yet the new Mud Springs Tral System fills a different gap because it wasn't designed exclusively for experienced mountain bikers. Mud Springs features fast, flowy, machine-built trails with bermed turns, offering a different experience from some of the technical terrain for which Moab is famous.
The project grew out of a practical problem: the Utah High School Cycling League had outgrown its previous race venue at the Bar M trails.
Local partners spent years developing a larger system that could handle organized races while remaining open to the public.
Phase 1 includes approximately 10.5 miles of trails. Seven miles of beginner and intermediate trails were completed in fall 2025, while another 3.5 miles of intermediate and advanced trails are expected to be completed during the 2026 season.
That mix gives beginners room to build confidence while still offering more challenging trails for experienced riders.
The opening coincided with the trail system's first race weekend organized by Utah High School Cycling League, with 1,170 Region 2 riders registered to compete.
Another Reason to Explore Beyond Moab's National Parks
The trail opening adds another outdoor recreation option to a region that already draws millions of visitors annually.
Moab is a gateway to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, as well as Dead Horse Point and Utahraptor State Parks.
Arches National Park recorded more than 1.5 million recreation visits in 2025, while nearby Canyonlands attracted almost 800,000.
Dead Horse Point State Park welcomed another 1.13 million visitors in fiscal year 2026, making it Utah's second-most-visited state park that year.
"People may come to Moab with Arches National Park at the top of their list, but once they're here, they realize how much more there is to experience—from Canyonlands National Park and the Colorado River to our dark skies, outdoor adventures, downtown and local community," says Michael Soleta, director of the Moab Office of Tourism, in an official statement.
"Again and again, we hear the same thing from visitors: I should've stayed longer," he adds. And Mud Springs gives mountain bikers one more reason to do exactly that.
Why Fall Is One of the Best Times to Ride in Moab
Mud Springs opened just as Moab entered one of its prime outdoor seasons.
The Moab Office of Tourism highlights fall for mountain biking, hiking, national park visits, and other outdoor adventures, since from September through November, visitors can generally expect sunny skies, mild afternoons, and cooler mornings and evenings.
Moab's fall mountain biking calendar also includes Outerbike Moab, scheduled this year for October 2-4, 2026. It is a three-day event featuring demo bikes, group rides and shuttles to trails including Slickrock and Navajo Rocks.
Fall is also one of the most popular times to explore nearby Arches National Park since daytime highs typically average 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with nighttime lows between 30 and 50 degrees.
Visitors can also see beautiful fall foliage along the Colorado River corridor and in the nearby La Sal Mountains, where golden cottonwoods and aspens contrast with Moab's red-rock landscape.