| The driver of this off-road vehicle maneuvers over rocks at the King Crawlers Challenge last August. |
The School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration has closed two sites in the Moab area due to damage from off-road vehicles and over-use. Visitors to the area will not be able to camp or drive vehicles off-road at the trust land parcel south of the Lion’s Back commercial campground on Sand Flats Road or drive on the parcel near Ken’s Lake in Spanish Valley known as the “Proving Grounds”. Both of these parcels have been fenced and posted.
A popular jeep trail known as “Hell’s Revenge” will not be affected by the closure. The trail has traditionally been routed through the parcel south of Lion’s Back. The end of the trail is still open through this parcel, but the beginning of the “Hell’s Revenge” trail is only accessible at the Sand Flats Recreation area.
During the past year, the Trust Lands Administration began a vigorous effort to prosecute trespassers, littering, and unauthorized use of trust lands. On Easter weekend, the Grand County Sheriff will be patrolling and enforcing the postings. Charges could range from misdemeanor trespassing and littering, up to felony criminal mischief. In addition, vehicle travel on all trust lands’ roads not specifically posted is restricted to designated roads and trails only.