Moab Easter Jeep Safari Celebrates 60 Years With New Trails and Youth Programs

Sixty years after the Moab Chamber of Commerce sent a single group of Jeeps down the Behind the Rocks Trail, the Easter Jeep Safari has grown into a nine-day, thousand-attendee event spanning March 28 through April 5, 2026, with more than 44 club-organized trail rides and a slate of new programming that signals the Red Rock 4-Wheelers are not content to simply celebrate the milestone.

The most talked-about addition for the 60th edition is a new trail that runs into Arches National Park, a notable expansion of the route lineup that organizers have been quietly building toward. Alongside that, Red Rock 4-Wheelers have introduced "The Final Exam," a package designed for experienced and advanced off-roaders to formally demonstrate their skills. Pass it, and you earn a graduation diploma. It sits at the opposite end of the spectrum from the beginner packages that have long been part of EJS, which include educational tracks and a structured path to more advanced participation in future years.

Trail groups run with leaders, gunners, and trail supporters, with groups reaching up to 30 rigs, though some trails are capped at 10 to 15. This year also marks the first Easter Jeep Safari to use GMRS/FRS radios as the primary communication system, with Rugged Radios coming on as the official communications partner. "This isn't change for the sake of change," Red Rock 4-Wheelers stated. "It's about clearer communication, better safety, and a system that fits how we actually run trails today."

The nostalgia angle is built into the schedule. On Tuesday, March 31, a Behind the Rocks tribute ride revisits the exact trail from the 1967 inaugural event. The Vintage Iron Car Show follows on Thursday, April 2, running from 1:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Old Spanish Trail Arena. Vehicles older than 30 years register for free, and an optional fun run on the Fins-N-Things trail is available before the show, starting at noon. The vendor expo at Old Spanish Trail Arena runs April 2 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and April 3 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with more than 100 vendors covering the off-roading and outdoor gear world alongside food trucks. Admission is free. A separate Jeep-branded expo, where Stellantis displays prototypes and solicits public feedback, sets up in the Walker Drug parking lot in town that same weekend.

Youth programming carries significant weight this year. Camp Moab, open to kids ages 6 through 17 at Old Spanish Trail Arena, focuses on outdoor ethics, safety, and responsible recreation. Evening programs will include raffles, Jeep Youth Awards, and the kickoff of the EJS giveaway. Red Rock 4-Wheelers have framed the anniversary explicitly around stewardship: "We're doubling down on protecting access for all and investing in the next generation. From our work with the BlueRibbon Coalition to youth programs that connect young people with the history, stewardship, and joy of off-road adventure, we're ensuring they inherit not just freedom, but the responsibility and heritage."

George Schultz, president of Red Rock 4-Wheelers, is co-hosting with the Moab Chamber of Commerce, the same organization that launched the whole thing in the spring of 1967 with a single-day trail ride nobody expected to still be running six decades later. Worth noting: the name is the limit of the brand exclusivity. All off-road-capable vehicles are welcome, not just Jeeps.