Moab's 60th Easter Jeep Safari Brings 12,000 Enthusiasts, Vintage Trail Tribute

The 60-year window to see roughly 30 of the rarest off-road rigs in the American Southwest roll the original Behind the Rocks route closes April 5. That vintage tribute run is what separates the 60th Easter Jeep Safari from every prior EJS, and with 12,000 enthusiasts already in Moab since opening day March 28, the off-road community clearly knows it.

Red Rock 4-Wheelers Club spokesperson John Larish confirmed the anniversary run will follow the original Behind the Rocks trail south of town, but organizers will reroute around two of the circuit's hardest features. "The route itself will generally follow the original Behind the Rocks Trail, but we will be bypassing several of the major obstacles, such as High Dive and White Knuckle, for safety reasons. Many of these older vehicles are open-top and will be 60 to 85 years old or more. We do not want to risk damaging these rare classic vehicles," Larish said. The vintage run feeds directly into the Old Iron Off-Road Car Show at Old Spanish Trail Arena on Thursday, April 2, which Larish described as a celebration of the vehicles that helped build the region's off-road legacy.

That the event exists at all is a testament to how far a single ride can travel. Carma McElhany attended the second-ever EJS in 1968. Her memory of it doubles as this anniversary's most shareable detail: "My dad took our family in his new 1968 CJ-5 on the Moab Rim trail. There were only three trails that year, and I remember being in a line of Jeeps at lunchtime when an airplane flew overhead and dropped a plastic bag full of individual ice cream cups with little wooden spoons attached." Those three trails have grown into 44 organized rides spanning the nine-day event. The Red Rock 4-Wheelers eventually absorbed organizational responsibilities from the Moab Chamber of Commerce as the event outgrew Chamber resources, and now coordinates trail leaders, group caps, and safety protocols across the full schedule. KC Kay, who started leading trail rides in the 1980s, put the shift plainly: "It was more of an informal, grassroots gathering of enthusiasts heading out to hit the trails and join the camaraderie of off-highway travel. Now, with increased popularity and regulatory rules, the feeling is more formal."

For anyone still seeking trail access, last-minute openings occasionally surface at the registration desk inside Spanish Trail Arena, located 7 miles south of Moab on the east side of Highway 191. The desk runs 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. through Wednesday, extends to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and closes on Big Saturday (April 4) and Easter Sunday (April 5). Popular technical runs fill earliest in the registration cycle; moderate routes carry the best chance of walk-up availability. Hell's Revenge and Moab Rim also function as accessible spectator points for watching experienced groups navigate steep climbs and obstacles, no registration required.

MOAB SURVIVAL KIT

Downtown Moab's parking grid, particularly along Center Street and the Highway 191 corridor, reaches capacity by midmorning on trail days. Arrive at trailheads 45 to 60 minutes before your scheduled departure to allow time for airing down, signing waivers, and staging your group. On trail, stay precisely on designated routes: Moab's cryptobiotic soil crust can be destroyed by a single tire track and takes decades to recover, and Red Rock 4-Wheelers trail leaders enforce it. Newcomers should look at Fins and Things, which crosses Navajo slickrock fins and sandy washes with legitimate climbs and views but without the severity of advanced runs, or the scenic mesa route at Secret Spire for a first-day confidence builder. Register and check current trail availability at rr4w.com before heading to the arena. Spring desert temperatures swing from chilly mornings to hot afternoons to windy evenings; layers and at least two liters of water per person are non-negotiable on any EJS ride.