ATV Adventures: The Fifth Annual Red Rock ATV Jamboree – spring in Kanab
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- The stone monuments and pinnacles on the Hoodoo Run ride give the trail its name.
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- The Poverty ride includes a lot of slick rock trails that are both fun and exciting.
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- Lynn Blamires
Spring comes early in Kanab and so does the Kanab Red Rock Jamboree. Kanab is hosting this fifth annual jamboree in conjunction with Kane County and the UT/AZ ATV Club. Scheduled for April 24-27, this is a great time to get out of the cold into the splendor of the red rock country of Kanab.
This is one of the first jamborees of the year. The Tri-State Jamboree usually takes the honor of being first, but this year, it has been reduced to a one-day poker run. The Green River Watermelon Crawl has not yet set the dates for its 2024 event.
The cap for this year’s jamboree is set at 250, which is down from last year’s 300. They had no trouble reaching that number last year. You will need to act quickly to get in on this incredible opportunity. Registration fees of $150 include three guided rides, a long-sleeve jamboree T-shirt and a chance to win great raffle prizes.
This opens the beauty of Kanab’s Red Rock Country to you, including treasures in the backcountry you would not be able to find on your own. Guides will take you to hidden gems like dinosaur tracks, fascinating Anasazi rock art, dunes, slot canyons, rock alcoves, scenic vistas and historic pioneer places.
A lot of work has gone into this year’s event to make this a one-of-a-kind experience for you. New for this year are two rides each day to the famous Peekaboo Slot Canyon, a new ride to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes and later morning start times. Riders will meet their guides at the trailheads instead of meeting in town and caravanning to the sites.
The jamboree opens on Wednesday, April 24, allowing riders to check in, pick up registration packets and become more acquainted with the itinerary. Guides will be available to discuss details about trails being offered.
Fourteen different rides are being offered that you can choose from each day of the Jamboree. After you have ridden three, you won’t be able to resist coming back next year for more.
Registration information is available at https://www.utazatvclub.org. Here is where you will see the schedule of events and a description of each ride offered.
The Montezuma Trails are some of the best Utah has to offer. I know because I have ridden some of them. Here is my commentary on some of the rides being offered:
Coral Pink Sand Dunes
If you are a lover of dunes, this is a ride for you. This adrenaline-fueled, fast-paced adventure will have you climbing dunes and diving into winding washes. A hotdog lunch will provide a much-needed break before you take on the challenge of scaling Competition Hill.
Dianas Throne
This is a new ride for me. It is listed as an extreme ride due to a crossing of Devil’s Throat where you clamber up steep slick rock peaks and plunge down the sharp faces on the other side. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go, but Mike Reed, an event organizer, told me to stop being such a baby. It features spectacular views of Zion and the White Cliffs beyond the Dianas Throne.
Hoodoo Run
The hoodoos that spawned the name of this ride are found in Brown Canyon. The ride starts from Johnson Canyon Road and proceeds to the Cowboy Cave petroglyphs. After circling the Pinnacles, the ride goes to some amazing views at Cutler Point and then into Brown Canyon. I love a good hoodoo, but the draw for me is a chance to see the Native American water glyphs featured on this ride. I have written about these before and they are fascinating. I took this ride last year and it was amazing.
Poverty
This ride stages off to the west of the road that goes through the tunnel in Zion National Park. It drops down winding switchbacks through the beautiful White Cliffs with stunning views of the East Fork of the Virgin River Gorge. I went on this ride last year and it was a favorite. Climbing the slick rock on this trail was a highlight of the ride. These are parts of Utah that you will never see from the highways.
If I haven’t given you reason enough to sign up for this spring jamboree, start at the top and read the article again. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down and get out of the cold and into the backcountry of Kanab.
Contact Lynn R. Blamires at quadmanone@gmail.com.