These trails are found on the Arapeen Trail System, a 600-mile system that showcases the mountains above Ephraim and Manti, and on the east side above Ferron and Orangeville. You’ll experience some of the most beautiful trails Utah offers with great vistas, gorgeous wildflowers, and crisp mountain air as you ascend to over 10,000 feet in elevation along Skyline Drive. In the fall, these mountains will be showing fall colors in all their splendor.

Registration for both events provides plenty of bang for your buck. The fees are $125 per rider, including two breakfasts, two lunches, a catered dinner, and a Mountain Run ATV T-shirt. The fee covers most of your meals and the fun is included at no extra cost.

The summer run is scheduled for July 7-8, and the fall run will be September 17-18, 2026. Registration, itineraries, and meeting places are found at https://www.manti.gov/atvrun. When you go to that site, view the YouTube video featured there. You will forget the cold outside and dream of summer fun. Plan to attend both events–the difference between the seasons is dramatic.

They cater to three different riding skill levels – the first level is designed for those who like beautiful scenery on easy trails. Skyline Drive would be an example of this level. Riding at elevations above 10,000 feet, you look down on lush green valleys and deep blue lakes. On the second level, you will be on narrower trails that wind through huge groves of aspen on trails rated as moderate. The third level will be more challenging. The focus is more on the technical aspects of the trail than on the beautiful scenery you will be traveling through.

Jamborees provide many opportunities to meet like-minded people. I have made many new friends at these events. Many don’t live close, but jamborees provide opportunities to meet and ride together again.

I was on the trails 51 days last year, but no riding season would be complete without a few days on the Arapeen Trail System. This year, I will be leading a round-trip two-day ride with the NUATV Club from Ferron to Salina. More information about the club is available at https://www.nuatv.com.

Ephraim and Manti are great places to stage rides on the Arapeen Trail System. The Willow Creek Inn in Ephraim is a favorite, but now there is another option in town. Last summer, the Cobblestone Hotel and Suites opened, featuring a complimentary hot breakfast.

After a hot shower, you can find good Mexican, Chinese, American, and Italian food. I found a great hamburger at a reasonable price at the bowling alley in Ephraim. My days of camping are behind me. My idea of roughing it these days is a hotel with no breakfast.

Five jamborees have been held each year that focus on trails on the west side of the mountain. Manti sponsors these two, while San Pete County sponsors three others – a sunset ride in June, a two-day Skyline Circuit ride in August, and an autumn ride in September. This year, a new jamboree is being added. The town of Mt. Pleasant will showcase the access it provides to the north side of the Arapeen Trail System. Stay tuned for more information on these events as it becomes available.

Skyline Drive, at the top of the Manti-La Sal Mountains, divides the Arapeen Trails into east- and west-facing sections. While there are no jamborees on the east side of the Arapeen system, there are facilities with great amenities in Ferron and Emery. The Big Mountain Lodge in Ferron has expanded its services to offer accommodations in Emery.

The Arapeen Trail System includes 600 miles of OHV trail. The combination of trails available to ride offers endless itineraries to enjoy on both sides of the mountain. Some of my first rides after buying my first ATV in 1993 were on this trail system.

The Arapeen Trail Map is one of the most comprehensive and informative maps available. It is important to have one when riding these trails. When you go, take plenty of water, keep the rubber side down, and consider seeing Utah’s backcountry at these jamborees.

Lynn R. Blamires can be reached at quadmanone@gmail.com.