Utah · Mountain biking · Near Moab

Sovereign Trail (Upper)

0.6 mi
round trip
33 ft
climb
Out and back
route
Mar–May, Sep–Oct
best months

Sovereign Trail (Upper) is a short, out-and-back mountain biking route in Utah, set within the State of Utah Forrest, Fire and State Lands on Sovereign Lands 8. The State Department of Natural Resources manages the land, and the trail is part of the Sovereign Trail system. The climb is a hard one, with a total elevation gain of 33 feet over a 1.2-mile round trip, taking the rider from a low point of 4,641 feet to a high of 4,685 feet. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to ride. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Moab show May highs around 78°F and October highs around 68°F, while July averages climb to about 96°F. The Motherload Trail and the Alternate Trail both lie about 0.4 miles away, and the Sovereign Trail (Lower) is about 0.5 miles off. For an overnight stay, Courthouse Rock Campground is about 3.8 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Gastonia Campground

    Campground

    Campground · 2.8 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Bar M Chuckwagon

    Restaurant

    On your way back · 6 mi
  • If it rains

    Interactive Track Museum

    Museum

    On your way back · 5 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors

More in Moab

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Mar–May, Sep–Oct

    Best time to visit Sovereign Trail (Upper)

    Best months: March–May and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      39° / 17°

      5 wet

    2. Feb

      47° / 25°

      5 wet

    3. Mar

      59° / 32°

      4 wet

    4. Apr

      67° / 39°

      4 wet

    5. May

      78° / 48°

      4 wet

    6. Jun

      90° / 58°

      3 wet

    7. Jul

      96° / 66°

      4 wet

    8. Aug

      92° / 63°

      5 wet

    9. Sep

      83° / 53°

      5 wet

    10. Oct

      68° / 40°

      5 wet

    11. Nov

      52° / 27°

      4 wet

    12. Dec

      39° / 17°

      5 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Moab Canyonland Ap, UT, 4.7 mi away at 4,561 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more rides worth the drive

SovereignPhoto: Foreade, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Sovereign

~4 min drive

3.74-mile trail at Sovereign Trail System with 345 ft elevation gain

RIDE

Motherload Trail

Next door

0.47-mile hard out-and-back trail in Utah with 88 ft elevation gain.

RIDE

Alternate Trail

Next door

0.65-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 134 ft elevation gain.

RIDE

Snippet

~4 min drive

0.16-mile easy singletrack in Utah with 44 ft elevation gain.

Brushy Mountain TrailPhoto: Foreade, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Brushy Mountain Trail

~4 min drive

Brushy Mountain Trail is a 0.52-mile trail in Utah's Sovereign Trail System.

RIDE

Sovereign Trail (Upper)

Next door

1.09-mile difficult out-and-back trail in Utah with 231 ft elevation gain.

RIDE

L.4 Trail

~2 min drive

0.25-mile moderate out-and-back trail in Utah with 45 ft of elevation gain.

RIDE

Cross Canyon

~5 min drive

0.69-mile easy singletrack in Utah with 93 ft of elevation gain.

RIDE

Sovereign Trail (Upper)

Next door

1.91-mile trail in Utah's Sovereign Trail System with 342 ft of elevation gain.

RIDE

Sovereign Trail (Lower)

Next door

1.51-mile out-and-back trail in Utah with 470 ft elevation gain.

Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors