Tune in World: Hell’s Revenge and The Lion's Back

Located in the heart of the Colorado Plateau, in Utah, in the western United States, between scenic red rock cliffs of Arches National Park and the incredible sandstone landscapes of Canyonlands National Park, the town of Moab offers endless opportunity for sightseeing and exploration. This is why this small town is a popular destination for adventure lovers. The rugged and beautiful desert terrain is marked with hundreds of trails for mountain biking and extreme 4x4 driving.

One particularly difficult trail, appropriately named Hell’s Revenge, consists of an 8.4 mile roller coaster ride across dangerously steep sandstone domes and ledges that are not for the faint of heart. It’s a challenging and difficult trail, recommended only for very experienced drivers with advanced equipment. As challenging as it is, Hell’s Revenge is also a very beautiful trail that takes you to high vantage points offering great views of the La Sal Mountains, Negro Bill Canyon, Abyss Canyon and the Colorado River. This area is also known for another famous motorcycle and mountain-bicycle trail called "Slickrock Bike Trail," east of the town of Moab.

Riding down the Lion’s Back, in Moab, Utah. Photo credit

Hell’s Revenge includes several obstacles named such as “Escalator”, “Black Hole” and the “Tip Over Challenge”. One popular obstacle that you will find along the way is “The Lion's Back”.

The Lion's Back is a sandstone ridge several hundred feet up. The climb involves riding up the slope having a gradient of up to 65 degrees in places, reach the top, make a turn and slowly descend down. Lion’s Back became famous years ago when a vehicle, lost its brakes and rolled down the hill, plunging 30 feet to the ground. Nobody died in the crash, but the event was caught on video tape and was shown on several television programs. The attraction and campground is now private property and no longer accessible by 4x4'ers.

Every year during Easter, hundreds of 4-wheelers come to challenge the rough terrain of the backcountry during Easter Jeep Safari, an event which runs for nine days, going through Easter Sunday.