Moab: Private Hell’s Revenge 4x4 U-Drive Tour & Hell’s Gate

★★★★★★★★★★

5.00

(103 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t think my hands would sweat just from gripping a steering wheel, but there we were—two minutes into the Hell’s Revenge Trail outside Moab, and my palms were already clammy. Our guide, Jamie (he grew up here), just grinned and told us to “trust the tires.” The first time we crawled up one of those petrified sandstone domes, I was convinced we’d tip over backwards. We didn’t. Instead, the UTV hugged the rock like it was glued on. The air smelled dusty and sharp—like sun-baked stone and sagebrush. I kept glancing sideways at my brother, who was doing that nervous laugh he does when he’s excited but pretending not to be.

Jamie led in his own machine—three seats in his—and we followed behind in ours. He’d stop every so often to point out weird shapes in the rocks or tell us how people used to cross this land before there were even roads. At one point he handed around some cold water and snacks (I dropped half my trail mix under the seat; still salty about that). We passed another group stuck on a steep bit—everyone cheering them on from a safe distance. It felt like being part of some odd desert parade.

The big moment is Hell’s Gate. I’d seen photos online but standing at the bottom looking up made my stomach drop. Jamie took over driving for that part—said insurance wouldn’t let us try it ourselves (probably for good reason). The engine roared and we crawled straight up this impossible-looking crack in the rock. My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it over everything else. When we made it to the top, there was this wild silence for a second—just wind and our own breathing. I still think about that view sometimes, all red cliffs and blue sky with nothing between you and forever except a little dust on your shoes.