System developed by the Red Rock 4 Wheelers for trails in the Moab, UT area. This system has been adopted by many others.
1 | 0 | All weather road; 4WD not needed. |
1.5 | 1 | Graded road; 4WD may be needed in poor weather. |
2 | 2 | Unimproved or rarely graded road; 4WD or extra clearance needed at times, with no special driving skills required. |
2.5 | 2-3 | Road rarely maintained; 4WD, good clearance, low gears often needed, with some extra care and a bit of driving experience useful. |
3 | 3-4 | Road in difficult terrain, rarely maintained; 4WD, good clearance, and low gears essential, with some driving skill and daring required. |
3.5 | 5-6 | Road in difficult terrain, probably maintained only by occasional users; Excellent stock truck or utility vehicle required, with considerable driving skill and daring needed. |
4 | 7-8 | Trail either never bladed or badly eroded; Stock vehicles are in jeopardy. Modifications for improved off-road performance and top driving skills needed. |
4+ | 9-10 | We can hardly improve on the original description written a few years ago by Jack Bickers: "with driving by World Class Yahoo Jeepers not much concerned with vehicle durability or personal safety." It is common to have as many as 10 percent of the vehicles experience major mechanical failures (gears, axles, driveshafts) on these trails. |
Note: Trail ratings are highly subjective. A trail that is easy for an experienced driver with a highly modified vehicle may be impassable for a novice driver in a stock vehicle. Weather conditions may also significantly affect the difficulty of a trail. Also, the difficulty of a trail may change over time, as trail use, weather, and maintenance modify the trail. Always check with the managing organization and/or recent users before planning a trip on a trail and scout ahead on foot if you are not sure of current conditions.