On April 17, 2000,  I took off south from Park City in my trusty 1999 Land Rover Discovery II and drove 4 or so hours to that  jewel of a desert town:  Moab.  Moab is the Mecca of off-road trails with hundreds (probably thousands) of miles of trails close by in freely accessible Bureau of Land Management (BLM) areas and in Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.   Many trails are just dirt roads that you could literally drive the family car on to a true wilderness getaway.  However, trails rated 3 and higher require a more capable vehicle--such as a SUV-particularly a Land Rover- because as you move up the trail ratings past 3 your vehicle needs to have extra clearance, skid plates, and other modifications to prevent damage.  After the 3 and 3 1/2 rated trails no longer thrill you in your stock vehicle, modify your vehicle and move to the 4 and  4+ rated trails guaranteed to thrill all of the hard core adventure seekers.  

The hardest trail we did was a 3 1/2.  I cannot imagine trying something harder in my stock Disco without doing some damage.  Some of the rock ledges I climbed up and down and the slickrock hills were very challenging and make me glad I have done this stuff before.  I have been down to the desert in my Disco and old Yukon four wheeling but had never done it during Jeep Safari Week.  That many off-roaders made me realize how serious I could get with this stuff-and they also showed me what a great time you could have off-roading in groups.  I cannot wait to do some guided trips with the Land Rover bunch now.

 I could not imagine buying a new Land Rover and taking it to the places I did, but, honestly, I didn't find one obstacle on all the trails rated 3 that my truck would not "roll through" and even on the obstacles rated 3 1/2 I had few problems that my low gear and driving skill could not get me through.  

Check out my trail ratings guide for more info on the trail rating system.