And mostly, there's the overabundance of enthusiasts just looking for a good time out on the trails. The Red Rock 4-Wheelers club does an extraordinary job of hosting the world's biggest off-road event, but the increased traffic is making it harder and harder for official club runs to coexist on the same trail with unofficial runs. While normally not a problem, it has ruffled the feathers of a few participants who paid fees and signed up for official runs, only to sit behind the ubiquitous broken-down jalopy all day that cut into the line. It's a problem that moved the club to petition for certain trail closures during official club trail runs.
But it's not all doom and gloom. Sure, the Utah Highway Patrol is in full force, along with the local Sheriff's Department. Sure, there's a lot of people in the town and on the trail. And sure, you've got to pay an access fee or buy a day pass to enter some off-road areas. But the Moab Easter Jeep Safari still offers it all. You can still get a table at a restaurant with a shorter wait than on a Wednesday in Los Angeles. There's a whole rolling car show in town with tons of 4x4 eye candy to gawk at. And there's hands-down some of the best wheeling in the world to be had, with incredible scenery and challenging terrain.
If you do wind up going, make sure your rig is street legal if you plan on driving it on the roads between trails. If it isn't, throw it on the trailer. There are a few organized trash pickups at the more popular obstacles like Potato Salad Hill. If you can't get hooked up with an organized trash pickup, just take a few hours with your buds and fill a few bags. Finally, to learn more about what you can do to help keep the Moab trails open and accessible, or for more info on next year's event, contact the Red Rock 4-Wheelers at 435/259-7625, www.rr4w.com. It's still a can't-miss event. Let's keep it that way.
Our buddy Matt Hodges from West Texas Off-Road demonstrates the need for bead locks by jamming a huge rock between his rim and tire bead. Matt is such a ham. | 
One thing we've been noticing the past few years is the relatively few trail breaks we come across. The owner of this flattie was kind enough to fold his tie rod to make us feel all warm and fuzzy for the good old days. | 
Cappa was way into Nate Marsh's '73 Wagoneer. As a participant of our sister magazine, 4-Wheel & Off-Road's Ultimate Adventure '05, Nate had all the bugs worked out of his 1-ton axle'd FSJ. It runs a 350 Chevy, TH 400, and an NP203/205 double to augment the 4.56 gears and 40s. |
Even if you don't own a Jeep, you can still hit the trails in Moab. We ran into this family running with a rental TJ on Poison Spider Mesa. Rates are reasonable, at about $100 per day. There are several Jeep rental companies within the town of Moab, so check online for one that works for you. | 
A sign of the times, some areas of the more popular trails are closed for habitat rehabilitation or are now privately owned. You've got to respect the barriers, or the whole deal could be shut down. This area of Hell's Revenge is closed, but the Escalator obstacle (where the crowd is standing) is still open. | 
One man's mineshaft is another man's garage or, in this case, girl's garage. The hills and ravines around Moab are littered with old uranium, gold, and mineral mineshafts. Just watch out for old dynamite. |
Hell's Revenge trail is home to the hot tubs. Normally full of water, this year they were dry and proved drivable. This XJ deftly climbed where many have rolled before. | 
Trasborg has a thing for tube fenders. This TJ makes plenty of room for 35s with a short lift and plenty of body cutting. It's a trend we were happy to see widely adopted by what seemed like the majority of Jeeps we saw this year. | 
Another benefit of the Moab EJS is the vendor showcase at the Spanish Trail Arena south of town. It's like an off-road SEMA show open to the public. We spied this ultra-cool M-38 parked outside, complete with a swapped Dana 44 front, power steering, and just the right stance. |