A household name to any off-roader in the Salt Lake or Utah Valley, the 5 Mile Recreation Area (5 Mile) is home to some of the only technical and difficult trails close to the metro areas. Ranging from easy dirt roads to buggy-only trails, the options are endless in this small network.

Common testing grounds for newbie drivers or freshly built rigs, you have multiple options to tackle based on your skill level. Easy dirt paths such as Winter Solstice Road provide a slightly bumpy ride through the juniper and sagebrush to a plethora of mine remnants while providing a multitude of camping opportunities from the base of the hills all the way to the peaks. Among the easy drive lie many piles of mine tailings and closed-off vertical shafts, where you can hop out and stand on the rails placed across the opening. Just don't slip!

Perhaps the most common trails in this region are moderate or difficult, which attracts flocks of users just wanting to escape the city for the day. Rattlesnake and Constrictor are likely the spot where you will find the bulk of traffic on any given day, while Sidewinder Exit Trail is also in the difficult category. Mildly or moderately built rigs will have a great time playing in the granite rock gardens, on the numerous short or tall limestone ledges, and on the piles of mine tailings that stand out over the foothills of this small mountain range. If extreme challenges are up your alley, you will enjoy the wild, winding Sidewinder buggy trail, with constant off-camber situations, loose shale, and 6-foot-tall ledges attempting to stop all who try.

No matter the skill or the build, 5 Mile Recreation Area is an offroaders paradise. Pack up the rig and head out for a few hours, a whole day, or spend all weekend exploring the numerous mines, great views of the west desert, or the numerous challenges lining the trails.