Four wheel drive tours
NAVTEC Expeditions, the widest backcountry menu
The longest reaching four wheel drive programme in Moab, and the operator to ring when you want the parts of Canyonlands that ordinary cars cannot get to. Published rates from $198 for a half day to $398 for Horseshoe Canyon.
The short answer
Best for: visitors who want the backcountry rather than the viewpoints. White Rim, Chesler Park, Horse Canyon and Horseshoe Canyon all need a capable vehicle and a driver who knows the road.
Rates run $198 to $398 per person and are published for every trip. The longer days are the point here, not the half days.
The destinations
What the long days actually reach
White Rim
A shelf road below the mesa
The hundred mile road that runs on a bench roughly a thousand feet below Island in the Sky. Ordinary cars cannot use it and the descent is the memorable part. A day trip samples a section rather than driving the whole loop.
Chesler Park
The Needles, properly
The Needles district is 74 miles from Moab by road before the driving even starts. Chesler Park sits among the banded spires the district is named for, and reaching it in a day means a long drive plus walking at the far end.
Horse Canyon
Rock art and a ruin
A Needles backcountry route that a high clearance vehicle can drive up the canyon bottom, reaching pictograph panels and the standing masonry at Tower Ruin. This is archaeology as much as scenery.
Horseshoe Canyon
The Great Gallery
A detached piece of Canyonlands, well west of everything else, holding one of the most significant rock art panels in North America. The canyon walk is about seven miles round trip with a steep climb back out, so treat it as a serious day rather than a drive with a stop.
The far trips involve several hours of driving each way on unpaved road before you walk anywhere. That is the trade: a lot of the day in a vehicle in exchange for somewhere genuinely remote. If you would rather be on your feet, a half day at a park trailhead does more walking per hour.
What to expect
How a four wheel drive day runs
Vehicle based backcountry trips work differently from a guided hike, and the difference surprises people who book expecting one and get the other.
- Most of the distance is driven, not walked. The walking happens at stops, and how much there is varies by trip.
- The road is the attraction on White Rim. Switchbacks, exposure and a view that changes constantly. If that sounds uncomfortable rather than exciting, say so before booking.
- Bring more water than feels necessary. The National Park Service figure is two to three litres per person for front country walking and four or more in the backcountry.
- There is no shade and no water source anywhere on these routes. Sun protection is not optional in summer.
- Conditions close roads. Rain turns some of this ground impassable, and a reputable operator changes the plan rather than pushing on.
Choosing
Which trip suits you
- First visit, limited time
- Arches and Canyonlands$275, both parks
- Want the road itself
- White Rim$298
- Want rock art
- Horseshoe Canyon$398
- Want the Needles
- Chesler Park or Horse Canyon$348
If this is a first trip to Moab and you have a few days, the $275 combination day is the sensible start. It covers the ground most visitors come for and leaves the backcountry for a return visit.
If you have seen the viewpoints before, the money is better spent on Horseshoe Canyon or the Needles. Those are the days you cannot replicate in a rental car, and they are why this operator is on the list.
We do not run trips, own gear or employ guides, and no operator pays to appear here or to appear higher. Details below are from each company's own published material, checked September 2026. Full disclosure.
Common questions
Questions
How much does NAVTEC Expeditions cost?
Half day tours are $198 per person. Full days run from $275 for the Arches and Canyonlands combination, $298 for White Rim, $348 for Chesler Park or Horse Canyon, and $398 for Horseshoe Canyon. Rates are per person before tax and gratuity.
What is the best NAVTEC trip for a first visit?
The Arches and Canyonlands combination at $275. It covers both parks in a day, which is what most first time visitors want. The longer backcountry trips make more sense on a second visit, once you have seen the viewpoints.
What is the White Rim tour?
A four wheel drive day on the shelf road that runs roughly a thousand feet below Island in the Sky. Ordinary vehicles cannot use it. A day trip covers a section rather than the full hundred mile loop, and the descent is the part people remember. Published at $298 per person.
Is Horseshoe Canyon worth the price?
It depends on what you came for. Horseshoe Canyon is a detached unit of Canyonlands holding one of the most significant rock art panels in North America, and the walk is about seven miles round trip with a steep climb out. At $398 it is the most expensive day on the menu and the hardest to reach any other way.
How much walking is on a NAVTEC tour?
It varies by trip and most of the distance is driven rather than walked. Horseshoe Canyon involves a substantial canyon walk of about seven miles round trip. The park combination days are built around stops and shorter walks. Ask the operator for the walking distance on your chosen date.
Next step
Compare the alternatives
Trips and rates from the operator's own published material, checked September 2026. Prices change seasonally and park entry may be separate.