2-seat
Nimble on the narrower spurs and the easiest to park at overlooks. The evening loop around Aspen Mirror Lake and the pond, and the out-and-back to Strawberry Point, are the two rides guests do most in a 2-seater.
Rentals & Tips
ATV & UTV Rentals in Duck Creek Village
Every shop in the village compared, which machine fits which ride, and what you need before the key turns
Every rental shop in Duck Creek Village
Four shops rent machines in the village itself, all on Movie Ranch Road. Duck Creek Adventures is directly across the street from Duck Creek Village Inn at 825; Mountain Life Off-Road, Utah Adventure Outfitters and Prime Adventure Outfitters sit a few hundred yards west along the same main street, an easy walk from the inn. Between them you can get an ATV, a two- to six-seat side-by-side, or a snowmobile once Cedar Mountain holds snow. Summer weekends and holiday weeks book out well ahead, so call before you drive up.
- Rental shops
- Four, all on Movie Ranch Road; one directly across from the inn
- Bringing your own
- Plenty of trailer parking at the inn; ride out from the lot on village spurs 52 and 59
- Every operator needs
- A Utah OHV education certificate (free adult course, 15 to 30 minutes)
- Permit
- None for a rental: the shop's machine is Utah-registered
| Shop | Rents | Seats | Snowmobiles in winter | Address | Phone | From the inn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duck Creek Adventures Published rates start at $200 for a 2-seat RZR and $200 for a two-hour, two-up snowmobile. Verify when booking. | Polaris RZRs, Can-Am Commanders and Defenders, snowmobiles, a Jeep Wrangler, kayaks | 2-seat RZRs up to larger Can-Am Defenders; ask which sizes are on the lot | Yes | 825 Movie Ranch Road, Duck Creek Village | (435) 682-3050 | Directly across the street from the inn |
| Mountain Life Off-Road | ATVs, side-by-sides, snowmobiles | 2 to 6 | Yes, once Cedar Mountain holds snow | 735 Movie Ranch Road, Duck Creek Village | (435) 592-4928 | A short walk west along Movie Ranch Road |
| Utah Adventure Outfitters | Side-by-sides and snowmobiles, self-guided; helmets, goggles, cooler, water and trail maps included, GPS tracker on each unit | Ask the shop | Yes | 795 Movie Ranch Road, Duck Creek Village | (435) 689-0323 | A short walk west along Movie Ranch Road |
| Prime Adventure Outfitters | Late-model Polaris ATVs and UTVs; sister locations at Brian Head and Panguitch Lake | 2, 4 and 6 | No, summer trail season only | 715 Movie Ranch Road, Duck Creek Village | (435) 393-5007 | A short walk west along Movie Ranch Road |
Operator details verified August 2026 against each business's own website and the Duck Creek Village Association OHV rental directory. Shops change hands and fleets change fast up here, so call ahead to confirm hours, availability, and what is actually on the lot before you count on it.
Which machine for which ride
Seats decide the ride as much as the ride decides the seats. Designated OHV trails on the Markagunt are limited to 72 inches wide and 2,500 pounds (Forest Order 0407-22-15, through 2027), and a few spurs are posted at 50 inches, so a big 6-seater may be confined to the open forest roads. Ask the shop for the width of the exact unit you are renting.
4-seat
The family machine. Room for kids and a cooler, still under 72 inches on most models, and the right size for half-day rides with a hike or a cave stop in the middle.
6-seat
For a group doing the full Strawberry Loop or a long day on the Tommy Creek Loop together. Check the width: some 6-seaters exceed 72 inches and are then limited to open forest roads, and a full load burns fuel faster than the range figure suggests.
What every renter needs
Utah's rules are short, but two of them stop people at the counter. Sort these out before you arrive and the shop visit takes ten minutes.
Complete rider education before the trip
The adult online course is free. Riders under 18 take a separate youth course. Utah says an existing approved youth certificate remains valid for life, so holders do not need to take the adult course. Save your certificate before leaving home and check the official requirements for your vehicle and any exemptions.
Utah OHV education requirements and coursesNo non-resident permit
The $35 Utah non-resident OHV permit applies to the machine, not the rider, and a rental shop's machine is already Utah-registered. You only need the permit if you trailer your own out-of-state machine to the village.
Non-resident permit detailsAge, deposit and driver rules vary by shop
Each shop sets its own minimum driver age, deposit and damage terms; one village shop publishes 25 and older with a $500 deposit for its snowmobiles. Ask before you book, and ask whether a second driver can be added.
Helmets and eye protection
Utah requires helmets for anyone under 18, and Kane County extends that to every OHV rider on county roads, which the village streets are. Shops supply helmets; bring goggles, because sunglasses do nothing once the dust starts.
The full rulebook, including highway crossings, youth riders and emergency numbers, is on our Utah OHV permits and laws page.
Packing list
- Current MVUM plus a downloaded offline map, because cell service drops within minutes of the village
- Utah OHV education certificate, printed or saved to your phone
- Helmet and sealed eye protection; goggles beat sunglasses once the dust starts
- A buff or neck gaiter for dust, and layers for weather that turns in an afternoon
- More water than feels necessary, plus sunscreen and lip balm for 8,400 feet
- First aid kit, tow strap, and a plan for who knows your route and return time
- A full tank before you leave the village, and a fuel-range plan for the loop
- Tread Lightly mindset: designated routes only, gates as you found them
Trail tips: what the mountain does to a ride
Dust is the real hazard
By midsummer the forest roads powder up, and the machine ahead of you can erase the next hundred feet. Ride staggered rather than nose-to-tail, back off on blind corners, and expect oncoming trucks on the wider roads. Goggles do more for you out here than any other single piece of gear.
You are riding at 8,400 feet and climbing
Duck Creek Village sits near 8,400 feet, and the loops climb from there. Sun burns faster, dehydration arrives sooner, and a layer belongs in the machine even when the morning is warm.
Monsoon clouds mean lunch back in the village
From July into September the storms build in the early afternoon. Start early, plan to be off the rims and out of the open meadows by lunch on a building-cloud day, and remember that hail and lightning arrive before the rain does.
Fuel where you can, not where you planned
Fill up in the village before you head out: Loose Wheels (Phillips 66) at 835 East Movie Ranch Road is the only fuel in the village, open daily 9 to 6. Once you are on the plateau there is no fuel, and a six-seat machine loaded with people burns through a tank faster than the range figure suggests. Turn around at half a tank.
Cell coverage ends minutes from the village
Download an offline map before you leave and carry the printed trail map. Tell someone at the inn or the shop your route and return time. The trail markers are numbered so you can always say where you are: marker 58 means the Strawberry Point spur off Trail 5.
Stay on designated routes
The Markagunt system is designated-route riding on Dixie National Forest ground, and the current Motor Vehicle Use Map is what governs, not a trail app. Meadows, streambanks, and cut-across lines are where riders get citations and where the damage shows for years. Leave gates the way you found them.
Ride from the inn
Duck Creek Village Inn is built for a riding trip. There is plenty of parking for trucks and trailers, and you ride straight out of the lot: the village roads are designated OHV routes (spurs 52 and 59), and Trail 5 starts a mile north of the highway at Aspen Mirror Lake. If you did not bring a machine, rent one right across the street at Duck Creek Adventures, or from any of the three shops five minutes up Movie Ranch Road.
Evening rides around Aspen Mirror Lake and Duck Creek Pond are a guest favorite; lights are required after sunset. Choose a room for a short riding trip or a cabin for a group, a kitchen and several days on the plateau.
Duck Creek Village ATV rental questions
What riders ask before booking a machine on the mountain.
Where can I rent a side-by-side or ATV near Duck Creek Village?
Four operators rent out of Duck Creek Village itself, all on Movie Ranch Road: Duck Creek Adventures directly across the street from the inn, and Mountain Life Off-Road, Utah Adventure Outfitters and Prime Adventure Outfitters a short walk west along the same main street. Between them you can get an ATV, a two- to six-seat side-by-side, or a snowmobile in winter. Summer weekends and holiday weeks book out well ahead, so call before you drive up.
Do I need an OHV education certificate for a one-day rental?
Yes, for a self-guided ATV or side-by-side rental on public land. Adults can take Utah’s free online course; riders under 18 need the separate youth course. An existing approved youth certificate remains valid for life. Complete the appropriate course before arrival and confirm the rental shop’s driver-age and certificate requirements.
Do I need a permit to ride my own ATV or side-by-side in Utah?
For an out-of-state OHV used on Utah public land, roads or trails, buy a nonresident permit for each machine. It costs $35 and lasts 12 months. Since September 8, 2026, this also applies to out-of-state street-legal OHVs, subject to limited exceptions. If you rent a Utah-registered machine, you do not buy an out-of-state permit for it. Rider education is a separate requirement.
Can I ride from the inn?
Yes. The village streets are designated OHV routes (spurs 52 and 59 of the Strawberry Loop), so you ride straight out of our parking lot, through the village at 15 mph, and onto Trail 5 a mile north of the highway at Aspen Mirror Lake. If your machine is not street-legal you may cross SR-14 at a right angle after stopping and yielding, but not ride along it. There is plenty of parking for trucks and trailers, and the rental shop across the street will bring a machine to you.
Which size machine should I rent?
A 2-seater is the pick for the evening loop around Aspen Mirror Lake and Duck Creek Pond or the out-and-back to Strawberry Point. A 4-seater suits family rides like Cascade Falls or Henrie Knolls. Groups doing the full Strawberry Loop or the Tommy Creek Loop take a 6-seater, but check its width: designated trails are limited to 72 inches and 2,500 pounds, some spurs are posted at 50 inches, and anything wider stays on the open forest roads.
Can I rent a snowmobile in winter?
Yes. Mountain Life Off-Road, Duck Creek Adventures, and Utah Adventure Outfitters all list snowmobile rentals in season. Winter here runs on snowpack rather than a calendar, so availability depends on what has actually fallen on Cedar Mountain and on Highway 14 being open for your vehicle. Check grooming and road conditions before you commit, and ask the shop what is rideable that week.
Operators verified August 2026
Sources for this page
Shop details come from each operator's own website and the Duck Creek Village Association rental directory; distances are ours, measured from the inn's front door. Education, permit and helmet rules come from the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation and the Utah Code. Width limits come from Forest Order 0407-22-15.
- Utah OHV Education (free adult course)
- Utah non-resident OHV permits
- Utah OHV laws and rules
- USDA Forest Service: Markagunt OHV System
- Dixie National Forest MVUM
- Tread Lightly
- Duck Creek Adventures (operator website)
- Mountain Life Off-Road (operator website)
- Utah Adventure Outfitters (operator website)
- Prime Adventure Outfitters (operator website)
Book an ATV Basecamp
Trailer parking, a rental shop across the street, and the Strawberry Loop a mile up the road. Stay at Duck Creek Village Inn and ride out from the lot.