Arches National Park
More than two thousand natural sandstone arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch, frame this area’s amazing beauty. In some areas, faulting has exposed millions of years of geologic history. An 18-mile paved loop road introduces visitors to a brilliantly colored landscape littered with fins, pinnacles, faults and fossils; hiking trails wind under arches and around windows in stone.5 miles north of Moab on Hwy 191.
435-259-8161
Canyonlands National Park
Countless canyons, mesas and buttes comprise the three separate districts of this Park – Island in the Sky, the Needles, and the Maze (very difficult access).Each is special. Near Moab, short hiking trails loop through Island in the Sky as raft trips float thousands of feet below to the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers. Grand View Point, about 30 miles from Moab, offers a 360 degree panoramic view of the deep canyons below. Off road vehicles and bikes are permitted on the 100-mile White Rim Trail. The Needles District north of Monticello offers a very different beauty with remote loop hikes to spectacular red rock gardens.435-719-2313
Dead Horse Point State Park
On the same mesa as Canyonlands’ Island in the Sky, 2,000 feet directly above the Colorado River, Dead Horse Point provides a breathtaking panorama of Canyonlands’ sculptured pinnacles and buttes.435-259-2614
Manti-La Sal National Forest
Home to the La Sal (near Moab) and Abajo (near Monticello) Mountains, this forest offers outstanding recreation in cooler temperatures. Wonderful scenic drives snake through these two different ranges, offering views of the surrounding desert floor.
Newspaper Rock National Recreation Site
One fabulous wall of Ancestral Puebloan and Ute petroglyphs (art chiseled and pecked into stone) is located on the road into Needles District of Canyonlands.
435-587-1500
Nearby Communities:
Moab is a vibrant town known for its world class slick rock mountain biking. But there’s more – rafting, boat tours, aerial trams, flight seeing, golf, and glorious, solitary hikes, and one of the best breweries in Utah. Lots of lodging and restaurants, some campgrounds.
For the southern entrance to Canyonlands’ Needles District, Monticello is close and is nestled at the foot of the lovely Abajo Mountains. It has a multi-agency visitor center, motels and restaurants.
www.discovermoab.com
Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
Perhaps the most photographed landscape in America, this valley of monoliths and buttes has been a favorite Hollywood backdrop for 80 years. Still a traditional Navajo homeland, the valley is accessible by private vehicle and guided tours on limited roads. Horseback tours are also available. No backcountry hiking or biking is allowed. Goulding’s, the area’s first trading post, has a fine small museum on early trading days. 435-727-5870
Goosenecks State Park
A stunning overlook views an “ancestral entrenched meander,” deep, looping curves carved by the San Juan River.
18 miles south of Bluff, UT off Hwys 191 & 261.
Grand Gulch Primitive Area
Hundreds of Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings and rock art panels dot the canyons off Cedar Mesa for avid day hikers and backpackers to enjoy. Hiking & camping permits required; no off road vehicles allowed.
Off Hwys 95 and 261, 30 miles south of Blanding, UT.
435-587-1532
Natural Bridges National Monument
Unlike arches, bridges are formed when streams cut through canyon walls. Three lovely bridges in one canyon, all accessible by short, steep hiking trails, are protected here. 36 miles west of Blanding, UT, off Hwy 95.
435-692-1234
Valley of the Gods
A landscape that rivals Monument Valley, but is more accessible for driving, hiking, camping, and biking (controlled by BLM).
12 miles south of Bluff, UT.
435-587-1500
Historic Goulding’s Lodge, known as a western fort and town setting of many John Wayne movies, is one mile from the rim of Monument Valley. It offers accommodations, a restaurant, campground, a museum, grocery store, fast food, and flight-seeing.
Twenty five miles south of the valley is Kayenta, AZ, on the Navajo Reservation, with several hotels and small restaurants.
North of the valley, in Utah, are Mexican Hat, Bluff, and Blanding. Blanding is the largest, with several motels and restaurants. A recently opened visitor center offers area information. Bluff, though small, is charming with historic Mormon homes, lots of outfitters and rafters, and a few outstanding trading posts to complement its three motels and several B&Bs. Mexican Hat has three small motels and restaurants and is located on the San Juan River.