Suggested Trips:

The type of trip I recommend to visitors depends on a number of factors, including;  where they are driving or flying in from, the length of the trip and what they want to see.  Some areas I know better, so I will discuss those in depth while, touching other areas I am aware of.

Hub Cities:

There are really 4 major hubs from which to explore the Southwest, especially if you are flying in – Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Albuquerque.  Which one you choose, depends a lot on what you want to see, and can be the deciding factor between whether you spend the majority of your time enjoying the awesome scenery of the southwest, or sitting in a hot car watching those monotonous stretches of desert that separate the grand islands of beauty.

Focal Points:

The Southwest is really a patch work of spectacular islands, in a vast sea of relative monotony. The contrast couldn’t be sharper then approaching the south rim of of the Grand Canyon for the first time. Many of these islands are conveniently clustered together, and make it convenient for a variety of smaller trips from the different hub cities, or as part of a larger trip connecting them together.

Arches – Canyonlands –

If you knew that visiting the Southwest was going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity and you didn’t have a lot of time, this is the place I would recommend above all others.  If one area summarizes what the Southwest is all about (monolithic river canyons, colorful deserts, sculpted sandstone landmarks, ancient cultures and endless recreational opportunities), this is it.

Arches National Park – Arches (including the immediate area around Moab) contain the highest concentration of sandstone arches anywhere on Earth, with more than 2000 known to exist.

Canyonlands National Park – Canyonlands offers a taste of what is cousin to the south the Grand Canyon looks like.  While most visitors see  Canyonlands from its main entrance, and the Island of the Sky. Its worth your time to see it from to other points along Highway 191 to the south. These include the paved road to the Canyonlands Overlook, as well as Highway 211 which takes you into Canyonlands Needles District, a favorite area for hikers.

Highway 279/Kane Road –  For myself this is one of those hidden gems of the Moab area and the Southwest. Despite spending quite a bit of time in Utah as a child, I missed this spot completely.  It wasn’t until I saw pictures from the Moab Rim Trail, that I realized what I’d missed – one of the greatest views in the Southwest.  This is also one of those lessons in what you WILL miss if you never get out of your car.

It should be noted that Highway 279 and Kane are two separate roads. Kane follows the Colorado River on the south bank, while 279 follows the river along the north bank. Both roads eventually end in dirt, with 279 offering the most to those who don’t have high clearance 4×4.  Highway 279 is also the dirt road seen in the famous view from Dead Horse Point, my next recommended visit in this area.

Dead Horse Point State Park – This ranks as one of Utah’s greatest state park, and offers probably the best view in the greater Canyonlands area. If you have seen one photograph of Canyonlands, chances are this where it was taken.

Highway 128/Fisher Towers –

Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument –  Located on the road (Highway 211) to Canyonland’s Needles District, newspaper rock is one of the best (and largely undamaged) panels of  ancient Indian rock art (also known as petroglyphs)  that still exists.  A trip to this area would not be complete without seeing it.

For those with more time, see “Natural Bridges – Mesa Verde – Monument Valley”, which covers areas south of Monticello, Utah.

Natural Bridges – Mesa Verde – Monument Valley

If you have the time to expand your travels beyond Moab, I would highway recommend expanding your journey to include the Blanding and Monument Valley areas. Sights here include;

Natural Bridges National Monument – Located on Highway 95, this gem of a park, is not as well visited as its cousins to the Nort, but its three natural bridges match, if not rival the beauty of  the arches found near Moab.  But, if you do plan to visit this park, plan on spending some time hiking the canyons, as you can’t really appreciate these giants, without getting out of the car and walking underneath them.

Natural Bridges is also known of its very dark skies, making it the perfect location to see the Milky Way in all its glory, something that is a rarely possible these days

Mule Canyon/Kane Gulch

Moki Dugway

Goosenecks State Park

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Mesa Verde National Park

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