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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;

Sipapu Natural Bridge - Utah

Sipapu Natural Bridge - Utah

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 for 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/Grand Gulch Primitive Area – Located on the Highways (95, 261) leading to Natural Bridges National Monument are three canyons filled with ancient cliff dwellings. Of the sites I recommend below this one is the most physically demanding, and should be avoided if you have never walked long distances under the hot desert sun. But for those with both the time and experience necessary, a visit to one or more of  these canyons is an experience not to be missed.

Moki Dugway – Unless you have done a lot of back country travel in the Southwest, Moki Dugway is probably the last thing you’d expect to encounter on Highway 261. Climbing more than a 1000 feet in the space of a few miles, the visitor is confronted with a massive geologic change, that’s like driving up the side of the Grand Canyon.

Goosenecks of the San Juan State Park – Goosenecks is one of  those amazing, but lesser known spots in the Southwest. Chances are quite good that you have seen it in pictures but didn’t know where it was. Located on an  indistinct road off of Highway 261, the Goosenecks offers a grand view, and primitive camp site facilities for the adventurous.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park – While primarily known for its monolithic sandstone landscape, this area is part of the homeland of some of the descendants of the Native Americans that inhabited the Four Corners region. The other prominent group are the Puebloan peoples of  New Mexico.

Mesa Verde National Park – To me Mesa Verde represents the crown jewel of the ancient Southwest. Its very accessible nature, and well preserved monolithic architecture are a must see for those interested in the ancient cultures of the Southwest.

Hovenweep – Given its out of the way location, and better preserved examples of ancient ruins to the east and south,  I would only recommend a visit here if  you have some extra time, or are planning on taking the “scenic route” to Mesa Verde.