Moab, Utah is know for it's amazing red rock formations, hiking, biking and off-roading opportunities as well as its proximity to Canyonlands National Park and Arches National Park. Additionally, three National Parks ( Zion, Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef ), beautiful State Parks and several National Monuments are a day-trip away.
During our stay we picked the Moab KOA. Although a bit pricy the amenities are worth the extra expense. The park has a beautiful swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, laundry facilities, WIFI and a general store.
It also has killer views of the La Sal Mountains and the Moab rim. If you look closely you can spot Garfield on the rim, if not drop into the general store and they can point it out to you.
Dead Horse Point gets it name from the practice of cowboys corralling wild mustangs on the point, selecting the ones they wanted to keep, and leaving the other horses exposed on the point. Due to the lack of water on the point the horses perished within view of the Colorado River below them.
On your way out of Dead Horse State Park or the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands, look for the signs to Gemini Bridges. This easy off-road trail can be tackled with any 4WD vehicle or SUV and leads to two large side by side arches. Please be mindful of children and pets at Gemini Bridges due to the drop offs, pets and humans have fallen to their deaths here. You will be viewing the arches from the top so use extreme caution when trying to catch that perfect photo.
As you head back south on US-19 enjoy a scenic drive on Potash Rd (U-279) for a view of the Colorado River, petroglyphs, dinosaur tracks and hiking trails.
If you are coming from Dead Horse State Park turn right on US 191, towards Moab and turn right on to Potash road right before you cross the river. From Moab head north on US 191 and turn left on U-279, just across the river. This 17 mile drive follows the Colorado River and sandstone cliffs. You may spot rock climbers in the section called Wall Street and signage will point you to the rock art, dinosaur tracks and Corona Arch Trailhead. At the end of the road you can either turn around and return the way you came or if you have a 4WD vehicle, with high clearance, you can continue on the off-road Shafer Trail.
Not into off-roading then check out the paved La Sal Loop for scenery right out of a western movie. Head south out of Moab on US-191 and turn left towards Ken's Lake. At the first "T" in the road turn right and continue on past Geyser Pass, Oowah Lake, Warner Lake down the mountain to Castle Valley. Past Castle Valley you will hit another "T" in the road with no signage, turn left this time and follow the Colorado River back to US-191.
Arches National Park which is just north of Moab on US-191, has 2,000 natural arches, making it one of the world's highest concentrations of natural arches. Erosion, weathering, faults and an unstable salt bed create this ever changing landscape of fins and arches.
While many of the arches can be seen by driving through the park and stopping at viewpoints, the majority of the arches require a bit of hiking. The most popular hike is to Delicate Arch, this 3 mile hike is over slickrock and offers no shade. Please bring plenty of water and wear proper footwear. When we did this hike there were several groups of people hiking in sandals and without any water. I was later told that they were most likely locals. If hiking to Delicate Arch is not for you, or it is just to hot, you can still see the arch from the upper or lower viewpoints. Just drive to the end of the road, 1 mile past the Delicate Arch trailhead. From here you can view the arch by walking 100 yards on the lower trail or a 1/2 mile on the upper trail. The dramatic view from the upper viewpoint shows the arch sitting on top a enormous cliff.
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