Arches, Canyons and Horses
After leaving the Grand Canyon we continued our road trip North through Monument Valley to Moab, Utah with plans to visit Arches and Canyonlands National Parks along with Dead Horse Point State Park. We had also planned to visit the Four Corners but the Navajo Nation is still in lock-down for some unknown reason so that had to get cut from our plans.
The Drive North
Just after crossing into Utah from Arizona we came through Monument Valley which is an absolutely gorgeous section of natural rock formations in all directions. The most famous section here, Forest Gump Point, is the portion of the roadway from the movie where Forest stopped running to go home. The speed limit does drop here and there are a couple pull-offs to grab pictures.
Shortly after passing through Monument Valley we came through a little town on the river called Mexican Hat. The spot is named for a rock formation the say resembles a mexican hat but J was quick to point out that he didn’t see it “upside down, right side up or sideways!”
Mexican Hat
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK
Just on the edge of Moab, Utah lies Arches National Park which is one of two National Parks in the area (Utah has 5). The major draw here is that there are over 2,000 documented arches within the national park in addition to the numerous other structures and formations. I could easily have spent days in this park hiking to various formations to catch sunrises and sunsets. Unfortunately timing and circumstances didn’t allow for this. We did drive the entire park and get out in several areas to take in the beauty including Delicate Arch. This particular arch is so popular the State of Utah has it on their license plates!
My main recommendations for this park are to take your time, ALWAYS have water handy and be patient. The lines can be extremely long to enter the park, especially early morning and late afternoon. If you’re just wanting to see the formations and aren’t as concerned about the sunrise/sunset photos go during midday and the wait will be much less.
CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK
The other national park near Moab is Canyonlands National Park. This park is divided into several districts with some accessible only to high clearance 4×4 vehicles. The most popular section closest to Moab is the Islands in the Sky district. This is probably the most visited section of the park and can also have long waits to enter during peak times. We probably only had to wait 15-20 minutes to get in but we did see signs on the road marking wait times up to 2 hours from their respective points.
As referenced by its name the park is full of canyons but there are many other unique features including its own arches. I will say that this is a park you should see BEFORE visiting the Grand Canyon. Canyonlands has immense beauty but visiting just after seeing the Grand Canyon can be quite anticlimactic!
The Colorado and Green Rivers converge inside the park and provide awesome views inside the park. Take your time and enjoy the park. There are many opportunities to hike and get away from the roads. Like Arches I will say to make sure you have water always and be patient. The crowds can be intense at times, especially around the arches. Just know you’re going to have people in your pictures!
DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK
Just a few miles before reaching the entrance to Canyonlands National Park you will see a sign for Dead Horse Point State Park. Do NOT pass this park up!!! As a matter of fact this is where I’ll tell you to NEVER discount the state parks. We all go to see the national parks but many of the state parks are just as beautiful, if not more so, than the national parks. As a matter of fact many of the state parks were once slated to be national parks before being turned over to the states.
Dead Horse Point State Park provides amazing views and canyons including horseshoe shaped cuts where the Colorado River winds through the area. There are several areas to hike inside the park including a rim trail that holds breathtaking views.
Be sure to read the signs and learn about how the area got its name. Then spend some time on the overlooks and see if you can find the “ghost horse!”
DINING AND CAMPING IN MOAB
We spent four nights in Moab at the Moab Rim Campark and were extremely pleased. The owners of this park are extremely nice and helpful and went out of their way to ensure our stay was pleasant. I fully understand why this park was voted the best in the area. I highly recommend giving them a shout if you ever plan to be in the area.
Another recommendation I have for Moab is to stop in for pizza at Antica Forma in the heart of Moab. I will caution you in advance that it can be a bit pricey but OH SO WORTH IT!!!! We got this recommendation from Adam and Kathryn with The Adventures of A + K and were not disappointed. The pizza is fast fired in 90 seconds in an oven imported from Italy. The flour and tomatoes are brought in from Italy and the Mozzarella is made fresh in house! This pizza is about as authentic as it gets.
Finally if you have kids be sure to stop by and grab a quick photo with Tow Mater from the movie Cars. It is sitting in a bank parking lot and J lit up with joy just getting to stand by it!
Overall Moab, Utah is definitely an amazing place to visit. The town is thriving and constantly busy. There is something here for everyone from hiking or mountain biking to UTV off road adventures. Let us know if you have any questions or comments. Also take a moment to give A+K a follow. They are also a wealth of information. Until next time…….