Moab, Utah Area

On-Line Travel Guide

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PUBLIC LANDS

Over 90 percent of Grand County is 'public land', administered by the Bureau of Land Management, the USDA Forest Service, the State of Utah, the National Park Service, and State Parks. These lands have many diverse uses, including recreation, woodland products, wildlife management, livestock grazing and mineral resources. Different recreational activities are permitted in these areas, depending on which government agency administers the land. Please become familiar with, and follow all rules that apply in the areas you are visiting. And please help by doing your part to keep these lovely lands safe and clean. Canyon Country is a particularly delicate environment, and just straying off a marked trail can cause irreparable harm to the landscape.

Many of these areas may be reached with a standard automobile. Paved roads provide access to much of the "front country". Trailheads, visitor centers, overlooks and other sites are generally easily accessible. Amenities, such as gasoline, food and water are not always available at the more remote locations and advance planning to meet travelers needs is recommended. Supplies and motels, bed and breakfasts, and commercial campgrounds are available in Green River and Moab. See Moab Services and Accommodations for a listing of accommodations.

To reach the furthest recesses, or "back country" of the area's public lands, four-wheel drive vehicles and mountain bikes can be rented in Moab, and tour operators are available to guide a variety of activities, including river running, horseback riding, hiking and off-highway vehicle expeditions. Desert conditions are dangerous for those who are unprepared. Visitors are urged to always carry water (at least a gallon per person, per day is recommended) and food when visiting back country sites. When visiting the back country, it is also wise to notify someone about where you plan to go and when you will be back.

National Parks

The Moab/Green River area is the home of two of the most interesting national parks in the world, Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. Recreational activities in the park include hiking, backpacking, sight-seeing, photography, four-wheel driving (on designated roads only), technical rock climbing (with a permit) and mountain biking. Leashed pets are allowed in developed sections of the park, but (please!) NOT on any trails. Hikers are advised to leave pets at home or in an area kennel - not inside parked cars.

Arches National Park: The world's largest concentration of natural stone arches is found in Arches National Park. Nearly two thousand of these 'miracles of nature', and other unusual formations, grace the 73,000-acre area.

One of the more rewarding ways to see the park is on foot. Arches features short hikes, suitable for all ages, in the 'Windows' section of the park, to Double Arch and the North and South Windows (especially lovely at sunset). Longer hikes include Delicate Arch (a signature of Utah, and the arch depicted on the state centennial license plate), Tower Arch, Landscape Arch, and Devil's Garden area trails. Ranger-guided hikes in the Fiery Furnace are a true family adventure; reservations for this hike must be made in the visitor's center. If you plan to enter the Fiery Furnace on your own, a permit is required, and available free of charge at the visitor center.

Arches National Park is open year-round. The daily entrance fee is $4 per car. Annual individual passes are $10. Golden Eagle Passports are $25 and good for one full year. (Fees are subject to change.) Arches' peak visitor season runs from mid-March through October, and the cooler weather months, when snow occasionally blankets the red rocks, is a particularly pretty time to visit.

The Devil's Garden campground offers the only camping in the park. It has 52 sites, and is open on a first-come, first-serve basis. The campground has paved pads, picnic tables, grills and flush toilets (which are only available during the busy season). The nightly camp fee is $8. The campground is normally full by mid-morning during the peak season, so plan an early arrival. Pre-registration for camping can be accommodated at the park visitor's center, near the park entrance. Advance group campsite reservations may be made by contacting the park - (801) 259-4351. For more park information contact: Superintendent, Arches National Park, Box 907, Moab, UT 84532, (801) 259-8161.

Canyonlands National Park: Canyonlands National Park is divided neatly into three sections by the Green and Colorado Rivers. These sections, named Island in the Sky, the Needles and the Maze for their most prominent geologic characteristics, are quite different in what they offer and their access. Canyonlands is the largest national park in the state, and its diversity staggers the imagination. Thousand-foot views down into river canyons, or up, to red rock pinnacles, cliffs and spires are truly awe inspiring. Visitors may explore the park by driving a passenger car on paved roads to the Needles and Island in the Sky Districts, or by traveling the network of four-wheel drive roads found throughout the park. Canyonlands National Park is open year-round. Visitor centers are located in each of the three districts, and they are open year- round, except in the Maze, where Hans Flat Ranger Station closes during the winter months. Ranger talks and programs are offered from March through October.

Primitive camping is available in all three districts. The 26-site Squaw Flat Campground in the Needles District has water. The nightly fee is $6. The 12-site Willow Flat Campground at Island in the Sky has no water and no fee. Additional primitive sites are located along many four-wheel drive roads in the park. A $25 fee is charged for use of back country vehicle campsites. A back country permit for backpackers costs $10.00. All back country campsites, including those in the Needles District and along the popular 100-mile White Rim Road in the Island in the Sky District require an advance reservation available through the park's advance reservation system, (801) 259-4351. For more information about the park, contact Superintendent, Canyonlands National Park, 2282 Southwest Resource Blvd., Moab, UT 84532, (801) 259-7164.

National Forests

Manti-LaSal National Forest: Almost 160,000 acres of area woodlands are designated National Forest. The Moab Ranger District, of the USFS, administers a large block of the Manti-La Sal National Forest in the La Sal Mountains southeast of Moab. The second highest range in Utah, these alpine mountains offer excellent opportunities for hiking, camping, cycling and mountain climbing - and are a perfect place to escape the summer heat. Capped with snow much of the year, they also serve as nature's backdrop for Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Fishing is available in small mountain lakes throughout the forest. Bicycles, motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles may be used on specially approved roads. Dozens of miles of cross-country trails and 'hut to hut' ski systems provide winter fun. Many beautiful camp sites, including Warner Lakes, are available on a first come, first serve basis. Fees, maps and information are available from the USFS or the Moab Information Center. Call (801) 259-7155 for more information.

Bureau of Land Management Lands

Many outstanding recreation areas in the Moab/Green River area are administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM's Moab District office oversees almost six million acres. These lands are multi-use areas, and recreationists share the land with foresters, cattle grazers and others. When visiting BLM-administered land, please leave gates and fences as they were found, bring your own firewood or collect dead and down wood where allowed (no burning of live trees!). Camping is permitted only in designated areas along the Colorado Riverway and the Sand Flats Area (near the Slickrock Trail). Portable toilet systems are provided in these areas. A $5 per night fee is charged for use of developed sites along the river. Outside of these areas, visitors are encouraged to camp at developed, or pre-existing sites with an established fire ring. Please, bury or carry out all human waste. These lands are dedicated to all people, and it is up to each of us to be stewards.

The San Rafael Swell: The San Rafael Swell is a 900-square mile, wild and beautiful region west of the Green River. The Swell is dominated by the jagged, uplifted San Rafael Reef, which has nearly two dozen major canyons and many side draws and box canyons. The Reef's crests rise between 800 and 1500 feet above the nearby desert flats. Two rivers meander and slice through the Reef on their way to the Green River. The Swell is filled with the history of cowboys, outlaws and ancient Indians and rockhounding areas abound. Three Grand County Travel Council brochures: A Guide to 1-70, Recreation Guide to the San Rafael Area and San Rafael Desert Loop Auto Tour, provide more detailed information on this area.

Book Cliff Mountains: The Book Cliff Mountains are located north of the town of Green River and 1-70. They constitute the longest continuous escarpment in the world - spanning 250 miles from Price, Utah almost to Grand junction, Colorado. Their name comes from their multi-colored bands of rock, resembling the closed pages of a book. The barren slopes of the mountains break out into aspen, pine, spruce and fir forests on top. Some of the premier hunting and fishing in the state can be found here. Access into the area is by horseback, four-wheel drive vehicle or hiking. More information on the Book Cliffs is available at the john Wesley Powell River History Museum in Green River, and at the Moab Information Center.

BLM Canyon Rims Recreation Area: Canyon Rims Recreation Area is an immense, diverse region located between the towns of Monticello and Moab. It features extensive vistas of Canyonlands National Park and beyond. A 22-mile paved road leads to Needles Overlook, and a graded road leads north to Anticline Overlook. Two campgrounds, Wind Whistle and Hatch Point are available on a first come, first serve basis. Access is via US 191 and the Needles Overlook Road.

The Colorado Riverway: The Riverway encompasses the public lands along the Colorado River, including recreation areas along Colorado River Scenic Byway 128, Potash Scenic Byway 279, and the section of Kane Creek Canyon Road between Hunter Canyon and the Colorado River. A number of activities take place in this red rock haven, including river running, technical rock climbing, scenic drives, hiking, cycling, picnicking, and wildlife watching.

Fisher Towers: Visible for miles, this rock formation is reached via a 3-mile graded dirt road that begins on Colorado River Scenic Byway 128, twenty-one miles northeast of its junction with US 191. A cluster of dark red spires, the Towers rise from the 2,000 foot high south wall of Professor Valley. Fisher Towers provide great photographic opportunities. Titan is the tallest of the towers, at 900 feet. A 2.2 mile hiking trail winds its way along the base of the towers and then climbs to a view point overlooking the Onion Creek drainage.

State Parks

The Moab/Green River area hosts two scenic state parks. Dead Horse Point, near Canyonlands National Park's Island in the Sky District, is magnificent in its scope and scenery. Green River State Park is a great base for seeing much of southeast Utah.

Dead Horse Point State Park: Perhaps Utah's most spectacular state park, Dead Horse Point towers 2,000 feet above the Colorado River - providing a breath-taking panorama of Canyonlands sculptured pinnacles and buttes. Access is via a 23 mile drive 'up' U-313, which begins north of Moab. This state park has a visitor center with interpretive exhibits, modern rest rooms, 21-unit campground, and a large overlook shelter. For more information, write Dead Horse Point State Park, P.O. Box 609, Moab, UT 84532- 0609, or call (801)259-2614, (800) 322-3770.

Green River State Park: Located just off 1-70, on the banks of the Green River (in the city of Green River), Green River State Park is within a two-hour drive of Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef National Parks, and Dead Horse Point and Goblin Valley State Parks. Facilities include a 42-unit campground, hot showers, modern rest rooms, and a boat-launch. A nine-hole golf course is under construction. For more information write Green River State Park, P.O. Box 93, Green River, UT 84525-0093, or call (801) 564-3633, (800) 322-3770.

From the Grand County Travel Council "Southeastern Utah Travel Guide"

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