Castle Valley, Utah

A large part of the grandeur of Canyonlands National Park is the vast barren vista at Island in the Sky, but no visit to Canyonlands would be complete without the intimate and immersive desert experience that the Needles District offers. Drive two hours southwest of Moab away from cell phone rece...

This area is one of my favorites. Rabbit Valley is a great place with all kinds of activities available. Mainly we mountain bike here, but we have hiked and explored the canyons as well. There are traces of Native Americans that lived in the area hundreds of years ago, even a small arch too.From ...

Important Note: Druid Arch is located on the eastern side of Canyonlands National Park in the Needles District. It is not located at the main entrance to the park. Stop by the Needles Visitor Center and pick up a map. Your starting point, Elephant Hill Trailhead is then located 6.3 miles west of ...

This world class hiking route circumnavigates Chesler Park by way of open meadows, slots, subterranean alcoves, stairways and slick rock. Begin at the Elephant Hill Trailhead and head south following signage for the Joint Trail / Chesler Park along the way. Once you arrive at Chesler Park turn l...

From Moab, the drive to the canyon is approximately 4 hours long and much of it is on sandy or rocky dirt roads so it’s best to drive a 4x4 vehicle with good clearance. Drive past Hans Flat Ranger Station on the west side of Canyonlands National Park and make your way to the trailhead on Deadman’...

The trail is adjacent to an active dinosaur quarry, and while there were no scientists at work while we were there, apparently you can see paleontologists at work in the spring and summer.Take the interpretive trail up towards the small mesa and check out the signs pointing out fossils along the ...

Four and a half miles from the town of Green River, Utah, Crystal Geyser is one of the few manmade geysers as a result of the area's historical mining industry. This cold-water geyser usually erupts every eight to 20 hours. Getting There Getting to the geyser is easy and the site can be accessed ...

Put simply, Rattlesnake Arches is home to some of the most beautiful views you'll ever experience in the United States. This portion of the Rattlesnake Arches Trail follows along the upper rim of the canyon and allows you to experience 9 total arches within about 2 miles of hiking once you reach ...

After leaving Moab, turn off Highway 191 on to 211. The drive will wind over the mesa tops and down into red rock canyon country. Enjoy the changing seasons whether the red cliffs are covered in snow or spring desert flowers are blooming.Watch for cattle as this is open range country. Also watch ...

If you're looking to backpack outside of the highly publicized areas of Colorado (aka the Rockies), head out to Western CO for some amazing experiences. Located 4 hours west of Denver along I-70 is the McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area (NCA). Overseen by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM...

Ute Canyon Trail is a mostly undeveloped 4.3 mile trail (8.6 round trip) in Colorado National Monument that offers technical descents, route finding, water crossings, and gorgeous red rock walls. The trailhead is just a few miles off I-70 from the town of Fruita—it's well worth the trip. Remember...

To do the entire 26-mile float, put in at the Loma River access, several miles west of Fruita and just a short drive from I-70. From the Loma access there is no other easy access point until 26 miles later, at Westwater in Utah.Once on the water you will be able to relax and enjoy the beautiful s...

The Needles District of Canyonlands receives 6 times as many backpackers as its more popular neighbor across the Colorado River, Island in the Sky. The Needles has an excellent trail network that is incredibly diverse, featuring amazing rock features as well as grassy meadows and savannahs.  Whil...