San Juan County, Utah

Located in Southeast Utah, 5 miles North of Moab, Utah. From Hwy 70, take Exit 182 towards Crescent Jct/Moab, taking Hwy 191 S for about 25 miles until you reach Arches National Park on your left.From the Visitor Center, the La Sal Mountains Viewpoint area is about a 4 mile ride on your right. Th...

This canyon requires an Arches Canyoneering Permit, two 60m ropes, 100 ft of webbing, and your normal canyoneering kit. To reach the parking for the canyon, drive five miles or so into Arches until you reach a bridge.  Shortly after the bridge, there will be a pull-off to the left where you can ...

Moab is an outdoor mecca, from rock climbing to mountain biking to 4WD adventures and while not particularly technical (it is only rated Class 2) the 7.8 mile Long Canyon Road just north of Dead Horse State Park is an excellent way to get a taste for the incredible features (and views) that the C...

Going west on Highway 128 towards Moab, take a left onto La Sal Loop Road. And you're there! To get back to Highway 128, simply turn back on the same road. You can also take a right onto Porcupine Ranch Road, meeting at La Sal Loop Road again, eventually reaching Highway 128.During this drive, yo...

Arches National Park is a must see for all photographers, but especially for astrophotography. Many of the most common places to shoot are balanced rock, and Delicate Arch and there's a good reason, these are beautiful places. North Window Arch is much less common, and even on a moonless night,...

To get to the trailhead: After entering the park, keep driving along the main road until you see signs for The Windows Area (just past the Balanced Rock and a little over 9 miles from the Visitor Center).  Follow this road until it ends in a parking lot and you see the arches to your right. The ...

The hike to Double Arch is a relatively flat and easy hike of 0.5 miles roundtrip. You can add this to the rest of the quick spots you may want to visit on your visit to Arches.This arch is created by two arches that shares the same stone as the foundation for their outer legs. This arch was form...

Upheaval Dome is a geologic structure whose origins have remained hotly debated for years. Some scientists say it is the site of a meteorite impact while others theorize it is nothing more than a naturally occurring salt dome. No matter what the true answer is, there is no question that this shor...

Be advised, the NPS signs and maps that warn of a very difficult hike ahead are not hyperbole, as I thought at first. This hike is a loop around the famous Upheaval Dome on an unmaintained trail that leads you down over 1500 feet into the canyon, close to the Green River, then climbs back up 1500...

Elephant Butte sits at 5653 ft. and is the highest point in Arches National Park. It requires two rappels using a 60m rope. In addition to this, it requires some short sections of low fifth class scrambling that can be difficult on wet rock. The approach starts at Garden of Eden trailhead. ...

Balanced rock is a short loop and can be done in a short amount of time. You can spend a few minutes walking around the rock and snap a few pictures with your family. Make sure to stay on the well marked trail in order to preserve the environment.

I'm always find dinosaur tracks fascinating. Willow Springs has a few cool tracks not as defined as others but definitely noticeable. There is also an interpretive sign describing the tracks installed by the Bureau of Land Management. To find the tracks, drive north on 191. Over the Colorado Rive...

Big Mesa trail is the jewel of the Navajo Rocks trail system, containing all of the awesome mountain biking features one comes to expect in Moab, from slickrock to sand chutes with epic views of the terrain. Located off Utah Highway 313 at the Navajo Rocks Trailhead parking lot, 19 miles from dow...

The Ramblin' Trail, part of the Navajo Rocks trail system, is a beginner to intermediate mountain biking trail with a great mix of slickrock, dirt trails, and some sand that features excellent views of hoodoos, Navajo Sandstone, and the general Colorado River watershed redrock. Located off Utah H...

I headed out to the trailhead because I really wanted to shoot the super moon with the Delicate Arch. It was absolutely fantastic, especially during such a full moon. Everything was bathed in a soft glow, it was like I was on another planet actually. It was amazing to sit in silence and to try to...

Lone Mesa Campground off Utah Highway 313, 8 miles from Highway 191, and 20 miles from Moab serves as an excellent basecamp for accessing the fantastic Navajo Rocks mountain bike trail system, Dead Horse State Park, and Canyonlands National Park. In fact, the Big Mesa trail goes right through the...