By Dan Wright
From its historical roots with the Ancient Ones to today's mountain bikers, rafters, and explorers, Utah's San Juan County--and its red rock neighbor to the north, Grand County and the town of Moab--has drawn outdoor enthusiasts like bees to a hive. Such allure to the Bee Hive State is appropriate. However, the appeal has little to do with flowers and greenery: most of the area is best known for the bare, colorful sandstone formations and carvings and the recreation of canyon and river.
The list of "things to do" is almost endless, but the range touches nearly every outdoors interest. From photography--mind-boggling formations and colors abound--to hiking, to car touring, 4-wheel, and off-road possibilities to more traditional activities such as hunting and fishing, San Juan County and the Canyonlands area offer something for every season. Following are just some of the activities available.
Photography
Since every activity in the area can be enhanced with pictures, this should be at the top of the list. But no pictures are like pictures from the area of the Canyonlands. The
setting--as viewed from car or visitor center--is like no other in the world. Almost all backdrops are of red and colorful sandstone, most carved by river and wind into shapes that exist only here. While many amateurs contribute to Kodak and Fuji while visiting here, many professionals also spend days on end photographing the rugged scenery. Utah has a long list of movies made in the area over the past few decades.
Some of the better-known areas to consider for photographs include:
- Arches National Park. This area is high on any picture taker's list. With more natural rock arches than any other place on earth, the sunrises and sunsets add intensity to an already colorful setting. Particularly appealing are Balanced Rock, Delicate Arch, Three Sisters, and dozens of unnamed red rock arches. It's open year-round, with an entrance near Moab.
- Natural Bridges National Monument. This features an incredible set of natural bridges almost 50 miles south of Blanding. Much smaller in size than Arches, the beauty is almost instantly accessible and requires no walking, though hiking is available.
- Other areas include almost anywhere you travel in Canyonlands Country. Every road has a scenic pullover, and each of the park areas has designated picture-taking locations. Others you might find on your own.
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Golfing
Along with the more rugged activities, the Canyonlands area offers two golf courses for a more relaxing afternoon. Moab has an 18-hole course open to the public, and Monticello, the San Juan County seat, has a nine-hole course. Both offer beautiful mountain views from their fairways. Moab's course looks up at the La Sal Mountains, while the course at Monticello affords great views of the Blue Mountains.
Mountain Biking
One of the most famous of mountain biking areas is near Moab. The Slickrock Trail is justifiably famous for its endless miles of rolling rock trails, often marked with painted directional arrows. From a beginning level to a more advanced challenge, the trails are an incredible way to explore the area or your biking skills. Although it has grown a bit more crowded over the past few years, it's still a wonderful way to get a feel for the dry and often warm air of the high desert.
Additionally, thousands of miles of back roads and unnamed trails run through the whole of San Juan County and Canyonlands Country. Almost any side canyon or open parking spot is the beginning of a good mountain biking trail. A word of caution: flash floods do happen in summer, and fragile backcountry areas don't need bicycle tracks across their sensitive vegetation. Other than that, have at it and stay on the two-rack roads.
Auto Touring
The good news for couch potatoes is that much is available for those who want to see it by car. Almost all the major parks have road tours, and much of the area is accessible for viewing and picture taking with hardly a stop of the automobile.
One of my favorite "road drives" of all time is the Scenic Byway of Highway 128 near Moab. The Colorado River runs along this road, which connects U.S. 191 with I-70. Famous Dewey Bridge, a one-lane suspension bridge no longer in use for traffic, crosses the river near I-70. It's now on the National Historic Register.
Other attractions along this route include the famous Fisher Towers, 1,500 feet of red rock reaching up from the desert floor, and the Hittle Bottom Homestead, the turn-of-the-century (the last turn, not this one) home of a local mail carrier. The Byway is 44 miles of driving and might take several hours depending on how often you stop to look and take pictures.
Other loops for auto touring include the La Sal Mountain Loop, near Moab, and the Scenic Byway 279, also along the Colorado River at Moab. Dozens of other tours--almost anywhere you drive, for that matter--offer excellent scenery and many places to stop and stare.
Rafting and Water Activities
For such a desert area, water activities abound. From the heart-stopping rapids of Cataract Canyon on the Colorado to the famous sand waves of the San Juan River, both the highly technical and the beginning water sportster will find something to do. But it's not all for the wildly adventurous. Lake Powell houseboaters, in fact, probably outnumber all the whitewater seekers in the area. Rafting, canoeing, and kayaking are available in a number of locations around Moab and Bluff.
Locations
The major towns in the area provide information about--or starting points for--almost all of these activities. When it comes to information availability, the most sophisticated of the Canyonlands Country towns is Moab. Several web sites are in place and Moab actively markets its activities and the surrounding area.
For more information about the Moab area, or to begin a search for almost any Canyonlands Country activity, try this address: Moab Area Chamber Of Commerce, 805 North Main, Moab UT 84532. Call (435) 259-7814, fax (435) 259-8519, or visit their primary web site at
www.moab.net
The San Juan County Economic Development and Tourism Board also provides good information on the area. Their address is 117 South Main Street, PO Box 490, Monticello UT 84535. Call them at (800) 574-4386, and visit their web site at
www.southeastutah.com.
Photos by Dan Wright
Copyright © 2000 by Dan Wright. All
rights reserved.
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