Moab: Red-Rock Wonderland

Journey through Moab, a red-rock wonderland carved over hundreds of millions of years by the Colorado River. Desert plateaus, deep canyons and gentle arches await in this stretch of southeastern Utah.

By: Lisa Singh

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Photo By: Lisa Singh

Photo By: Alex Proimos, flickr

Photo By: Lisa Singh

Photo By: Mike Nielsen, flickr

Garden of Eden, Arches National Park

Near the center of Arches National Park you’ll find the Garden of Eden -- so named because its rocky shapes resemble flowers and trees.

North Window, Arches National Park

This 90-foot-wide portal known as the North Window is one of many natural sandstone arches you’ll find at Arches National Park.

Delicate Arch

Arches National Park is home to more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches. The 65-foot Delicate Arch is its most famous.

Arches National Park

In addition to its famed arches, Arches National Park’s colorful geography includes maze-like narrow passages and tall rock columns. You can find this view directly opposite the Delicate Arch.

Hiking at Arches

Two hikers journey back from the Delicate Arch. The three-mile trail (round-trip) is moderately strenuous, and takes roughly 30 to 45 minutes each way. Bring plenty of water!

Sand Dune Arch

Enjoy a shaded rest from the Moab desert sun. This trail at Arches National Park leads through deep sand; a secluded arch, Sand Dune Arch, waits up ahead.

Wolfe Ranch Cabin

In the late 1800s, a Civil War veteran named John Wesley Wolfe and his son built this one-room cabin in what is now Arches National Park. For more than 10 years, Wolfe lived on this rugged ranch, where the area’s water and desert grassland were enough to sustain a few cattle.

Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park

The Moab area is also home to Canyonlands National Park. Erosion over millions of years produced the many canyons, buttes and mesas -- including Mesa Arch.

Hell’s Revenge

Ready to take on Hell’s Revenge? This steep slick rock trail may make your pulse race as you tackle its hair-raising descents on a Razor ride. It’s located in the Sand Flats Recreation Area, a sandstone plateau of slick rock domes, bowls and fins.

Porcupine Rim Trail

A mountain biker tackles Porcupine Rim Trail, one of two trails within the Sand Flats Recreation Area. The steep, rocky terrain, which stretches nearly 15 miles, challenges even the most experienced mountain bikers.

Moab Cowboy

Meet the Moab Cowboy -- that's what locals call Kent Green. For more than 20 years, Green served as a deputy sheriff and search-and-rescue commander in the Moab area. Today, he leads off-road adventures. His no. 1 rule: Never travel alone.

Moab Dinosaur Footprints

Check out these fossilized dinosaur footprints during a Razor ride through the Sand Flats Recreation Area with the Moab Cowboy.

Big Bend Recreation Area

Moab is a rock climber’s dream. Enjoy bouldering at the Big Bend Recreation Area along the Colorado River, northeast of Moab.

Colorado River

Take in the view of the Colorado River from Scenic Byway 128, with awe-inspiring views of red standstone cliffs just beyond.

Fisher Towers, Colorado River

River guide Arne Hultquist leads a whitewater rafting trip through the Fisher Towers section of the Colorado River. The area comprises a series of towers made of sandstone; they’re named after a miner who lived in the area in the 1880s.

Matrimony Spring

Fill up at Matrimony Spring, a natural spring along Byway 128. Legend has it that anyone who drinks from the spring will continue to return to Moab. The water that issues forth begins its journey as snowmelt from the La Sal Mountains, 20 miles southeast of Moab.

Dead Horse Point

Get ready to say “wow” at Dead Horse Point. The park features a stunning overlook of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park. The area also served as the final film scene for the 1991 classic "Thelma & Louise."

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Moab: Red-Rock Wonderland

Related To:

Shop This Look

Garden of Eden, Arches National Park

North Window, Arches National Park

Delicate Arch

Arches National Park

Hiking at Arches

Sand Dune Arch

Wolfe Ranch Cabin

Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park

Hell’s Revenge

Porcupine Rim Trail

Moab Cowboy

Moab Dinosaur Footprints

Big Bend Recreation Area

Colorado River

Fisher Towers, Colorado River

Matrimony Spring

Dead Horse Point