Moab | City in Utah – Journal Edge

Moab looks like an outpost surrounded by a sea of buckled, twisted and worn sandstone sculpted by millennia of sun, wind and rain. Driving by car from the north or east, winding canyon walls hide Moab from view until you reach the edge of town, making it feel more like you’ve discovered Moab than merely arrived. Moab is home to several of Utah’s most diverse National Parks. Within minutes of town you will find yourself surrounded by out-of-this-world red rock landscape of Arches National Park. Less than an hour’s drive will put you atop the mythical sounding Island in the Sky, a remarkable district of Canyonlands National Park that makes you feel as if you are on top of the world. The views from the Island encompass thousands of square miles of colorful canyons, mesas and buttes. The great scenery, however, doesn’t end with our National Parks. Dead Horse Point State Park is a short drive from Moab and offers visitors amazing views of the snaking meanders of the Colorado River 2,000 feet below. Just 20 miles south of Moab are the La Sal Mountains, which are part of Manti-La Sal National Forest. Attaining heights of nearly 13,000 feet, these alpine mountains are the second highest mountain range in Utah. All of the amazing scenery in this part of the world is why Moab has such a rich history of filmmaking. However, seeing it on the big screen is one thing, experiencing it for yourself will fill you with enough memories to last a lifetime. Dead Horse Point is arguably the most spectacular Utah park. Towering 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, the park provides a breathtaking panorama of Canyonlands’ sculptured pinnacles and buttes. Enjoy clear desert skies creating landscape visibility spanning 80 to 100 miles across mind boggling expanses. There is a visitor center at the park with interpretive exhibits, modern rest rooms, meeting room, a trail tracing the escarpment to the actual site for this park’s namesake, and a 21 unit campground. The Intrepid Trail system opened 2009. This Utah park sports Moab’s only single track, non-motorized mountain bike trail. Enjoy the scenery of the Great Pyramid Loop (4.8 miles) or the Big Chief Loop (10 miles). Created with the beginner biker in mind.