Sights in Southwest
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Hell's Backbone Rd
The gravel-strewn 48 miles from Hwy 12 along Hell's Backbone Rd to Torrey is far from a shortcut. You'll twist, you'll turn, you'll ascend and descend hills, but the highlight is a single-lane bridge atop an impossibly narrow ridge called Hell's Backbone.
reviewed
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Hwy 14
This paved scenic route leads 42 miles over the Markagunt Plateau, ending in Long Valley Junction at Hwy 89. The road rises to 10,000ft, with splendid views of Zion National Park to the south. Make sure you detour at Cedar Breaks National Monument.
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Hwy 9
East of the main park entrance, Hwy 9 rises in a series of six tight switchbacks before the 1.1-mile Zion-Mt Carmel Tunnel, an engineering marvel constructed in the late 1920s. It then leads quickly into dramatically different terrain – a landscape of etched multicolor slickrock, culminating at the mountainous Checkerboard Mesa.
reviewed
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Kolob Canyons Rd
The less-visited, higher-elevation alternative to Zion Canyon Scenic Dr. Sweeping vistas of cliffs, mountains and finger canyons dominate the stunning 5-mile overlook-rich red-rock route. The scenic road, off I-15, lies 40 miles from the main visitor center.
reviewed
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La Sal Mountain Loop Rd
This road heads south into the Manti–La Sal forest from 15 miles north of Moab, ascending switchbacks (long RVs not recommended) into the refreshingly cool forest, with fantastic views. Connects with Hwy 191, 8 miles south of Moab. The 67-mile (three to four hour) paved loop closes in winter.
reviewed
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Loop-the-Fold
This 100-mile loop links several top drives; roughly half is on dirt roads generally accessible to 2WD passenger vehicles. Pick up a driving guide ($2) at the Capitol Reef National Park visitor center. West of the park, there are the rocky valleys of Hwy 12. It only gets better after turning east along Burr Trail Rd to Strike Valley Overlook. Then take the rough Notom-Bullfrog Rd north to finish the loop at Hwy 24.
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Museum of Ancient Life
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Notom-Bullfrog Rd
This is a rough, rough road that heads south from Hwy 24 (5 miles east of the visitor center) paralleling Waterpocket Fold. Thirty-two miles south, you can turn west toward Hwy 12 and Burr Trail Rd in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Along the way, Strike Valley Overlook has one of the best comprehensive views of the Waterpocket Fold itself. If you instead continue south, you're on the way to Lake Powell and Bullfrog Marina in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, another 35 miles away.
reviewed
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Other Historic Buildings
The Utah Heritage Foundation puts out a free self-guided downtown walking tour brochure available from the visitor center and online. It also has brochures for several other neighborhoods, and an MP3 downloadable audio tour of the Gateway and Warehouse district.
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Panorama Point & Gooseneck Overlook
Two miles west of the visitor center off Hwy 24, a short unpaved road heads to Panorama Point and Gooseneck Overlook. The dizzying 800ft-high viewpoints above serpentine Sulphur Creek are worth a stop. Afternoon light is best for photography.
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Petroglyphs
Just east of the visitor center on Hwy 24, look for the parking lot for freely accessible petroglyphs; these are the rock-art carvings that convinced archaeologists the Fremont Indians were a group distinct from the Ancestral Puebloan. Follow the roadside boardwalk to see several panels.
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Red Cliffs Adventure Lodge
This lodge, 15 miles northeast of town, hosts the Moab Museum of Film & Western Heritage, showing Hollywood memorabilia and posters from all the films shot in the area. There's also a tasting and sales room for its on-site winery.
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Salt Lake Temple
Lording over the square is the impressive 210ft-tall Salt Lake Temple. Atop the tallest spire stands a statue of the angel Moroni who appeared to LDS founder Joseph Smith. Rumor has it that when the place was renovated, cleaners found old bullet marks in the gold-plated surface. The temple and ceremonies are private, open only to LDS in good standing.
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Scenic Dr
Pay admission at the visitor center or self-service kiosk to go beyond Fruita Campground on the 9-mile-long, paved Scenic Dr. Numbered roadside markers correspond to an interpretive driving tour available at the visitor center or online. The best part is the last 2 miles between the narrow sandstone walls of Capitol Gorge – it'll knock your socks off. To continue south past Pleasant Creek, a 4WD vehicle is advised.
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Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
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Lost City Museum
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Eldorado
The Eldorado has a kitschy Fountain of Fortune that probably has Italian sculptor Bernini spinning in his grave.
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Cathedral Rock
This is a spectacular location for watching red-rock sunsets.
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Holsum Design Center
The up-and-coming Holsum Design Center has art galleries and design shops.
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Bell Rock
New Agers beleive Sedona's rocks, cliffs and rivers radiate electromagnetic energy.
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Gammage Auditorium
The Gammage Auditorium was Frank Lloyd Wright's last major building.
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Nugget
Over in Sparks, John Ascuaga’s Nugget is a legendary pioneer.
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La Posada
The 1929 hacienda-style La Posada is the town's most famous building.
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St Francis Cathedral
Jean Baptiste Lamy was sent to Santa Fe by the pope with orders to tame the Wild Western outpost town through culture and religion. Convinced that the town needed a focal point for religious life, he began construction of this cathedral in 1869. Lamy's story was the inspiration for Willa Cather's classic Death Comes for the Archbishop. Inside the cathedral is a small chapel, housing the oldest Madonna statue in North America. Carved in Mexico, the statue was brought to Santa Fe in 1625, but when the Indians revolted in 1680, the villagers took it into exile with them. When Don Diego de Vargas retook the city in 1692, he brought it back, and legend has it that its…
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Harrah's
Founded by Nevada gambling pioneer William Harrah in 1946, it's still one of the biggest and most popular casinos in town.
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