Welcome to Southeastern Utah
Experience the earth's beauty at its most elemental in this rocky-and-rugged desert corner of the Colorado Plateau. Beyond the few pine-clad mountains, there's little vegetation to hide the impressive handiwork of time, water and wind: the thousands of red-rock spans in Arches National Park, the sheer-walled river gorges from Canyonlands to Lake Powell, and the stunning buttes and mesas of Monument Valley. The town of Moab is the best base for adventure, with as much four-wheeling, white-knuckle rafting, outfitter-guided fun as you can handle. Or you can lose the crowd while looking for Ancestral Puebloan rock art and dwellings in miles of isolated and undeveloped lands.
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Southeastern Utah activities
Arches National Park 4x4 Adventure Guided Tour from Moab
Choose from a morning, early afternoon or evening tour to visit Arches National Park. After making your way to the conveniently located meeting point in Moab, hop into the comfortable 4WD vehicle with your expert guide and head north for 5 miles (8 km) to reach the park. Your 4WD trail starts near Doc Williams Point and climbs a short but steep rock wall. Take in amazing views of the national park, which holds more than 2,000 naturally formed sandstone arches, the largest concentration in the world. Giant sandstone fins, balanced rocks, towering pinnacles and tall spires also contribute to the otherworldly beauty of the park. Your guide expertly navigates across a valley that meanders through sandstone fins and dunes. As you travel along the track, your guide points out rock landmarks with colorful names like Marching Men, Eye of the Whale and Tower Arch. Landscape look familiar? Hollywood has filmed here for decades. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Thelma and Louise and Nurse Betty are just a few of the TV shows and movies that have scenes shot here. Throughout your tour, hear informative commentary about the geology, wildlife and history of the park. If you choose the late afternoon tour, you may see the sunset. With some of the darkest skies in the country, the starry night skies are breathtaking. After exploring Arches National Park for several hours with plenty of stops to soak up the scenery and take photos, your guide leaves the park via an old cowboy trail. Near the park boundary, make a stop to see dinosaur footprints in the rock. For millions of years this area was teeming with dinosaurs. Today dinosaur enthusiasts flock to the area in search of signs of the prehistoric giants. At the end of five hours, your guide returns you to your starting point in Moab to end your tour.
Hell's Revenge UTV 4x4 Off-Roading 2.5-Hour Tour from Moab
Meet your small group at your chosen departure time and hop into your 4-seater Kawasaki Teryx 4, perfect for driving over Moab's slickrock. After a safety briefing, slip behind the wheel or take one of the passenger seats. Within 10 minutes of Moab, you are at the Hell's Revenge Trail, full of steep ridges and roller-coaster terrain. Follow your experienced guide along a thrilling route that takes you crawling up a rock incline called Devil’s Backbone. Hold on as your 4x4 jostles along the slickrock, formed from Navajo sandstone, before you descend into a low point in the narrow canyon, named Lake Michigan for the water that pools there. Next, make a brief stop at the fossilized dinosaur tracks near Lion’s Back before you proceed to Echo Canyon, also known as Negro Bill Canyon. Here, take in the views of towering sandstone cliffs above an oasis of cottonwood and willow trees. Get a look at Abyss Canyon before continuing off the beaten path to an overlook for dramatic views of the Colorado River below. On your way back to Moab, soak up more stunning vistas of La Sal Mountains.
Colorado River Dinner Cruise from Moab with Canyon Light Show
Your evening begins at a riverside location 2 miles north of Moab, Utah with a cowboy-style, Dutch oven dinner served in a dining room overlooking the Colorado River. Dinner is cooked all day to perfection and includes BBQ beef, BBQ pork, BBQ chicken, roast beef, roast pork, cow poke potatoes (cut potatoes with spring vegetables and cheese melted through), sweet baked beans, corn, homemade rolls (regular and garlic), a full salad bar (includes a green salad with all the toppings, a pasta salad and coleslaw), dessert and bottomless soft drinks. Beer, wine and mixed drinks are available for purchase at the bar. All items excluding the meat are vegetarian-friendly.After dinner, load a flat-bottomed boat and head upriver with a knowledgeable guide. Your guide will tell jokes and point out things of interest and ignite your imagination. Once it's dark, the formal part of the evening begins with 40,000 watts of natural light illuminating the canyon wall. Lights, shadows, music and narration make the stories come to life on the canyon walls about the formation, creation and history of the area based on the early settlers (the Catholic Conquistadors, Native Americans and Mormon Pioneers). This old time sound and light show is a unique experience and a great end to your day!Please note that the sound and light show is an old fashioned show. There are no colored or laser lights and the music is appropriate to the historical references. The stories included in the show give reference to how the early settlers believed the area was created. If God or religion is offensive to you, then please consider another tour for the best experience of the Canyonlands area.
Canyonlands National Park Half-Day Tour from Moab
Make your own way to central Moab where your guide meets you in a 4WD vehicle. Travel about 30 miles (48 km) to reach the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park, an accessible section of the park that provides great examples of the region's spectacular beauty. Begin high atop the mesa and marvel at the scenery as your guide expertly maneuvers your vehicle down the steep switchbacks of the Shafer Trail to reach the Colorado River corridor below. Along this portion of the 100-mile (161-km) White Rim Road loop, your guide makes frequent stops to take in sights such as Gooseneck Overlook, Thelma and Louise point and Musselman Arch.Along with the more famous lookouts, your guide points out lesser-known features in the national park and the Colorado River below. Visit sites where the beautiful rock art of the ancestral Pueblo people can be seen in the canyons, and learn from your guide about the ancient Pueblos who lived in the present-day Four Corners area. Throughout the day, your guide shares informative commentary about the incredible geology of the region as well as its human history and wildlife. Most of the viewpoints have short trails that offer different perspectives, but overall this half-day trip does not include much hiking. Depending on the timing of the tour you choose, you see the colorful red rock canyons glow in the morning, afternoon or evening light. At the end of your 4-hour tour, your guide returns you to your starting point in central Moab.
Arches National Park Backcountry 4x4 Half-Day Tour
Your tour begins in the town of Moab after meeting your experienced guide. Board your comfortable 4x4 vehicle for the 5-mile (8-km) drive to the park. Once inside Arches National Park, your off-road adventure begins at Doc Williams Point. More than 2,000 giant sandstone arches are scattered throughout the park, which is the largest collection of naturally occurring arches found anywhere in the world. Find pinnacles, fins, and rocks along this epic landscape of rich red earth sculpted by time. Take in amazing geological formations such as sandstone spires and layered red rock. Admire the sandstone fin known as Marching Men and the 92-foot (28-meter) span of Tower Arch.If some of this landscape looks familiar, it’s probably because you’ve seen it one of your favorite Hollywood films. Popular movies like Thelma and Louise were shot in portions of the park, as were scenes for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Towards the end of the tour, have the option to leave the park through the ruggedness of an old cowboy trail.After exploring in this unique southern Utah terrain, your tour finishes in the town of Moab from the same spot where it began.
Colorado River Fisher Towers Rafting Half-Day Tour from Moab
Make your way to the central Moab office where you meet your guides and receive an orientation and safety briefing. Then hop in the van that takes you to the put-in site along the Fisher Towers section of the Colorado River. Though situated not too far from town, this part of the river feels wild and remote with its soaring canyon walls, massive rock spires and abundant wildlife.Get fitted in a lifejacket and other provided gear before hitting the water. Your rafting trip features oar rafts operated by your guide, although inflatable kayaks are usually available upon request. If you choose to ride in an inflatable kayak, your guide gives a paddle lesson and time to practice following directional commands that are needed when paddling. Once you’re ready, step into your raft and prepare for a thrilling ride. This section of the Colorado River provides some Class II and III rapids with some bouncy moments on the water. Expect a few splashes too. Your guide rows the oar boat while you hang on during the white-water rapids and hang out in calmer stretches of water. Take in classic western vistas between rapids, when you can take pictures and hop in the river to swim. Learn all about the human and natural history of the Colorado River from your naturalist guides, and gain a better understanding of the river and canyon. At the end of your half-day tour, your guide returns you to your starting point in central Moab.