Moab and Southeastern Utah
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Moab and Southeastern Utah - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Bears Ears National Monument
Named for its striking pair of massive buttes, Bears Ears National Monument stretches across more than a million acres of land sacred to several Native American tribes. Countless archaeological sites and artifacts dot this remote landscape, including cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, pictographs, and a prehistoric road system. The scenery is awe-inspiring, too, with remote canyons, vast grasslands, and the kind of towering red-rock formations southern Utah is famous for. Opportunities abound here to hike, rock climb, river raft, and embark on scenic drives, and visitor information is available at both the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service offices in Monticello. Because of the long history that surrounds you in Bears Ears, being especially respectful of your surroundings is a must. In Bluff, the Bears Ears Education Center offers further guidance on how to explore such a culturally important area. While entering the monument is free, permits and passes are required in the Shash Jáa Special Recreation Management Area and the Cedar Mesa Special Recreation Management Area. Depending on the time of year, these can be purchased at trailheads or at www.recreation.gov. The hike to Moon House, an Ancestral Puebloan dwelling, is so popular that only 20 hikers are allowed per day and a separate permit is required.
365 N. Main St., Monticello, Utah, 84535, USA435-587–1500-BLM Monticello Field OfficeSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
2. Bluff Fort
With grounds almost a full city block in size, this very kid-friendly restored fort is a must-see, transporting you back to the 1880s and into the lives of the Mormon pioneers who settled in Bluff. Wander in and out of tiny re-created cabins (plus one original), each representing the experience of a founding family. Their descendants even helped build and decorate the cabins with family artifacts and photos, displayed alongside written histories. Children can try their hand at roping toy steers or buy some of the house-made candy at the little kitchen, which also sells soft-serve ice cream and other snacks. A reconstructed co-op store anchors the fort and doubles as a visitor center, displaying photos and a video that tell more of the area's past. There you can also buy crafts handmade by the fort's many friendly volunteers. Dressed in historical garb, they're happy to go into even more detail with you about the history of this place and the stunning area that surrounds it. Though the grounds are open daily, the store closes on Sunday.
550 Black Locust Ave., Bluff, Utah, 84512, USA435-672–9995Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Store closed Sun. -
3. Dead Horse Point State Park
One of the gems of Utah's state park system, right at the edge of the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands, this park overlooks a sweeping oxbow of the Colorado River some 2,000 feet below. Dead Horse Point itself is a small peninsula connected to the main mesa by a narrow neck of land. As the story goes, cowboys used to drive wild mustangs onto the point and pen them there with a brush fence. There's a nice visitor center with a coffee shop and museum. The park's Intrepid trail system is popular with mountain bikers and hikers alike. If it's a nice day, be sure to walk the 4-mile rim trail loop and drive to the park's eponymous point.
View Tours and ActivitiesHwy. 313, Canyonlands National Park, Utah, 84532, USA435-259–2614Sight Details
Rate Includes: $20 per vehicle (up to 8 people) -
4. Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum
Behind what is one of the nation's foremost museums dedicated to the Ancestral Puebloan culture, an interpretive trail leads to a village that they once inhabited. Portions have been partially excavated, and visitors can climb down a ladder into a 1,000-year-old ceremonial room called a kiva. The museum displays a variety of pots, baskets, spear points, and other rare artifacts. There's even a sash made from the colorful feathers of a scarlet macaw, a bird native to Mexico or Central America, which proves the vast distances indigenous trade routes spanned.
660 W. 400 N, Blanding, Utah, 84512, USA435-678–2238Sight Details
Rate Includes: $5, Closed Sun. in Dec.–Feb. -
5. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
For the most breathtaking (and recognizable) views of the iconic West, this is the place. The soaring red buttes, eroded mesas, deep canyons, and naturally sculpted rock formations found here are an easy 21-mile drive south of Mexican Hat on U.S. 163 across Navajo land. Monument Valley is a small part of the more-than-7-million acre Navajo Reservation and is sacred to the Navajo Nation, or Diné (pronounced din-eh, which means "the people"), as they refer to themselves. For generations, the Navajo have grown crops and herded sheep in Monument Valley, considered to be one of the most scenic and mesmerizing destinations in the Navajo Nation. Director John Ford made this fantasy land of buttes, towering rock formations, and mesas popular when he filmed Stagecoach here in 1938. The 90,000-acre Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park lies within Monument Valley. A 17-mile self-guided driving tour on a dirt road (there's only one road, so you can't get lost) passes the memorable Mittens and Totem Pole formations, among others. Drive slowly, and be sure to walk (15 minutes round-trip) from North Window around the end of Cly Butte for the views. Call ahead for road conditions in winter. The Monument Valley visitor center has a small crafts shop and exhibits devoted to ancient and modern Native American history. Most of the independent guided tours here use enclosed vans and you will usually be approached in the parking lot; you can find about a dozen approved Navajo Native American guides in the center. They will escort you to places you are not allowed to visit on your own. This surreal landscape constantly changes with the rising and setting sun.
View Tours and Activitiesoff U.S. 163, 21 miles south of Mexican Hat, Monument Valley, Utah, 84536, USA435-727–5870-park visitor centerSight Details
Rate Includes: $8 per person -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Valley of the Gods
A red fairyland of slender spires and buttes, the Valley of the Gods is a smaller version of Monument Valley. Approximately 15 miles west of Bluff, you can take a pretty drive through this relatively unvisited area on 17-mile-long Valley of the Gods Road, which begins on U.S. 163 and ends on Highway 261. The road is unpaved but should be drivable as long as it's dry.
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7. Bears Ears Education Center
For any visit to Bears Ears National Monument, this is as important a stop as the BLM office in Monticello. Run by the nonprofit Bears Ears Partnership, this is not an official visitor center for the park, but it does focus on teaching visitors how to explore Bears Ears respectfully. It's also a great place to pick up maps for your trip, and do peruse the gift shop and bookstore. Indigenous pottery shards are on display, as are more modern pieces by indigenous artisans showcasing the kind of work Native people created in the area thousands of years ago. The visitor center typically has a seasonal closure in summer and winter, though the dates change depending on visitation. The Partnership's thorough website also has plenty of up-to-date information for your journey.
567 W. Main St., Bluff, Utah, 84512, USA435-672–2402Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free, Closed Tues. and Wed. and Jan. and Feb. and July and Aug. -
8. Canyon Rims Recreation Area
If you have a few hours to spare (or a night if you enjoy backcountry camping), you can enjoy two remarkable canyon-country vistas. Turn off U.S. 191 at a point between Moab and Monticello (about 32 miles south of Moab and 26 miles north of Monticello), and the paved Needles Overlook Road runs 22 miles west to Needles Overlook, which takes in the southern end of Canyonlands National Park. Less than 20 miles farther on a graded road is the Anticline Overlook, with a view that encompasses the Colorado River, Dead Horse Point, and other locales to the north.
Moab, Utah, USA -
9. Carl's Critter Garden
It's impossible to miss this delightfully weird roadside collection of massive scrap-metal sculptures, from huge dinosaurs to tiny, buglike creatures. The longer you stay, the more details you see, and somehow the small sign reading "Welcome to the Center of the Universe" feels right on. The "garden" promotes love and is free, though it does take donations in a little box.
Hwy. 24, Hanksville, Utah, USASight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
10. Four Corners Monument
The Navajo Nation manages this landmark about 65 miles southeast of Bluff and 6 miles north of Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. Primarily a photo-op spot, you'll also find Navajo and Ute artisans selling authentic jewelry and crafts, as well as traditional foods. It's the only place in the United States where four states meet at one single point. Surveyors now believe the monument—a stone and metal marker sitting at the intersection of Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico—is roughly 1,800 feet east of the correct spot. The small entry fee of $8 per person is cash-only, so be sure to get money prior to heading out.
Four Corners Monument Rd., off U.S. 160, Bluff, Utah, USASight Details
Rate Includes: $8 -
11. Goblin Valley State Park
Hundreds of orange, mushroom-like rocks known as "hoodoos" rise up from the desert floor about 30 miles northwest of Hanksville. Short, easy trails wind through the bizarre goblins making it a fun walk for kids and adults. Be forewarned that during busy times of the year, there may be a wait time to enter the park.
View Tours and ActivitiesHwy. 24, Green River, Utah, 84525, USA435-275–4584Sight Details
Rate Includes: $20 per vehicle -
12. Goosenecks State Park
Stare down the spectacular, 1,000-foot cliffs, and you can see how this remote park got its name: the San Juan River's serpentine course resembles the necks of geese. Geologists also say this is the best example of an "entrenched meander" in the world, including rock 300 million years old. The nighttime skies here are legendary, and in 2021 Goosenecks officially became an International Dark Sky Park, a recognition from the International Dark Sky Association. Camping sites are all first-come, first-served. You'll find the park 8 miles northwest of Mexican Hat off Highway 261.
Hwy. 316, Mexican Hat, Utah, 84531, USA435-678–3348Sight Details
Rate Includes: $8 per vehicle -
13. Green River State Park
A shady respite on the banks of the Green River, this park is best known for its golf course. It's also the starting point for boaters drifting along the river through Labyrinth and Stillwater Canyons. Fishing and bird-watching are other favorite pastimes here.
450 S. Green River Rd., Green River, Utah, 84525, USA435-564–3633Sight Details
Rate Includes: $7 per vehicle -
14. Hole N" the Rock
This old-school attraction, 12 miles south of Moab, may look a bit dangerous from the road, but it's a worthwhile stop. A short tour takes you inside the 14-room, 5,000-square-foot home that former owners Albert and Gladys Christensen carved and blasted into solid rock. Beyond the impressive cave dwelling is a petting zoo, available for a separate entrance fee. A small convenience store has drinks, snacks, and ice cream for those really warm desert days.
U.S. 191, Moab, Utah, 84532., USA435-686–2250Sight Details
Rate Includes: $6.50, Daily 9–5 -
15. Hovenweep National Monument
The best place in southeast Utah to see ancient tower ruins dotting the scenic cliffs, if you're headed south from Canyonlands and have an interest in Ancestral Puebloan culture, a visit to this monument is a must. Park rangers strongly advise following printed maps and signs from U.S. 191 near Blanding, Utah, or County Road G from Cortez, Colorado; GPS is not reliable here. Once you arrive, you'll find unusual tower structures (which may have been used for astronomical observation) and ancient dwellings.
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16. La Sal Mountain Loop
With beautiful lakes and welcoming shade, these mountains outside Moab offer cool relief from the desert's hot summers, and striking scenery as the aspen leaves turn gold in the fall. On Old Airport Road (a left turn off U.S. 191) 8 miles south of Moab, the 62-mile loop climbs over the laccolith mountain range, affording some great vistas of the valley. The road enters La Sal Division of the Manti-La Sal National Forest just as the dominant red-rock cliffs east of Moab begin to alternate with sagebrush and juniper flats. Passing through the cool heights of La Sal Mountains, the loop winds north through red rock country to Castle Valley and an intersection with Highway 128. The road is paved, except for a couple of gravel sections, but it has steep switchbacks, and it does become snow-packed in winter. Check with the National Forest Service before embarking on winter driving on this road as some sections may be closed.
U.S. 191, Moab, Utah, 84532, USA435-259–7155Sight Details
Rate Includes: Year-round -
17. Lake Powell
With a shoreline longer than America's Pacific coast, Lake Powell is the heart of the huge 1.25-millon-acre Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Created by the Glen Canyon Dam—a 710-foot wall of concrete in the Colorado River—Lake Powell took 17 years to fill. The second-largest man-made lake in the nation, it extends through terrain so rugged that it was the last major area of the country to be mapped. Red cliffs ring the lake and twist off into 96 major canyons and countless inlets with huge, red-sandstone buttes randomly jutting from the sapphire waters. The most popular thing to do at Lake Powell is to rent a houseboat and chug leisurely across the lake, exploring coves and inlets. Like many tourist spots in the region, the lake's busiest times are in the summer, with peak visitation on holiday weekends. Book far in advance for those dates. It's also important to check with the National Park Service for current water levels, closures, and other weather-related conditions. Southwest of Bullfrog, Rainbow Bridge National Monument is the largest natural bridge in the world, and its 290-foot-high, 275-foot-wide span is a breathtaking sight. Unfortunately, accessing this wonder is difficult. You can either hike a 14-mile trail from the Navajo Nation or boat in, though the National Park Service had to pull its dock back from the water in 2021 due to low water levels and damage from storms, with no estimate for restoring its original location. Small boats and vessels still have access to the shoreline but getting to the trail requires wading through water and mud. No special permit is needed to boat into the monument, but hiking in from the Navajo Nation requires a permit issued by the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department ( www.navajonationparks.org). The main visitor center for Lake Powell is Arizona's Wahweap Marina, with a campground, general store, restaurants, swimming pools, boat docks, and houseboat rentals.
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18. Lower Colorado River Scenic Byway—Highway 279
If you're interested in Native American rock art, Highway 279 northwest of Moab is a perfect place to spend a couple of hours immersed in the past. To get there, go north from Moab on U.S. 191 for about 3½ miles before turning left onto Highway 279. If you start late in the afternoon, the cliffs will be glowing orange as the sun sets. Along the first part of the route you'll see signs reading "Indian Writings." Park only in designated areas to view the petroglyphs on the cliff side of the road. At the 18-mile marker you'll see Jug Handle Arch. A few miles beyond this point the road turns to four-wheel-drive only and takes you into the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands. Do not continue onto Island in the Sky unless you are in a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle with a full gas tank and plenty of water. Allow about two hours round-trip for the scenic byway drive. If you happen to be in Moab during a heavy rainstorm, Highway 279 is also a good option for viewing the amazing waterfalls caused by rain pouring off the cliffs on both sides of the Colorado River.
Hwy. 279, Moab, Utah, 84532, USA -
19. Moki Dugway
Northwest of the Valley of the Gods, Highway 261 takes you to the Moki Dugway, a graded road that was bulldozed out of a cliff during the uranium boom. It's been improved since it was originally built, but its steep grade and tight switchbacks still provide thrills sufficient for most drivers. From the top of the cliff you're rewarded with outrageous views south over the Navajo Reservation with Monument Valley visible more than 20 miles away. This drive is not recommended for vehicles more than 28 feet in length or weighing more than 10,000 pounds.
Hwy. 261, 9 miles north of Hwy. 163, Mexican Hat, Utah, 84531, USA -
20. Muley Point Overlook
Five miles beyond the Moki Dugway turnoff on Highway 263 brings you to the Muley Point Overlook, which has a panoramic view of the Goosenecks of the San Juan River, the Valley of the Gods, and Monument Valley. It's also 1,000 feet higher in elevation than the Goosenecks overlook farther south.
Muley Point Rd., Mexican Hat, Utah, USA
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