Chris Cuevas Project at Commons Park at The Rim
Author: Joe
La Sal Mountains in southeastern Utah
The La Sal Mountains are located about 20 miles southeast of Moab in the Manti-La Sal National Forest near Utah’s border with Colorado.
The mountain peaks are over 12,000 feet – the second highest mountain range in Utah.
Utah road trip: Arches National Park part 2
Be aware that from April 1 to October 31, 2023, you need a reservation in the form of a Timed Entry Ticket. More information on that here:
Official site: Arches: National Park Service
Utah road trip: Arches National Park part 1
The park just north of Moab, Utah, has rugged trails, curvy roads and scenic views of red rocks and – if the weather behaves – really blue skies.
Official site: Arches: National Park Service
Utah road trip: Dead Horse Point State Park
The park is west of Moab, Utah, and located is a short distance from the northern entrance to Canyonlands National Park.
Official site: stateparks.utah.gov/parks/dead-horse/
Utah road trip: Canyonlands National Park – Island in the Sky
There are plenty of trails and camping is available at the park.
You reach the Canyonlands Island in the Sky visitor center by taking Highway 313 southwest from Highway 191, which is the north-south highway to and from Moab, Utah.
Official site: National Park Service: Canyonlands
Utah road trip: Canyonlands National Park – The Needles district
The southeast part of Canyonlands is about an hour and a half drive heading south from Moab, Utah. That entrance takes you to the park district called The Needles.
According to Earth Trekkers, the park gets its name from clusters of sandstone spires.
Official site: EarthTrekkers.com
Official site: National Park Service – The Needles
The morning I got here, the sky ranged from cloudy when I first showed up to mostly sunny but still hazy. I never got any really blue-blue skies, and then it clouded up again. My best shots were in that stretch of about an hour when I got at least some sun and sort of blueish skies.
I apparently headed out just in time. Heading north I drove through a momentary now flurry and then some wind and rain. That cleared up in time for me to make an afternoon visit to the north side of the park.
Utah road trip: Newspaper Rock Archaeological Site
It’s worth the stop.
The carvings in the rock are estimated to be up to 2,000 years old.
Newspaper Rock: Bureau of Land Management
Utah road trip: Colorado River near Moab
There is a nice place to park next to the river called Lions Park and Transit Hub. The stop also has restrooms and access to a paved bicycle lane.
Utah road trip: Driving from Salt Lake City to Moab
The drive through the mountains on Highway 6 takes you to elevations as high as 7,477 feet. I see a sign along the way that marks Soldiers Summit at 7,477 feet. There is snow around the road at the higher elevations, but the road itself is clear and dry.
I’m back down to around 4,000 feet when I hit Interstate 70 near Green River, Utah, and head east about 20 miles to pick up Highway 191 south toward Moab. I passed the entrances to the northern section of Canyonlands National Park and about 10 miles later Arches National Park shortly before I reached the Moab city limits.
