Things to do / Travel Guide
In southern Utah and the Arizona Strip, sandstone is the raw material and nature quite the artisan. You'll find more National Parks in this region than in any other in the whole country, with a proportional plethora of outdoor activities throughout. This leads to the age-old question as to whether people come to this area to bike, hike, kayak, or fish for the thrill of adventure or for the vast number of natural beauties encountered while engaging in those activities. Mull that one over!
Earth and Water
Moab is consistently rated as one of the U.S.' top mountain biking destinations. From challenging Slickrock Bike Trail, you'll be able to catch views of the La Sal Mountains, the Colorado River, and several awesome National Parks. You'll get to bike over ancient petrified sand dunes, but don't let the name worry you - the rock isn't slick at all for bike tires. The landscape is nothing short of breathtaking, but don't forget to pay attention to the path as well. A spill onto that sandpaper-textured surface can be painful.
Perhaps you'd prefer to head on over to the other side of the region for a while. Ready for an exhilarating episode of canyoneering? Nowhere is better for this than at Zion National Park and its environs. Travel up and down the numerous canyons to your heart's (and feet's) content. What does canyoneering entail? Anything you want it to! You can limit yourself to a nice stroll, and just enjoy looking up at the impossible sandstone scenery or admiring the wildlife. At the other extreme, you may be looking for an adventure involving rock scrambling, rappelling, and wading. Whichever experience you're after, this is where you'll find it.
If you're looking for aqua-related adventure, Lake Powell is the region's main draw. This vast body of water, with all its side canyons, coves, and inlets, is a playground for both kayaker and fisher. Kayaking is one of the best ways to get to the Rainbow Bridge, on the Utah-Arizona border. It's the largest natural bridge in the world, and while you can't kayak under it, you can get quite close. The Native American tribes have revered the natural formation for ages, and it's pretty easy to see why.
As for fishing, surely you've heard of the abundant trout in Lake Powell. But the bass fishing there is also rewarding, with several kinds of bass for the taking. The lake is also replete with channel catfish, bluegill, crappie, walleye, and northern pike. Another option in the region is Panguitch Lake, near Cedar City, which takes its name from the Native American for “big fish.” and here you can easily catch your fill of rainbow, brook, cutthroat, and brown trout.
Remember, these are just the highlights for the region. Anyone coming to the southern Utah and the Arizona Strip for the thrill and beauty of the outdoors ought to be aware of the following as well:
- Go hiking or biking in Arches National Monument, and see such exquisite beauties as Delicate Arch, which frames the La Sal Mountains, the sinewy formations of Devil's Garden, and the huge Balanced Rock. See how many of the 2,000 arches you can cover during your visit. We're predicting no more than one percent.
- Hike a distance along the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. This less-visited side of the Grand Canyon is actually more than 1,000 feet above the Southern Rim, and is also more forested and green.
- Ignore the large lakes in the region, and instead make your way to the rivers and creeks. The Colorado River boasts gigantic rainbow trout, as do Beaver River, Panguitch Creek, and Sevier River.
- Go whitewater rafting along the Colorado River, near Moab, to the north of the region, or head just south of Lake Powell, and north of the Grand Canyon, to the south. The latter is 225 miles of intermediate to difficult rafting, and the views will make you weep, they're so beautiful.
- Go all out on a jeep, ATV, or dune buggy ride. These adventurous rides promise breathtaking views, overlooking Moab, St. George, the Pine Valley Mountains, the plateaus of Zion National Park, and the Arizona Strip.
Sky
The excitement is heightened in moiré ways than one when you take to touring the region's skies. Fly in a hot air balloon and look down on the majestic Bryce Canyon; skydive from 14,000 feet high, after flying over the region's most fantastic scenes. The air is especially clear throughout the region, the better to see really far, and plan the next leg of your trip. Will it be biking at the Brian Head ski resort (which, incidentally, offers great skiing in the winter), or trout fishing on the Colorado River? The choice is yours and any choice is a good one.
Accommodations are never a problem to find in the region. One nice, and very affordable, place to stay in the Zion National Park area is the Desert Pearl Inn, in Springdale. Buses are available that will take you from the hotel to points in the Park. After a day's hard lumbering among the rocky trails, a hot tub and hot cocoa back at the Desert Pearl can nicely top off your day.
Outdoor Recreation in Moab, Zion, Bryce, Arches National Parks in Southern Utah and the Arizona Strip
Outdoor-Sports-Recreation
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