Page 20 - DreamScapes Magazine | Spring/Summer 2022

SPECIAL FEATURE SECTION
PHOTOS: MATT MORGAN | JAY DASH | AUSTEN DIAMOND PHOTOGRAHY | JAY DASH | MATT MORGAN | LOKELANI LYNN | VISIT UTAH | JERRY SINTZ | MARC PISCOTTY | AUSTEN DIAMOND PHOTOGRAHY
20 DREAMSCAPES SPRING/SUMMER 2022
The Other Side of Southern Utah
BY KARUNA EBERL
You have probably heard of Arches and Canyon- lands National Parks. They top the list for Southern Utah newcomers. But for those of us who seek more low-key, low-crowd desert wander- ings, there are dozens of other rugged canyons, sweeping vistas and even alpine hikes.
Here are a few highlights of Southern Utah’s lesser-known gems, all of which are within striking distance of Moab.
Dead Horse Point State Park
The overlook here will help you get your bearings on where you want the next few days of exploration to take you. Stand atop the canyon rim and watch the Colorado River flow lazily around a 180-degree bend, 300 metres below. Beyond, the pinnacles and precipices of Canyonlands stretch past the horizon, unfolding a geologic story millions of years in the making. You can drive to the view, but a mountain bike or hike once you’re there really helps you get intimate with the landscape.
La Sal Mountains
Just to the southeast, the peaks of the La Sal Moun- tains rise above Moab, their snow-capped peaks topping out at nearly 4,000 metres above sea level. Drive the 100-kilometre National Forest Service loop road through pine and aspen forests. You might even catch a glimpse of foxes, wild turkeys and black bear. Bring a picnic to enjoy in a moun- tain meadow, before rolling back down into the red-rock desert.
Natural Bridges National Monument
You can see all three natural sandstone arches from the loop road, or get up-close and personal with them and other curious rock formations along an easy hike. After dark, the stellar show begins. The night is so dark and the skies are so clear here that in 2007 Nat- ural Bridges was named the world’s first International Dark Sky Park.
INSIDER TIP: Route 95 toward Natural Bridges passes several 800-year-old Ancestral Puebloan dwellings, including Butler Wash (visible from the parking area) and House on Fire (a bit of a hike). Please review ethics and how to be respectful when visiting Indigenous sites. See friendsofcedarmesa.org/visit-with-respect- video-series.
Moki Dugway
Head south of Natural Bridges, on Utah Route 261, and heed the signs urging you to slow down. They signify you are about to embark on a true Utah rite of passage—the Moki Dugway. Here, the road turns to dirt for a 5-kilometre, 365-metre hairpin- curved descent. Downshift to play it safe, and leave the sightseeing “oohs” and “aaahs” for the passengers.
Goosenecks State Park
Another river-bend vista, this small park overlooks the San Juan, where it has carved its way through 300 million years of geologic layers. There’s camping here, and a hike out to the end of the mesa.
Monument Valley
Unless you grew up without a television, you’re sure to recognize the rocky spires and desolate strip of highway cutting across this isolated, iconic valley. (Hint: Think Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey). Stop for a photo op, as well as jewellery, art and other wares from Navajo vendors.
DID YOU KNOW? Southeast Utah has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years, and there is even a petroglyph of a mammoth in the area, suggesting they once shared the area with humans.