For our final day in the Moab area we drove to Dead Horse Point State Park. Our U.S. National Parks “senior passes” aren’t good at a Utah state park, of course, but with the “senior discount” our entry fee was only $10 for the vehicle and both of us in it. A bargain.
We parked at the Visitors Center, which had not yet opened for the day when we arrived, and walked the East Rim Trail back toward the north (the direction from which we had driven in) to the Colorado River Overlook. The trail was very easy — flat and exceptionally well marked.
I don’t know if this trail was farther back from the rim than the trail we walked yesterday, or if it was that these cliffs drop “merely” a thousand feet (rather than 1400 feet), or if I was just getting used to it. In any case, I was less nervous about being along the rim of the canyon today.
We retraced our steps back to the Visitors Center and spoke briefly with a DNR ranger about options. We elected to continue the East Rim Trail southward to Dead Horse Point and back again for a 3 mile round trip. In fact, when we reached Dead Horse Point we continued onto the West Rim Trail for a time, until the two trails were just across the road from each other at a narrow point called “The Neck.” Then we crossed and rejoined the East Rim Trail for the trip back. Thus, our hike was actually a bit longer than planned.
Interestingly, these trails are named backwards. The East Rim Trail is really on the west rim of the canyon, and the West Rim Trail is really on the eastern rim. However, with respect to the mesa on which the trails are built, the East Rim Trail is on the east side, and the West Rim Trail is on the west side. Confusing? Yes.
The fact that there are hiking trails here at all is perhaps amazing. What this park is really all about is mountain bikes, and there are miles of bike trails here. There were also hundreds of mountain bikers here to enjoy them. A big mountain bike rally was taking place just outside of Moab. This wasn’t part of it, but it seemed that every mountain biker who wanted to escape the rally had come here.
After our hike, we drove back toward Moab but took a detour onto a state highway marked as a Utah Scenic Byway. It was a pretty drive along the Colorado River, on one side of the road, with stone cliffs on the other side.
The first feature we noted were rock climbers — dozens of them, hanging from ropes just above the highway, while instructors, coaches, and friends stood right next to the traffic holding safety lines. This is a prime spot for rock climbing instruction.
Amid the rock climbers were signs pointing to “Indian Writing.” We pulled over and got out of the car, and immediately saw, on the rock face just above us, hundreds of petroglyphs. A placard placed by the state Archaeological Society explained that these areas of rock had been easily accessible until the road was built, removing gravel and soil along the cliffs. It also pointed out that some of these had been dated to nearly 2500 years ago!
Returning to Moab, we decided that the day was so pleasant that we would like to sit outside somewhere and enjoy a cool beverage. Outdoor venues are apparently rare in Moab, partly because all of the businesses line the main highway and the noise of the trucks and other traffic makes for a less than ideal experience. We also discovered that, because of some state law or just bad policy, one can’t sit and have a beer in a restaurant here without ordering food. We had already eaten, and the lunch rush was well past leaving plenty of empty tables, but we got kicked out. We had to go to a licensed bar to have a drink, so we returned to the local brewery. Alas, no outdoor seating.
The drive for the day was to Blanding, UT. This little town has little to offer other than cheaper lodging outside the tourist zone, and a head start on our drive to the Monument Valley. Two surprises here: A very nice, new Visitors Center had an interesting little museum on the town’s history, and Pop’s Burritos (a locally-owned version of Chipotle) makes a very good meal.
Although it’s Saturday night, there isn’t much danger in getting into trouble here. The largest building in town other than the local high school is the Mormon church, and there isn’t a bar or dance hall to be seen. It’s a quiet place.
We parked at the Visitors Center, which had not yet opened for the day when we arrived, and walked the East Rim Trail back toward the north (the direction from which we had driven in) to the Colorado River Overlook. The trail was very easy — flat and exceptionally well marked.
We retraced our steps back to the Visitors Center and spoke briefly with a DNR ranger about options. We elected to continue the East Rim Trail southward to Dead Horse Point and back again for a 3 mile round trip. In fact, when we reached Dead Horse Point we continued onto the West Rim Trail for a time, until the two trails were just across the road from each other at a narrow point called “The Neck.” Then we crossed and rejoined the East Rim Trail for the trip back. Thus, our hike was actually a bit longer than planned.
The fact that there are hiking trails here at all is perhaps amazing. What this park is really all about is mountain bikes, and there are miles of bike trails here. There were also hundreds of mountain bikers here to enjoy them. A big mountain bike rally was taking place just outside of Moab. This wasn’t part of it, but it seemed that every mountain biker who wanted to escape the rally had come here.
The first feature we noted were rock climbers — dozens of them, hanging from ropes just above the highway, while instructors, coaches, and friends stood right next to the traffic holding safety lines. This is a prime spot for rock climbing instruction.
The drive for the day was to Blanding, UT. This little town has little to offer other than cheaper lodging outside the tourist zone, and a head start on our drive to the Monument Valley. Two surprises here: A very nice, new Visitors Center had an interesting little museum on the town’s history, and Pop’s Burritos (a locally-owned version of Chipotle) makes a very good meal.
Although it’s Saturday night, there isn’t much danger in getting into trouble here. The largest building in town other than the local high school is the Mormon church, and there isn’t a bar or dance hall to be seen. It’s a quiet place.
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