The incredible landscapes & adventures of Utah
The incredible landscapes & adventures of Utah
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In the red corner, Moab; red sandstone moulded by epochs of sun, wind and rain, warped into extraordinary formations that are unlike any landscape you’ve ever seen.
And in the blue (and green, and white, and occasionally orange and yellow and even red actually) corner there is Logan, a patchwork of forest and foliage, mountains and valleys, canyons and lakes.
These are the two stars of the show, separated by around 500km in different parts of Utah, although it seems extraordinary that they are even in the same state, such is the diversity of topography.
It’s almost like you’re watching two different movies. And yet if they were to be in a genre, both would surely be thriller: From climbing canyons and mountains to descending the Slickrock trail and hikes along cliffs, Utah’s reputation as the capital of adventure is amplified in each of these places.
And so, without further ado and with no intermission, get lost would like to introduce 10 of the most extraordinary experiences from Moab and Logan.
Crimson Climbing in the Canyon
The Logan Canyon slices through the Bear River Mountains, with trails branching out from the Canyon running through thick pine forests, into caves and onto crags and peaks.
The Crimson Trail is a reasonably solid climb that takes travellers along the edge of steep cliffs, and gets them an exquisite view of Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. As the name of the trail would suggest, this one turns shades of yellow and crimson in Autumn (October is best), plus the big blue of Bear Lake.
Crimson Climbing in the Canyon
The Logan Canyon slices through the Bear River Mountains, with trails branching out from the Canyon running through thick pine forests, into caves and onto crags and peaks.
The Crimson Trail is a reasonably solid climb that takes travellers along the edge of steep cliffs, and gets them an exquisite view of Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. As the name of the trail would suggest, this one turns shades of yellow and crimson in Autumn (October is best), plus the big blue of Bear Lake.
Gaze the Dead Horse
Never, ever, has a name failed to do justice to a location like the Dead Horse.
The grimly named Dead Horse Point State Park is, in a competitive field, one of Utah’s most incredible state parks. The Point itself is a peninsula of rock on top of breathtaking sandstone cliffs, connected to the mesa by a narrow strip of land called the neck. There’s an average elevation of 1,800 metres, and vistas of the cliffs and the Colorado River below are genuinely extraordinary.
Dead Horse is also a recognised International Dark Sky Park; hike mesmerising sections during the day, and then tilt your gaze skyward at night to be astonished across a 24-hour period. Do it again the next day.
Gaze the Dead Horse
Never, ever, has a name failed to do justice to a location like the Dead Horse.
The grimly named Dead Horse Point State Park is, in a competitive field, one of Utah’s most incredible state parks. The Point itself is a peninsula of rock on top of breathtaking sandstone cliffs, connected to the mesa by a narrow strip of land called the neck. There’s an average elevation of 1,800 metres, and vistas of the cliffs and the Colorado River below are genuinely extraordinary.
Dead Horse is also a recognised International Dark Sky Park; hike mesmerising sections during the day, and then tilt your gaze skyward at night to be astonished across a 24-hour period. Do it again the next day.
The ACTUAL Theatre
Logan ain’t just outdoor theatre—it’s real theatre too, with three iconic ones in one block.
After a day sweating it out, downtown Logan comes alive at night, especially in summer. There’s regular gigs, movies, live shows and theatrical performances throughout the year, but the five-week Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre during the warmer months is the peak.
We love the old school grandeur of the 101-year-old Ellen Eccles Theatre, and we also love that a theatre of this prestige and history has a mix of both proper theatrical performances and a ‘Napoleon Dynamite 20th anniversary show’ listed as upcoming shows. Gosh!
The ACTUAL Theatre
Logan ain’t just outdoor theatre – it’s real theatre too, with three iconic ones in one block.
After a day sweating it out, downtown Logan comes alive at night, especially in summer. There’s regular gigs, movies, live shows and theatrical performances throughout the year, but the five-week Utah Festival Opera and Musical Theatre during the warmer months is the peak.
We love the old school grandeur of the 101-year-old Ellen Eccles Theatre, and we also love that a theatre of this prestige and history has a mix of both proper theatrical performances and a ‘Napoleon Dynamite 20th anniversary show’ listed as upcoming shows. Gosh!
Raft in the Red
The deep red of the Moab Desert mightn’t be where you’d expect to find the Colorado River, which snakes west through the state at different speeds.
It flows fast through narrow canyons like Cataract Canyon, where a hectic mix of Class III, IV and Class V rapids during high water season in spring. will challenge the best of rafters. There’s also quite chill scenes too—easier rapids as well calm enough water to get the SUP out.
The entire way is super scenic and there’s a heap of side quests in the form of special rock formations, hidden pools, waterfalls, Native American ruins and pictographs. Epic.
Raft in the Red
The deep red of the Moab Desert mightn’t be where you’d expect to find the Colorado River, which snakes west through the state at different speeds.
It flows fast through narrow canyons like Cataract Canyon, where a hectic mix of Class III, IV and Class V rapids during high water season in spring, will challenge the best of rafters. There’s also quite chill scenes too - easier rapids as well calm enough water to get the SUP out.
The entire way is super scenic and there’s a heap of side quests in the form of special rock formations, hidden pools, waterfalls, Native American ruins and pictographs. Epic.
Byway Drives
Heading north, right to the northernmost reaches of the state and just about headbutting the state border, the byway from Logan to Garden City is one of the most epic short drives in the entire United States.
The 63km journey starts at the mouth of the Canyon Entrance Park and drives by high limestone walls. Heading steadily upwards, the US Highway 89 finishes at the turquoise waters of Bear Lake, adding another colour to the Utah palette.
Byway Drives
Heading north, right to the northernmost reaches of the state and just about headbutting the state border, the byway from Logan to Garden City is one of the most epic short drives in the entire United States.
The 63km journey starts at the mouth of the Canyon Entrance Park and drives by high limestone walls. Heading steadily upwards, the US Highway 89 finishes at the turquoise waters of Bear Lake, adding another colour to the Utah palette.
Spend 19kms in HELL
The world’s ultimate mountain bike trail is only 19 kilometres? Pfft.
The famed Slickrock Trail, though, is not any old trail. It’s an exhilarating and hectic downhill rodeo that hits rough and rocky switchbacks and bounces through open rocky area across ancient Navajo which will test even the very best mountain bikers. Even if you’re doing it right, it should still take around two hours to do the loop…much longer if you aren’t.
The area is full of sick trails for every level of mountain biker. Around 30 minutes’ drive from Moab is the Klonzo Trailhead, which offers a really wide variety of trails that’ll keep everyone happy.
Spend 19kms in HELL
The world’s ultimate mountain bike trail is only 19 kilometres? Pfft.
The famed Slickrock Trail, though, is not any old trail. It’s an exhilarating and hectic downhill rodeo that hits rough and rocky switchbacks and bounces through open rocky area across ancient Navajo which will test even the very best mountain bikers. Even if you’re doing it right, it should still take around two hours to do the loop…much longer if you aren’t.
The area is full of sick trails for every level of mountain biker. Around 30 minutes’ drive from Moab is the Klonzo Trailhead, which offers a really wide variety of trails that’ll keep everyone happy.
The Cache Valley Foodie ‘Trek’
This one’s for those who find themselves in the centre of a Venn diagrams with sets labelled hiking, rafting and eating.
It’s like a pub crawl, except instead of pubs, they’re epic eateries in and around Logan—and there’s a surprisingly large amount of these. Cows are a big deal around Logan - crush Blue Aggie Cheese at the Aggie Creamery, internationally renowned coffee at Caffe Ibis, mouth-watering chocolate at the century-old Bluebird Candy Company and more.
Probably a good idea to pencil in an outdoor activity around these.
The Cache Valley Foodie ‘Trek’
This one’s for those who would find themselves in the centre of a Venn diagrams with sets labelled hiking, rafting and eating.
It’s like a pub crawl, except instead of pubs, they’re epic eateries in and around Logan – and there’s a surprisingly large amount of these. Cows are a big deal around Logan - crush Blue Aggie Cheese at the Aggie Creamery, internationally renowned coffee at Caffe Ibis, mouth-watering chocolate at the century-old Bluebird Candy Company and more.
Probably a good idea to pencil in an outdoor activity around these.
Take on Winter Moab
Red turns to white in the winter when snowfall covers Moab’s mountains, turning hell into heaven, especially for snow operators.
Cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing in the La Sal Mountains offer something different to snow experiences elsewhere in the States, and it’s also a chance to get in and under every nook and cranny that is too hot to explore in summer.
Geyser Pass is an epic trail, and when you finish, you can stay in a Mongolian-style ger at Talking Mountain Yurts, a warm haven which may well be the cosiest place on Earth in winter.
Take on Winter Moab
Red turns to white in the winter when snowfall covers Moab’s mountains, turning hell into heaven, especially for snow operators.
Cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing in the La Sal mountains offer something different to snow experiences elsewhere in the States, and it’s also a chance to get in and under every nook and cranny that is too hot to explore in summer.
Geyser Pass is an epic trail, and when you finish, you can stay in a Mongolian-style ger at Talking Mountain Yurts, a warm haven which may well be the cosiest place on Earth in winter.
Grab a well-earned pint
Hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing etc work up a thirst.
Best place to quench this is Moab Brewery, established in the late-nineties and brewing quality craft ales ever since. It’s got an old-school, saloon-style exterior, although we don’t know how many western saloons back in the day also served up home-made gelato, or sold adventure gear inside.
Grab a pint of the Moab Pilsner and regale everyone about how you almost stacked it up on Slickrock, but managed to pull it together just in time. Cheers.
Grab a well-earned pint
Hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing etc work up a thirst.
Best place to quench this is Moab Brewery, established in the late-nineties and brewing quality craft ales ever since. It’s got an old-school, saloon-style exterior, although we don’t know how many western saloons back in the day (outside of old Mormon Utah) also served up home-made gelato, or sold adventure gear inside.
Grab a pint of the Moab Pilsner and regale everyone about how you almost stacked it up on Slickrock, but managed to pull it together just in time. Cheers.
get in the know Moab is the gateway to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Book a timed entry ticket to Arches National Park between April to October, 7am and 4pm daily..
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