Moab
I visit Moab at least once a year, sometimes twice a year for work and vacation. I am very fortunate that I can do both here because Moab offers all types of adventures as well as history. I started going to Moab over 20 years now. I can remember the first time I drove through town. I immediately fell in love with all it has to offer. I thoroughly enjoy hiking in Arches National Park, especially the the Primitive Trail from Devils Garden as well as the Klondike Bluff area, where there is a good chance you would be the only one on the trail. There is great camping available everywhere you turn, along the Colorado River, sites along the La Sal loop road, Arches and Canyonlands National Park.
If you are an avid mountain biker, Moab is a pilgrimage. The best time of year for this is April and May. Of course the summer months can be brutal. Always be sure to bring plenty of water and don’t forget to drink it! The area has one of the most iconic routes available, The Porcupine Rim. With all sections this route is close to 30 miles. But the mountain bike scene is always evolving. In 2012 a new route was introduced thanks to the efforts of the local mountain bikers, called the Magnificent 7, also known as Mag 7. This is sure to be a classic, just as Porcupine Rim. There are plenty of mountain bike shops that have state of the art mountain bikes to rent. You can also ship your own bike to a shop and they will assemble for you and also break it down and ship it back home. There are all levels of riding, so you can rent a bike for a day and the shop can direct you to the appropriate trails for your level.
Beyond the hiking and mountain biking, Moab has excellent examples ancient and prehistoric history. Countless dinosaur tracks can be found and some excellent pictographs and petraglyphs throughout the area. Of course, there is outstanding rock climbing opportunities and while I am an avid rock climber, I’ve yet to climb any routes in the area. Most of my trips to the area are solo adventures making this the only activity on my list to do.
