Moab Travel Guide

Double O Arch is a spectacular double-deck natural sandstone arch in the Devil's Garden area of Arches National Park, Utah. Two arches stacked one above the other, each with a roughly circular opening (hence "double O"), form a rare and visually striking structure. Reaching it requires hiking the Devil's Garden Trail (~4.3 km one way) through varied terrain including rocky paths, sand and scrambling sections — moderately strenuous. The trail passes Landscape Arch (one of the world's longest natural arches), Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch. The two arches of Double O — upper larger, lower smaller, both roughly circular — glow red in the sun. Hiking to Double O Arch through Devil's Garden is an adventurous Arches National Park experience.

Goosenecks State Park is located in southeastern Utah and offers an excellent vantage point to view one of North America's most spectacular entrenched meanders. Although the park is small, standing at the cliff edge reveals the San Juan River winding through three consecutive U-shaped bends hundreds of meters below, resembling a goose's neck and giving the park its name. The river lies about 300 meters below the viewing platform, having carved this geological wonder over millions of years. Similar to the famous Horseshoe Bend but more complex, it is a hidden gem for geology and photography enthusiasts. The park has minimal facilities but offers raw, breathtaking scenery that makes it an unforgettable Utah destination.

Dead Horse Point State Park is located in southeastern Utah, about 40 kilometers from Moab, at an elevation of about 1,820 meters, and is one of the most spectacular viewpoints on the Colorado Plateau. The park sits atop Dead Horse Point Mesa, overlooking the Colorado River winding 600 meters below in a massive meander, with views of Canyonlands National Park and the snow-capped La Sal Mountains in the distance. The park is named after a legend that cowboys herded wild horses to this mesa for selection, with some dying trapped due to the terrain. Dead Horse Point gained fame from the classic car-fly-into-canyon scene in the film "Thelma & Louise," and is a must-visit in the Moab area alongside Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

Canyonlands is Utah's largest national park, carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers into deep canyons, mesas and spires, split into three districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles and The Maze. Island in the Sky hovers above the rivers' confluence; Mesa Arch is the classic 'framed sunrise' — dawn light pours through the arch onto the canyon beyond. The Needles shows red-white banded spires; The Maze is a remote wilderness for expert hikers. Stark, vast and primeval, it's the ultimate place to feel the Colorado Plateau's grandeur and solitude.