Cool find while in the Valley marveling at the landscape…read more Came upon this small cabin full of Hollywood Lore. Mr. John Wayne's cabin while filming his and John Fords Westerns. Come inside, don't expect a big cabin. What it does contain is photographs, movie lore and a room full of Western artifacts from several westerns John Wayne was involved in. It's a little hidden but as soon as you see the cabin 'you've found it'!! Bathrooms and a nice little theater are adjacent. Lots of parking.

It's a small cabin. It is the size of a small bedroom. It is one room. Inside, it has pictures of…read moreJohn Wayne and movies. The other side has one small twin bed and a stove. It has a glass window that you can see the stuff inside. The cabin is cozy and simple. This attraction is located inside another business. You have to drive towards the back of this hotel to see it. It is also located next to this beautiful, huge rock formation. It was worth it for me. I was a fan of John Wayne.

This week's adventure took us through the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park,…read moreand every stop seemed to top the last. Stop #1: Island in the Sky Visitor Center Started the day with incredible views overlooking the famous Shafer Trail, with its dramatic switchbacks winding down the canyon walls. It's an amazing introduction to the park's vast landscape. Stop #2: Aztec Butte A short hike led us to ancient Puebloan granaries tucked into the sandstone cliffs. Standing where people lived and stored food hundreds of years ago adds a whole new layer to the scenery. Stop #3: Upheaval Dome One of Canyonlands' biggest mysteries! Scientists still debate whether this enormous crater-like formation was created by a meteorite impact or the collapse of an underground salt dome. Whatever its origin, it's a fascinating place to explore. Canyonlands is massive, rugged, and absolutely unforgettable. Every overlook makes you feel tiny in the best possible way.

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. On this trip, we visited 14 national parks, and Canyonlands National Park was another fascinating stop in our Utah adventure. Canyonlands is a park of enormous scale. It is hard to truly understand the size of this landscape until you are standing at the viewpoints looking out over endless canyons, mesas, and cliffs carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers over millions of years. The views are dramatic and humbling. Located close to Moab, Canyonlands has a very different atmosphere from some of the quieter parks we visited. Moab itself is like an outdoor playground, especially for people who love off-road adventures, mountain biking, dirt bikes, four-wheel drives, and exploring the backcountry. That energy definitely carries into the park. Of all the parks we visited on this trip, Canyonlands was probably the busiest and, personally, not one of my favorites. That does not mean it was not beautiful. It absolutely was. It just has a different feeling. Much of Canyonlands is experienced from above, looking down into the incredible maze of canyons below. Getting into the deeper parts of the canyon system requires more time, preparation, and often specialized equipment, especially if you want to explore beyond the main viewpoints. Since we only had two days, we focused on hiking and exploring the more accessible areas. I enjoyed several beautiful trails, including the hike to Mesa Arch, one of the park's most iconic viewpoints. Seeing the arch framing the vast canyon landscape beyond it was spectacular. We also explored other overlooks and trails where the views seemed to go on forever. One challenge for us was accessibility. My husband has mobility limitations, and Canyonlands does not offer as many easy, accessible trails or paved perimeter paths compared with some other national parks. Many of the experiences are geared more toward people who want longer hikes, rugged trails, or backcountry adventures. That said, Canyonlands is still an impressive place. The sheer size, the geology, and the views are unforgettable. Standing above those massive canyons gives you a sense of the incredible forces that shaped this land over millions of years. For visitors who love hiking, off-road exploration, backpacking, or seeing landscapes from dramatic viewpoints, Canyonlands is definitely worth visiting. For us, it was not the emotional favorite of the trip, but it was still an important piece of the incredible diversity we experienced across America's national parks.

Truly a "bucket list" type of trip Everyone needs to experience the White Rim trail once in their…read morelife. I had to reserve the camp sites months in advance. So worth it though. Besides a permit you need a 4 wheel drive vehicle with decent clearance. The trail is right around 100 miles long and most of it is slow technical driving. If you get easily scared from drop offs or narrow shelf type roads you won't enjoy this trail. My biggest fear as the driver wasn't the drop offs but on coming traffic. There are spots where the trail is so narrow you'd have to back up a ways to find a spot where both vehicles could squeeze by each other. I camped at Murphy A, and Taylor sites. Murphy A had an amazing view. Each site has a pit toilet and that's it. If you come in the spring make sure to check the Green River flows. Part of the trail was flooded but passable.

Great off-roading along the rim of the canyons with epic views of the green river, Musselman arch…read moreand Schafer trail switchbacks. Had a blast driving a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon over two days with a backcountry permit for candlestick campsite. The hogs hill and hardscrabble hills were a fun challenge in low 4 gear. Trip of a lifetime and great memories to match the views.

Moki Dugway for those who are possibly wondering exactly what is a Moki Dugway....it's…read moresimple....this is a very short, yet windy and steep uphill drive for 3 miles and 1200 feet reaching the top of Cedar Mesa. So what makes it so special??? Well, for me, it was just the drive. For the 3 miles, it's on dirt road. The speed limit and it's posted is 5 MPH. Yes...go slow and take your time. I have a fear of heights so driving up...on the right hand side is the view of the surrounding desert area of Southeastern, Utah. And the drive up wasn't anything difficult or dangerous, but from time to time I had to sort of move over towards the left of the road just in case, lol...to be safe. That's all. But...I came here to Moki Dugway in early afternoon right after I completed exploring Valley of the Gods. And I'd basically say Valley of the Gods is a miniature version (or even on the same level) as highly acclaimed Monument Valley! I exited Valley of the Gods on the west side along Highway 261 and literally the start to Moki Dugway was like 1 - 2 miles down the road. There really weren't any official signs saying this was Moki Dugway, but signs were posted that you'll be driving uphill on a much elevated degree along a dirt road for the next few miles. So...you'll know you're on Moki Dugway when you see it. I found there to be plenty of little roadside pullovers to stop, get out of my car and not only appreciate the fresh air, but the scenic and wide open views among the heart of the desert of secluded Mexican Hat, Utah. And...I drove Moki Dugway up to the top of Cedar Mesa and didn't stop from there. Combined with Moki Dugway was heading to Muley Point. To arrive at Muley Point I made a left onto the first road at the top of the Dugway. There wasn't a sign for Muley Point. You just have to trust that it'll be the immediate first left up at the top. Then...it's an easy 5 mile drive along a gravel road to the overlook. Once again...there weren't any signs for Muley Point when I arrived...but I knew what it was because there was no road left to drive. From there, I exited my car and headed to see what Muley point was all about. Just a few extra points...there were posted signs at the start of Moki Dugway that no RV's were allowed to drive up it. And I can understand that. They're just too big. Also, my basic mid-sized car had no issues traversing it. When I visited here in early afternoon back in September....the good news about witnessing Moki Dugway is that I had the sun facing my back so my photographs came out nice, clear and vibrant. I'd recommend coming here in the afternoon instead of possibly fighting the sun in morning time. Some may think that Moki Dugway and Muley Point are completely remote, yet that's not true. I actually started my day hanging out at Goosenecks State Park nearby...then drove 17 mile Valley of the Gods for a few hours and ultimately headed towards Bluff, Utah and Natural Bridges National Monument the following day. Also, when I did drive up...maybe I passed just a few cars headed in the opposite down the Dugway. Point is...it's not a crowded landmark. I had cell phone reception from time to time from what I remember. Lastly I'd say about 3/4's of the way to the top of Moki Dugway, I found the best opportunities to pull my car off to the side, step out and grab good pictures. So, as you'd expect the higher I went and definitely towards the top of Cedar Mesa...were the ideal views and opportunities for photos. Although Moki Dugway wasn't 5 stars for me...(I mean the views were good, not totally off the charts) it was still certainly worthwhile to come drive it while I was in the area. Combined with other attractions around Mexican Hat, I'm a fan of it.

Reading blogs online made my scared to do this drive. But after telling my husband about it there…read morewas no turning back. It was so much FUN. And in decent weather, it was easy in our SUV. We saw an RV coming down the pass which looked ridiculous and scary but we had a blast!!!

Just an amazing time you have to go. Taking pictures doesn't give it just to see any in person…read more Definitely bring some water sunblock sunglasses and a hat, but you definitely enjoy the area.

It is our last stop in the park. We initially planned to visit here first, but were unable to find…read moreparking. By now, the noon sunlight is unforgiving for photography than at 8 am, but the tenterhook rock (on every side!) and other rocks, and thrilling landscapes more than made up for it.  The mostly paved 0.25-mile loop trail is an easy walk. There is a picnic area with a bathroom in the opposite direction, which I didn't go to.

My husband and I love stopping in at small town museums because it really lets you experience the…read morelove that people have for their town. I felt like we learned a lot about the founding of Monticello, the people who built it, and the legacy that continues on. We personally loved the experiences of life in the "Wild West." The diorama of town was very beautiful and a ton of research clearly went into making it. We also enjoyed the nearby pioneer park for another glimpse of this town's history. The employee was very friendly.

The Monticello Welcome Center and Frontier Museum is an amazing resource for anyone looking to…read moreunearth the history of this fascinating town, as well as surrounding areas and attractions. I cannot stress how friendly and helpful the employees here are! They go out of their way to address specific requests, provide endless coffee and snacks, and are just all round fab folks! They are truly dedicated to helping visitors get the best out of Monticello! One of the curators, Mary, has an awesome travel and food blog too: http://www.southwestbrowneyes.com/p/utah.html THANK YOU :) :) :)

Our mission was to finally visit Four Corners Monument, and it did not disappoint. It was so cool…read moreto join with others who have a shared desire to visit 4 states at once: Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado. It wasn't extremely busy when we visited, but it was overcast and very windy. We stood in a short line to have our photos taken at the iconic point. Everyone was super friendly and was helping families take photos. They have vendors situated around the outskirts, and they sell some pretty amazing stuff! I was super excited to buy a painting, painted on a rock, some horse hair pottery and a pretty silver ring! Admission is $10/person, no cash accepted, which honestly feels a little steep, but everything is pricey these days. Happy to be able to check this one off our bucket list!

**July 2026: Tuesday Early Afternoon Visit**…read more My friend and I planned this road trip specifically to visit the Four Corners Monument, since I'm working on visiting all 50 states and wanted to check off Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona all at once. Genuinely, I just really wanted the novelty of standing in four states at the same time. :) The monument is located on Native tribal land, and getting there felt like part of the experience. It was about a four hour drive from Flagstaff, and honestly, there really wasn't much along the way until you reach the site. The entrance fee was $10 per person/per vehicle, and the parking is just dirt lot. There's also a porta potty on site. The monument itself is simple but iconic, with the names of the four states marked on plaques on the ground and their respective flags on poles around it. Surrounding the area were a number of booths run by Native American vendors selling souvenirs. They had everything from handmade pottery, necklaces, magnets, as well as factory-made tshirts, and more. Most vendors accepted cash, though a few also took Venmo or Zelle. You probably only need about 20 minutes here for your photoshoot and shopping experience, thought when we visited there was about a 10 minute wait to get a photo at the monument itself (at around 1pm). It's definitely more of a quick stop than a long destination, but I'm glad I checked it off my list. I probably wouldn't go again, but it was worth visiting once for the experience.

This is a cool little place to check out. If you have been on the road for a while need a walk and…read moresee something then pavement then stop and check out some history.

Three stars for some ambivalence here... The house tour is fascinating, super unique, with 5,000…read moresquare feet of living space with a ton of original furniture, fixtures, home decor and objects in general to look at. Most of it was HAND BUILT by the owners many decades ago. Really cool! But twelve actual minutes to run through it? Really? The docent was nice enough but obviously doesn't care about his job. It was almost funny how he was moving us through as fast as the candy on Lucy's conveyer belt. I reluctantly recommend the tour because the house/history is amazing, but the tour itself desperately needs a new guide and at least double the time to enjoy it. The girl at the front that sold the tickets was a delight: she enthusiastically answered our questions and actually seemed to enjoy engaging with guests.

So beautiful!!! You have to go!!! Amazing view!!! You have to experience it! Hold on to your hats…read more It does get windy . That when we went.

If you're limited on time, then hit this place up. It has a very high concentration of arches and…read morecool formations in a very small area. The parking lot is huge, and there are pit toilets if you need to make a bathroom trip. If you are so inclined and don't want to get out in the heat for the hikes to the arches, you can even see them from the parking lot from your car. Otherwise the arches are a short hike away. Additionally, it's good with people who have limited mobility as a lot of the trails don't have elevation gain. For example, the Double Arch trail is considered "barrier free." The trail has a hard packed surface. There can be lines for people who want the perfect shot, but otherwise it's not too crowded.