Moab is known for its close proximity to two national parks: Arches and Canyonlands. Since we were only spending one morning in the area, we decided to go to the smaller of the two parks, Arches. After passing through the gate, we wound our way up the main road climbing on to the plateau that forms the foundation for the park. The first thing you notice about Arches is the color: red. All of the stone is distinctly red in color various shades representing the banding of time. This red was particularly vibrant in the morning sunlight from the southeast. We drove deep into the park and worked our way back toward the gate stopping to see the Windows, Delicate Arch, and Balanced Rock among the other geological sculptures the park has to offer. Once we returned to the park gate, we turned north along UT-128.
UT-128 is an scenic alternative route to US-191 to get back to I-70 from Moab. It runs along the Colorado River in a canyon with 1000 foot walls. Along the drive from Moab to Cisco (where 128 rejoins I-70), the canyon walls slowly separate into distant mesas, round out to become mountains, then flatten. This awe-inspiring transition happens in only a matter of 30 miles.
We took I-70 westward until splitting off to follow US-6 to the north. We continued through Price and Provo where we met with I-15 to Salt Lake City. We stopped in Salt Lake City for the night.
Day 7: Moab to Salt Lake City
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Moab is known for its close proximity to two national parks: Arches and Canyonlands. Since we were only spending one morning in the area, we decided to go to the smaller of the two parks, Arches. After passing through the gate, we wound our way up the main road climbing on to the plateau that forms the foundation for the park. The first thing you notice about Arches is the color: red. All of the stone is distinctly red in color various shades representing the banding of time. This red was particularly vibrant in the morning sunlight from the southeast. We drove deep into the park and worked our way back toward the gate stopping to see the Windows, Delicate Arch, and Balanced Rock among the other geological sculptures the park has to offer. Once we returned to the park gate, we turned north along UT-128.
UT-128 is an scenic alternative route to US-191 to get back to I-70 from Moab. It runs along the Colorado River in a canyon with 1000 foot walls. Along the drive from Moab to Cisco (where 128 rejoins I-70), the canyon walls slowly separate into distant mesas, round out to become mountains, then flatten. This awe-inspiring transition happens in only a matter of 30 miles.
We took I-70 westward until splitting off to follow US-6 to the north. We continued through Price and Provo where we met with I-15 to Salt Lake City. We stopped in Salt Lake City for the night.