by Robb Magley

Moab, Utah [Summer 2004]

AH MOAB, LAND OF TOWERING SANDSTONE spires and arches, remnants of ancient culture, and the unrivaled Western mecca to a remarkably diverse assemblage of committed outdoor enthusiasts.

The enduring legacy of Moab’s uranium boom in the 1950s is a network of trails and roads leading through the surrounding landscape, sometimes bringing one to amazing vistas and sometimes landing you in a dead-end canyon. In recent years this hodgepodge of routes has been discovered by hikers, mountain bikers, and four-wheel-drive devotees. The ensuing tourism, coupled with the ever-increasing popularity of the spectacular nearby parks, has put the mining boom to shame, and while growth was inevitable, Moab has managed to keep a fair portion of its small-town charm while becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country.

The last time I visited Moab, I had the good fortune to run into a couple who had traveled all the way from Adelaide, Australia to visit the canyon country. They had made the trip purely on a whim, and had come to Moab because of its well-deserved reputation as a stepping-off point for some of the more remarkable scenery on earth. 

With little research and no planning whatsoever, they had found the major landmarks. At Newspaper Rock, they saw petroglyphs spanning thousands of years, carved and painted by everyone from the Anasazi to the turn-of-the-last-century settlers. They had explored parts of the vast Canyonlands National Park (including the less-frequented Horseshoe Canyon). They had taken some time to poke around the Arches National Monument, where wind and time have created rock formations you have to see to believe. Back in town, they found the excellent microbrewed beer at Eddie McStiff’s (57 South Main Street, 435-259-2337), and had already discovered the Jailhouse Cafe (101 N. Main Street) made the best breakfast in town. They even hit 186 mile-long Lake Powell, a massive man-made reservoir named for the one-armed war hero and consummate explorer John Wesley Powell, who launched wooden dories in the Green River in 1869.

I dutifully pointed my new friends toward my favorite lesser-known tourist attraction, Moab’s Hole N’ The Rock (435-686-2250, 11037 South Highway 191), about 12 miles south of town. This is not to be missed; Hole N’ The Rock is a 14-room, 5,000 square-foot home carved into sandstone by the late owners Albert and Gladys Christensen.Albert spent 12 years excavating, and after he passed away, Gladys finished the work. Today visitors can tour this unique local landmark. Don’t worry—you can’t miss the enormous 20-foot-high letters painted on the rock to tell you where to turn off.

The Australians were grateful for the guidance, even though it conflicted with the free-form nature of their vacation. But you don’t have to be so spontaneous. Timing a visit to Moab to coincide with any of the great summer happenings can make the trip even more rewarding. So when your knees give out from the mountain biking or hiking, or your teeth just can’t take another rattling along a Jeep trail, think about hitting one or two of these events this year.

September 3 through 8, catch the 12th season of the Moab Music Festival (435-259-7003, www.moabmusicfest.org). If you’ve never heard a string quartet perform inside a natural rock amphitheater, you’re in luck because this year’s concert series runs the gamut from classical chamber music to jazz, with some performance venues accessible only by boat via the Colorado River.

Labor Day brings out the largest numbers of motorized rock-crawlers in Moab, and from September 4 through 6 the Red Rock 4-Wheelers, Inc. (www.rr4w.com) will be holding their 31st annual Labor Day Camp-Out. If you’re a fan of the world-renowned off-road standard Land Rover, you probably shouldn’t miss the Solihull Society’s National Rally (www.solihullsociety.org) September 14 through 18. 

In a town known for its slickrock mountain biking, you may be surprised to see the number of road bikes at the Moab Century Tour (435-259-2698, www.skinnytirefestival.com) October 1 through 3. An annual fund-raiser for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Tour gives road cyclists an opportunity to help with the fight against cancer. 

Mountain bikers, fear not. Moab has not forgotten you, not by a long shot. The most exciting 24 hours of mountain biking in the country takes place in Moab during the 24 Hours of Moab relay mountain bike race (304-259-5533, www.grannygear.com) October 16 and 17. Teams ride day and night vying for bragging rights and more than $70,000 in prize money.

Night riding too intense? Catch the Moab Fat Tire Festival (435-260-1182, www.moabfattirefestival.com) October 28 through November 1. Look forward to four days of parties, movies, clinics, gear demos, and of course mountain biking along Moab’s world-famous slickrock trails. And yes, as in previous years, count on a Halloween bash to dwarf all others.

For some, four-wheel drive means only one word: Jeep. Moab’s Jeep Jamboree (530-333-4777, www.jeepjamboreeusa.com) is October 29 through 31, and is a great opportunity for Jeep owners and their families to explore the region’s more far-flung roads (and less-than-roads). Don’t own a Jeep? You can rent one and still be welcome—just don’t forget your tow hook and shovel.

The beauty of Moab isn’t just in its surroundings, but also in the people you’ll come across there. I’ve brushed the surface of things to do and see, but your best bet still is to strike up a conversation with the first friendly face you meet. And you’re going to meet a lot of friendly faces. Moab seems to have that effect on people.

Photo captions:

1. Turret Arch, Arches National Park. © James Burke.

2. Interior photo of “Hole N’ The Rock” home. Courtesy Hole N Rock.

3. Downtown Moab. © Kathryn Retzler.

4. Aarchway Inn, a favorite place to stay. Jeep rentals available on the premises from Cliffhanger. © Kathryn Retzler.