Moab, Utah

Moab is a small town with a large boast.  Touting itself as the place "where adventure begins", a drive down main street soon makes you a believer.  If it has wheels, you can rent it here. Cycling, climbing and hiking are huge, but if you are more into motorized vehicles the choices are endless.  Jeeps, hummers, dirt bikes, and every type of OHV, ATV, UTV human designers can come up with are for rent here.  The area has many trails designated off-highway use from easy to downright dangerous.
When you get tired of land travel, the Colorado River is a good place to get rid of the dust.  A canoe or kayak is a peaceful way to enjoy the great scenery but scenic jet boat tours or white water rafting will add even more adventure to the trip.  Balloon or helicopter rides, skydiving, horseback (or mule) rides, and golfing give even more choices.

The real magnet for tourists, however, is the spectacular scenery surrounding Moab.  A preview of what scenery lies ahead can be obtained by traveling to Moab via Scenic Byway 128 off from Interstate 70.  This is a must for the first time tourist.

The centerpiece of Moab's attraction is Arches National Park and its beautiful red-rock formations including the most concentrated collection of arches in the world.  You can drive into the park anytime but be prepared to share it with a lot of admirers from mid-morning to late afternoon. Getting there at sunrise and returning to Moab by mid morning is the best solution for photographers.  A return to the park late afternoon (remember, it is only a few miles north of town) will give you stunning sunset red rock pictures.

The most popular arch in the park is Delicate Arch and it has its own parking lot (usually full) and a constant stream of hikers.  Often the hikers come in large groups and a party-like atmosphere ensues.
If you expect to photograph the arch without spectators in the frame expect to have a challenging time.

Another photogenic formation is the "three gossips".

Another popular area is Windows Section but almost anywhere within the park a short hike will get you away from all the crowds and give you plenty of opportunities.

Arches NP by itself would be enough incentive alone but there are other spectacular parks nearby. Nine miles north of Moab lies Dead Horse Point State Park  towering 2000 feet above the Colorado River.  It is often called Utah's Grand Canyon.  Legend has it that cowboys in the 1800's used the point to capture wild horse by running them through a narrow inlet and then using the canyon's steep walls to trap them.  A band of horses was left corralled there and died of thirst although they could see the waters of the Colorado 2,000 feet below them.  

South of Moab lies Canyonlands National Park which is divided into three distinct units.  Closest to Moab is Island in the Sky section.  The Needles unit is the farthest from Moab while The Maze is the most remote and requires a high-clearance vehicle.