"THE STATE OF UTAH" Utah by LoriPori

Utah Travel Guide: 5,354 reviews and 13,812 photos

UTAH

With five National Parks, UTAH is America's National Parks capital: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands and Capital Reef. In addition, there is Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park which straddles the Utah/Arizona border.
Utah is a western State of the United States, and was named after the Native American "UTE" tribe and means people of the mountains. It is 84,000 square miles and the 11th largest state, with Salt Lake City as its capital.
Utah has a large percent of Mormons, concentrating mostly around Salt Lake City. Brigham Young and the first Mormon pioneers came to this area in 1847.

MONUMENT VALLEY NAVAJO TRIBAL PARK

Monument Valley's Iconic Image

Thursday, October 1, 2009
Located on the southern border of Utah, MONUMENT VALLEY NAVAJO TRIBAL PARK is a region of the Colorado Plateau, characterized by a cluster of vast and iconic sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 feet above the valley floor. The Valley lies within the Navajo Nation Reservation and is accessible from U.S. Highway #163. The Navajo name for the Valley is Tse' Bii' Ndziagaii - Valley of the Rocks.
The Valley's vivid red color comes from iron oxide exposed in the weathered Cutler Red siltstone. The darker, blue-gray rocks get their color from manganese oxide.
Monument Valley has been featured in many films, such as in Westerns by director John Ford ( #4 Overlook is named after him).
Near the entrance to the Park is a Visitor Center, with rest rooms and a large souvenir shop. Visitors pay an access fee of $5.00 U.S. per person which allows you to drive through the park on a 17-mile (27 km) unpaved dirt road. Parts of Monument Valley are only accessible by guided tour, such as Mystery Valley and Hunt's Mesa.
I was soooo looking forward to see Monument Valley for myself as I have heard and read so much about it. For sure, I was not disappointed. It was all and more than I anticipated.

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

Turret Arch

Friday October 2, 2009
I was unbelievably excited to see Arches National Park. I had seen and heard so many good things about it. We spent the most part of the day there, arriving 9:30 a.m. and leaving around 4:30 p.m. In hindsight, I would have planned to stay another day, as there was so much we missed, as many of the wonderful arches are only visible on the many hiking trails. But we did not have the proper equipment to do any hiking.
Featuring the greatest concentration of natural stone arches in the world, ARCHES NATIONAL PARK boasts over 2,000 stone arches and numerous stone formations, in the 119 square miles (76,518 acres) Park. Many of the formations in the Park have distinctive names like Delicate Arch, Fiery Furnace, The Three Gossips, Courthouse Towers, Devils Garden, Garden of Eden, Parade of Elephants and Balanced Rock. Many are easily viewed from the road or from the many Viewpoints throughout the Park.
Arches National Park offers a number of Hiking/Walking trails to suit any experience level - Easy - Moderate - Strenuous. I highlight these in my Sports Tips section. For those who wish to tour by car, there is a paved scenic 18 mile drive. The Main Sections are: The Garden of Eden, The Windows Section, Wolfe Ranch/Delicate Arch, Fiery Furnace and Devils Garden, where the park's Campground is located.
Arches is 5 miles north of Moab on Highway #191

Pros and Cons

Pros:So many wonderful National Parks here

Last visit to Utah: Oct 2009
Intro Updated Oct 21, 2009
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Reviews (8)

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK Favorites (5)

Friday October 2, 2009 I was unbelievably excited to see Arches National Park. I had seen and heard so many good things... more travel advice

MONUMENT VALLEY NAVAJO TRIBAL PARK Favorites (5)

Thursday, October 1, 2009 Located on the southern border of Utah, MONUMENT VALLEY NAVAJO TRIBAL PARK is a region of the... more travel advice

WILSON ARCH Favorites (5)

A beautiful, natural sandstone arch, WILSON ARCH is located adjacent to US Highway #191, 24 miles southeast of Moab. It... more travel advice

CHURCH ROCK Favorites (5)

Located in southern Utah on Highway 191 between Blanding and Moab and near the entrance to the Needles district of... more travel advice

Hotels (1)
MOTEL IN BLANDING UTAH
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Comments (7)

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MalenaN May 2, 2010 at 9:05 AM

Sounds interesting to explore Utah with all the amazing rock formations! Hiking in Arches NP would be great!
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JLBG Dec 16, 2009 at 9:35 PM

Great photos that bring back sweet memories! The photos in your travelogues are especially awsome!
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Trekki Nov 9, 2009 at 11:52 AM

Oh wow, I get homesick to see the good old red rock country again :-)) I love your off path tip, I'd love to drive that road!! Oh and that poor teddybear at the bar in your restaurant!
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jumpingnorman Nov 4, 2009 at 9:58 AM

Utah is naturally beautiful and you got the perfect shot of the Wilson Arch! Quite a photographer, you are...
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deecat Oct 24, 2009 at 10:41 AM

Loved "going along" with you and Hansi as you explored Utah. What extraordinary photographs of this amazing area. The arches in the park were magnificent. An enjoyable, educational page, Lori.
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Yaqui Oct 17, 2009 at 4:28 PM

Lovely page Lori, so glad you all got to see some beautiful country. Have a great weekend!
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yumyum Oct 17, 2009 at 3:27 AM

I've only been to Zion N.P. Hope to see your pictures from there too.