Travel-Curious

Travel Curious

For independent travelers who want to dig deeper

U-Turn Canyon

 
Scramble up to a secret canyon in Arches National Park above Park Avenue
 
Looking out over Arches national park from U-turn canyon
 
Hardly anyone knows of this secret canyon high above the formations of Park Avenue. If you’re looking for something off the beaten track, to do something different and a little adventurous then I recommend exploring U-Turn canyon and taking in the unique slickrock formations and views.
 
This is a place frequented by technical climbers and rappelers and requires a permit to do so, but if you want to just hike/scramble on your own you can do so without a permit.
 

Route to U-Turn Canyon

  • From the Park Avenue Trail Head Parking lot, walk back on the road about 150 feet. There is a small trail along the road, which parallels the road and then turns away toward the redrock cliffs and the ascent gully.
  •  The gully is the only obvious place to climb up. There are boulders and rocks, and the way is fairly steep and exposed but anyone in good shape can do it. 
 
Route from Park Avenue parking lot to U-turn canyon gully ascent  The ascent gully with people at the bottom
The ascent gully up to U-Turn Canyon, see the people at the bottom starting up?
 
 

Explore Nearby...

Hikes...

Crawl under the ledges and look up

Moab Grotto

Short hike to two rock art sites, one an over-night camp with art under overhangs and the 2nd is the Moab Grotto rock art site

Secret Spire sits along on rolling slickrock near Moab Utah

Secret Spire

A quick hike along a sandy road to a rock spire sitting on rolling slickrock hills near Moab

Walking through the Dellenbaugh Tunnel

Dellenbaugh Tunnel

An easy hike to a tunnel that takes you to an overlook into Spring Canyon near the Tombstone Rock formation

Moki Mesa

Hike to a hidden shelf above the Colorado river you get to using an old cattle trail blasted out of the canyon cliff face

Moab Maiden Hike Moab Utah

Moab Maiden – Hike

The Moab Maiden is a single petroglyph pecked into a large single boulder on a ridge above Kane Springs Creek. There are other petroglyphs at the cliff face at the overlook, as well as the ruin of a granary and pithouse.

Seven Mile Canyon Lower Hike 8

Seven Mile Canyon ( Lower ) – Hike

Explore a canyon that was part of the Spring/Fall Anasazi migration route, originating in the Maze District of Canyonlands National Park to the La Sal Mountains. There are Barrier style rock art panels in the canyon.

Hidden Valley hike Moab Utah

Hidden Valley – Hike

Discover a hidden Valley “Behind the Rocks” in Moab, and hike a two-thousand-year-old path used by Native Americans, see many petroglyphs and two ruins

The Owl Panel – Hike

This short hike takes you to discover the Owl Panel which also has the big man, lots of sheep, and other petroglyphs.

Arches National Park...

U-Turn Canyon

Scramble up to a secret canyon in Arches National Park above Park Avenue

Sand Dune Arch 3

Sand Dune Arch

Sand Dune Arch is a family favorite, perfect for kids, it is a quick and easy stroll on a sandy easy-to-follow trail

Sand Dune Arch 7

Skyline Arch

Skyline Arch sits against the skyline at the top of a large red rock fin. A short and easy walk.

Sand Dune Arch 4

Tapestry Arch & Broken Arch

Hike to both Tapestry Arch and Broken Arch on a short out-and-back trail that leaves from the Devil’s Garden Camp Grounds

Devils Garden arches national park 5

Guide for the Devil’s Garden

A special place walking through rock fins, towers and arches, see the famous Landscape Arch or hike the challenging Primitive Loop to see more remote sections of the Devil’s Garden

Tower Arch Arches National Park-2

Tower Arch Hike

Rarely visited due to its location in the western part of Arches National Park, a great place to go if you want a quieter experience off the beaten path away from the crowds

aaaa 12

Willow Springs Road

Willow Springs Road is a backdoor road into Arches National Park that avoids the toll gate, and reservation system

Park Avenue Arches National Park

Park Avenue – hike

This is a fun and easy hike and is a great introduction to hiking in Arches National Park for beginners, the trail gets you quickly immersed among the high red rock features of what Utah and the park is all about.

Windows section of arches national park 3

Windows Section of Arches National Park

The Windows and Double Arch are the main attraction, but you can see The Parade of Elephants, Turret Arch, Cove Arch, Ribbon Arch, Elephant Butte, and the Cove of Caves also.

Canyonlands National Park - Island In The Sky District...

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False Kiva – Hike

The site sits in an alcove and a stone circle. There are some handprints on the back of the wall of the alcove and some faint images that are hard to make out today.

Mesa Arch Utah 3

Photography Tips for Mesa Arch

Every sunrise, Mesa Arch is descended upon by masses of photographers trying to capture their own early morning sunrise framed through the arch.

Canyonlands National Park - Needles District...

Dinosaur Tracks...

Tower Arch Utah 10

Klondike Bluffs Dinosaur Track – Hike

The tracks in this area are predominantly those of carnivorous dinosaurs called allosaurus, which were probably on the hunt for other animals that would come to what was once a large body of water.

Scenic Drives...

Potash road petroglyphs 6

Guide to the Potash Road Rock Art Sites

Just a few minutes from downtown Moab, on the Potash road running along the Colorado River is the opportunity to see a half dozen sites that hold hundreds of petroglyphs and even some dinosaur foot prints

La Sal Mountain Loop 4

La Sal Mountain Loop

The 60-mile route follows the Colorado River, and climbs into the La Sal Mountains via Castle Valley, it offers great views of the peaks and the red rock canyons far below.

Highway 128 Rock Art Moab Utah

Highway 128 Rock Art

An easy quick stop along scenic byway 128 if coming or going from Cisco to Moab. A large boulder with about 50  petroglyphs sits above the highway.

potash road 9

Potash Road / Shafer Trail

The scenic drive – Utah Scenic Byway 279, takes the back roads and runs from Moab to Canyon Lands National Park along the Colorado River

Anticline Overlook

Rarely visited by most travelers but is worth the effort. The view is overlooking Deadhorse state park and Canyonlands National Park Islands in the Sky district, to the north, looking over Hurrah Pass and the Kane Creek.

Everything Else...

Golf Course Rock Art Moab Utah 3

The Moab Man

See the famous “Moab Man” petroglyph near Moab’s golf course, plus other interesting images like Santa’s Sled and the Happy Sheep

2022 08 27_8 27 01

Courthouse Wash Rock Art

Visitors to Moab drive right by this easily accessible rock art panel next to the bridge over the Colorado River every day without ever knowing it is there.

Cisco Ghost Town Utah

Cisco Ghost Town

Cisco was once a thriving town in the 1880s, with hotels and saloons, and was a natural provisioning center for the ranchers in the area. Today there is a small revitalization of Cisco by artists.

Faux Falls Moab Utah 6

Faux Falls

Faux falls are man-made via an outflow from Ken’s Lake reservoir. Being so close to Moab, the pool at the bottom of the falls makes for a great shallow swimming hole for people and dogs in the summer. 

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