Moab.

Anyone who lives in Utah has heard and probably has visited the great city of Moab. For the people in Southern Utah, Moab is one of the main cities that everything else centers on. Moab has a ton of culture and is a great place to visit, but more importantly Moab is a major recreational destination. From simply walking around town, four-wheeling, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, canyoneering, to river rafting, Moab provides all of these activities. 

Moab is famous for four-wheeling, let's be honest. One drive down main street, and you'll see more jeeps than you ever seen. For people who want to get into the sport more, Moab is great place to start. The Sand Flats recreation area contains a lot of different trails for beginners and more experienced drivers; this is located just a few miles to the South East. One of Moab's most famous trails is located here--Hell's Revenge. There are other extremely enjoyable trails in the Sand Flats area as well. Just North of Moab is the Gemini Bridges trail, which offers access to miles of off-roading. The trail is especially nerve-racking as the first few miles are next to a large cliff. On top of those, there are plenty more trails scattered around the area.

Mountain biking is also something that pulls visitors to Moab. The more popular trail is in the Sand Flats rec area, called Slick rock. It's a scenic 12 mile loop that provides many thrilling downhill portions and some brutal climbs. Again, there are many more trails throughout the area.

Moab is also a very big hiking and backpacking destination. There are three state/national parks centered around Moab: Arches, Canyonlands, and Dead Horse Point. Arches has many fantastic day shorter hikes, they range from a half to twelve miles in length. It is a fabulous park just because of the rarity of the natural arches that have formed and the stunning red-rock landscape. One of the most popular hikes is to the Delicate Arch which is featured on Utah license plates. Canyonlands also provides some excellent hiking opportunities, but is more of a rugged area. While there are many short, scenic hikes, Canyonlands features some excellent backpacking terrain. The Maze and the Needles sections require an off-road vehicle and the some major hiking skills. While it may be a more challenging location, the scenery is worth the time and energy. Dead Horse Point State Park is quite a bit smaller, but it is easily accessible from the highway and offers some stunning overlooks of the Colorado river. Finally the Le Sal mountains are a bit further from Moab, but are very scenic. If you are looking for a place to escape the summer heat, the Le Sals are higher elevation and have many mountain lakes and streams. They offer great hiking and camping locations.

One more attraction that Moab offers is some incredible river rafting. In the heart of Moab, there are a few different outfitters that will provide the raft, transportation, and a guide for a trip down the Colorado. There is a white water portion a few miles from Moab that is a lot of fun for a good price. Also in Canyonlands NP, there is a great white water portion.

Finally after a long day adventuring, downtown Moab is a great place to sit back and relax with some great fun and shopping.