Moonhouse, in my opinion, is one of the most interesting ruins that is easy to visit on Cedar Mesa It is estimated to have been constructed about 800 years ago, with a unique design The ruins namesake room, Moon House, is a room with the moon painted on opposite walls Access is easy via a relatively short, but stunning hike The trail descends from the mesa, crosses the canyon, and visits Moon House proper, as well as several other ruins, granaries, and a kiva in the area Moon House Ruin is one not to be missed in m...

Fremont Indian State Park is one of the often-overlooked gems in Utah It is an amazing state park that anyone with an interest in Native American culture, history, or art should put high on their list to visit I have visited Nine Mile Canyon many times over the years When I finally visited Fremont Indian State Park, I was dazzled by the amount and quality of rock art lining the canyon walls To me, it was as fascinating to visit as Nine Mile Canyon, though with easier access Even on a holiday weekend, we felt we had...

Another of the Butler Wash ruins, Cold Springs makes a great one to visit before or after Monarch Cave since they are very close The ruins are placed at the front of a deep alcove that has a perennial spring in the back Absolutely stunning The short spur road to this one is in very bad shape, but can easily be walked The ruins are in good shape In the heat of the summer, the alcove makes a great, cool lunch spot to hang out it

Delamar, also known as “The Widowmaker”, is a ghost town in eastern Nevada The town is expansive, and thanks to its mostly masonry construction, still has quite a few walls and partial buildings to visit This is probably the most interesting ghost town I have visited You could easily spend a couple of days exploring the area History: Farmers from the Pahranagat Valley discovered gold in the late 1800s Soon after, Captain John Delamar came to the valley and purchased mining claims in the area for $150,000 in 1893 Ca...

Near Crystal Springs, Nevada sits Crystal Wash, the site of a fairly extensive rock art site The main area on the east side of Crystal Wash is thought to have been a winter habitation site for the Pahranagats, similar to the nearby Ash Springs Rock Art Site The west side has rock art as well, but does not appear to have been inhabited like the east side Crystal Wash is composed of large granite outcroppings and boulders Rock art is scattered throughout the outcroppin...

The amount of rock art in and around the White River Narrows is astounding Though many panels in the area are next to a road with easy access, The Gap requires a short hike to visit Being out of the White River Narrows proper, and away from the road, this area seems to see little traffic On our visit, there were no signs of recent visits The panels here are small and not nearly as dramatic as some other nearby panels The hike to the panels and geology nearby, however, made this one of my favorite places to visit wh...

When looking for a long, off-the-beaten-path loop in Capitol Reef National Park, Little Sand Flat caught my eye The attraction, for me, was an old and overgrown track that had been used at one time to drill an exploratory well The track provides an easy-to-follow path from the Cathedral Valley road deep into an obscure and seldom visited northern area of the park The hike did not disappoint! Diverse geology, stunning views, the historic road, and seemingly endless solitude made for an excellent day out Though I had...

Cataract Gorge is one of the most dramatic and stunning spots in the Uinta Mountains There are many hikes in the Uintas that have excellent views of peaks or lakes high above treeline Cataract Gorge, with its beautiful crystal clear pools and falls, is one of my personal favorites even without the big mountain views Little Deer Creek Falls, just above Cataract Gorge is the cherry on top of the day VIsiting the gorge and waterfall are short, family-friendly activities and a great way to beat the summer heat The pool...

The small ranching community of Ash Springs sits along US-93 in southern Nevada The area is very sparsely populated, and typical of rural Nevada Wide open space, distant mountains, and few people Though Ash Springs is likely best known for its natural hot springs, the Ash Springs rock art site, sitting just off US-93, is a stop all rock art lovers should make if in the area The site sits on a hill, overlooking the valley below The BLM has created a short trail meandering through the boulders to visit the many panel...

Mount Irish is one of the rock art areas that Lincoln County and the BLM both publish information on Tucked up near the 8,743 ft high Mt Irish, the site is among boulder outcroppings and washes It is a large site If you are interested in rock art, it is easy to spend a day or even more wandering around looking for rock art in the boulders On my visit, I felt like I had just scratched the surface, yet still saw many fantastic glyphs and panels Pay attention to the road directions For a BLM promoted site, the route t...