6 Free Sights To Visit Near Moab

Spending a few days in Moab? Adventure awaits outside of the National Parks, too!

If you are looking for some great views, fun family off-roading, or want to spend some time around Moab without the crowds, here are a few free destinations located outside of the National Parks. These must see sights will give you a break from the most popular places near Moab.

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Mineral Point/Mineral Bottom

Mineral Point is about an hour drive west of downtown Moab, and a great place to get away from the crowds. Take UT-313 to BLM 340, turn west and continue past Horsetheif Campground. From there, it was just a 30 minute drive down a rocky dirt road to get to the overlook. As you can see, the Green River stands out strikingly against the red rock of Utah. While wandering around Mineral Point, you will find sections of old cable lying around. This cable was once used to service a uranium mine located at the bottom of the canyon.

Mineral Bottom is, of course, just below Mineral Point. However, you must take BLM 129 to get to the switchbacks that will take you down into the canyon. The switchbacks were not my favorite part of the drive! As you are nearing the bottom of the switchbacks, you can actually look across the canyon and see old wreckage of a vehicle that tumbled off the road years ago (but no pressure, right?) Once at the bottom, you will arrive at a boat dock, a good place to hop out and walk around. We continued on the road hoping to find a spot beside the river for lunch, but the vegetation grows thick along the shoreline. We ended up settling for a shaded dispersed campsite that looked up at Mineral Point.

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Long Canyon

Long Canyon can be considered a scenic shortcut from Canyonlands National Park to Moab. The trail is fairly easy, Pucker Pass was well maintained and didn’t fully live up to it’s name. The only technical part of the trail, where you’ll want to have a vehicle with high clearance, is after you drive under the fallen rock. This trail had amazing views and was my favorite drive on the trip!

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Gemini Bridges/Bull Canyon

Gemini Bridges is a better known (and must see) destination. However, we visited it on a Friday morning and had it to ourselves. The first part of the drive takes you high above Highway 191 and gives you a perfect view of the La Sal Mountains. The trail is doable in most stock vehicles with a good amount of clearance. It is also a popular bicycle trail! The Gemini Bridges are two alcove types arches that are side by side. They create a sturdy bridge that you can walk across.

Bull Canyon is reached by an off-shoot of Gemini Bridges Road. It is a bit rocky and bumpy, but it leads you to the bottom of the Gemini Bridges. There is a small parking area, and just a short walk will lead you to the spectacular view as well as some fun boulders to climb. This was a good “off the beaten path” trail. Once again we were alone to explore the canyon!

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Mill Canyon

Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail is a quick drive north of Moab, and a fun self guided trail featuring dinosaur bones. There is a sign that warns of deep sand and recommends 4wheel drive vehicles. The sand was well packed and caused no problems on our trip. It’s less than three quarters of a mile from Mill Canyon Road to the trailhead; If you’re hesitant, there is parking before the sandy road. From the trailhead, there is a distant view of Determination Towers. Once you’ve finished the bone tour, there is a trail heading towards the towers that you can follow as far as you’d like!

Just a quarter mile north of this turn off is Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trackways. There you can see dinosaur footprints preserved in the sandstone.

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Check out https://www.garlandphoto.com/blog/blog/horseshoe-canyon-and-the-great-gallery for a great hike to explore in Canyonlands National Park!