Fun Facts 2015 - Moab Utah

Since 1949 the Moab area has been a popular location for Hollywood movies. Movies filmed in our area range from the old John Wayne classics to more recent hits such as Geronimo, Mission Impossible II, and Transformers: Age of Extinction. Thelma and Louise took their final leap into the Colorado River from along the Shafer Trail under Dead Horse Point near Moab!

Southeastern Utah contains some of the darkest skies in the contiguous 48 United States. A moonless night spent under the stars in southeastern Utah will amaze visitors with the volume of stars visible to the naked eye. Paying attention to the moon phase and when it will rise and set can really enhance your visit.

The Legend of Dead Horse Point

Dead Horse Point is a peninsula of rock atop sheer sandstone cliffs. The peninsula is connected to the mesa by a narrow strip of land called the neck. There are many stories about how this high promontory of land received its name. According to one legend, around the turn of the century the point was used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesa top. Cowboys rounded up these horses, herded them across the narrow neck of land and onto the point. The neck, which is only 30 yards wide, was then fenced off with branches and brush. This created a natural corral surrounded by precipitous cliffs, affording no escape. Cowboys then chose the horses they wanted and let the culls or broomtails go free. One time, for some unknown reason, horses were left corralled on the waterless point where they died of thirst within view of the Colorado River, 2,000 feet below. October 2014 three camping yurts were added to park's camping options. Those are situated for easy access to the various mountain bike trail loops which have been built in Dead Horse Point State Park.

Arches National Park contains the world's largest concentration of natural sandstone arches with over 2,000 arches located within the park's 76,518 acres.

Canyonlands is the largest national park in Utah, and its diversity staggers the imagination. It is divided into three districts by the Green and Colorado Rivers - the Island in the Sky, the Needles and the Maze. Named for their most prominent geologic characteristics, these districts are quite varied in what they have to offer.

Wine tasters and connoisseurs from around the world are often quite surprised to learn that there are two wineries right here in Moab area, as well as a micro-brewery.

Moab, Utah is your destination if you are looking for a great vacation value. Rates as of October 1 2015 are: For $25.00, visitors can explore Canyonlands or Arches National parks for seven days, or for $50.00 have unlimited access to these parks, as well as Hovenweep and Natural Bridges National Monuments for an entire year. Watch for reduced off-peak pricing for Arches National Park. That will mean $10 for a vehicle, instead of $25. Soon to be posted on DiscoverMoab, when it is instituted.

The City of Moab was the Nation's First EPA Green Power Community, with 5% of its electricity coming from renewable energy purchased through Utah Power's Blue Sky wind program. It is a Silver City in the Bike Friendly categories too. Local Facts. Come to Moab and keep a list of your own fun facts. Travel details to Moab are on www.DiscoverMoab.com.