The second day of our journey through Utah found us on the road, leaving the Toquerville/St. George area, and headed Northbound to Moab. Moab is a fascinating town, and a hub of sorts for unlimited adventure potential… whether you hike, climb, ride, crawl, or just enjoy the drive to beautiful and remote scenery, Moab is an unparalleled center to base your adventure from.
The town clearly caters to the adventure seeker, with outfitter shops lining the streets all along the main drag… as you pass them, I may suggest you make your way to the wonderful Moab Brewery, a source of outstanding brew and grub (and of note, one of the only places in the Beehive state you can readily find a decent ABV, but I digress). We filled up our bellies from the kitchen, and our coolers with their ale and then migrated down the street to purchase the rest of our necessities and top off gas at the City Market.
If you do make it to Moab Brewery, here are our top picks:
- Matt’s Choice: Johnny’s American IPA, 6%
- Van’s Choice: Dead Horse Amber Ale
- Shane’s Choice: Moab Especial Golden Wheat Ale
Soon we were prepared to venture off to Canyonlands National Park… if time permits, there is an incredible-looking backdoor entry via Potash Road, which is entirely off-road… but that will be another trip, for us. We made our way up to the Islands in the Sky district of the NP, and stopped at all of the checklist spots… Mesa Arch, Grand Viewpoint Overlook, and the visitors center… as popular as they are, there was an enjoyable lack of people milling around… but soon we were to be the only ones for miles…
We pulled over to look over the edge of Shafer Canyon and saw a massive winding series of switchbacks leading to the canyon floor hundreds of feet below… this was our way down!
From there, we pulled off the pavement and began our journey to the White Rim Trail… the Shafer Canyon portion was surprisingly quick, and not as challenging as the internet had led us to believe, however, don’t let that fool you… this is still a dangerous and potentially perilous route that if you’re not focused, can send you plummeting down a canyon’s edge… do enjoy!
After zig-zagging our way to the bottom of Shafer Canyon, we made linkup with the start of the White Rim Trail. Our first stop off the side of the trail was the Gooseneck Overlook, a stunning overlook of the Colorado River and the sweeping landscape that gives the region its namesake… a true land of canyons. Enjoying the sunset from our perch on the overlook, we decided to pack up and make it to camp… the rest of the trail lay ahead of us.