Utah Border to Moab on the Rimrocker
Dive into the roughest stretch of the Rimrocker Trail from the Utah border to Moab, Utah: full of encroaching scrub-brush, rough rocky road, and majestic mountains.
Category Road Trip Adventures
We have zig-zagged across the country and, boy-oh-boy, do we have some gems to share! Browse campsites, off-road trails, scenic outlooks, oddities, museums, hiking trails, and more.
Read MoreUtah Border to Moab on the Rimrocker
Delicate Arch Trail
Call it "Cowboy's Chaps", "Old Maid's Bloomers", or "Salt Wash Arch", the Delicate Arch is Arches National Park's largest freestanding arch.
Double Arch Trail
We wing things. That's what we do. I've made a map of places we would like to go to and then base our routes on our final destination and what mapped points fall between our current location and destination. Exactly how our trip plays out each time is something we play by ear. In this case, we had ten days to travel to Oregon. Half way in, we discovered that we would be swinging by Arches National Park. Arches ranks as one of the most exciting National Parks that neither of us has ever visited. So, of course, we went.
Devil’s Garden Trail
The Devil's garden boasts a notably high concentration of arches, spires, and fins (narrow rock walls) in Arches National Park. Between the main loop and its many offshoots to iconic spots such as the landscape arch and the Double O Arch, hiking the Devil's Garden Trail can take anywhere from 1.9 to 7.9 miles with easy and difficult routes. If you are only going to make one spot in the Devil's Garden, it should be the Landscape Arch.
Zapata Falls Campground
Most cars tackle the rough and rocky route to Zapata Falls for Zapata Falls, a relatively short but technically complicated hike/wade to an enclosed waterfall. In fact, there is even a parking lot at the base of the road, allowing hikers with low clearance cars to park and hike to the trailhead. But, for those with high clearance rigs and tolerance for profoundly bumpy roads, there is also a campground with breathtaking views.
Fish Rocks
Out in the remote California desert, a debate between art, graffiti, and history rages in slow motion at the Fish Rocks (aka "Whale Rocks" or "Fish Head Rocks,"). These painted rocks off highway 178 trace their origins back to the 1930s. Since then, the question of art vs. graffiti has swirled long enough around this rock outcropping. In the 1970s, the fish faces along with other graffiti that had accumulated over the decades were painted over to restore the natural look of the rocks. Yet, the fish faces prevail as various visitors have restored the fish faces through the years.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
The Sierra Nevada mountains range is host to a stunning range of natural diversity. With the ocean to the west, the desert to the east, and glacial mountaintops in between, there are new surprises to be encountered with each change in ecosystem. At about 4,700 feet in elevation and just off Alpine State Highway is a collection of giants that can grow to 325 feet tall and 33 feet wide - some as old as 2,000 years. Despite a turbulent, tragic, and occasionally uncertain history, these giants are now protected for all to enjoy in the Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
Mark Twain Cabin
I thought my directions were wrong when we turned up a steep incline and wandered down a rough but clearly residential road. I don't expect historic sites to be flanked by rural homes with horses and chicken coops. Yet, standing across the street from the accusatory glare of a neighboring donkey is the Mark Twain Cabin.
Murphys, California
The California foothills are full to bursting with beautiful historic towns but Murphys takes a place of special prominence. The "Queen of the Sierra" is quintessentially Californian. It traces its origins to the California Gold Rush but retains its relevance thanks to its proximity to the outdoor draws of Calaveras Big Trees State Park and Bear Valley Ski Resort while surrounded by vineyards. Over two dozen wine tasting rooms line the main street. While the rest of the world visits Napa and Sonoma, Californians in the know visit Murphys and other neighboring appellations .
Mountain Quarries Railroad Bridge
No Hands Bridge off highway 49 is a hiking destination crossing the North Fork of the American River in the California's Auburn State Recreation Area.