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Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

js47
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

I will be spending the next month in southern Utah and was wondering if the collective FM photo hive mind has any suggestions for great spots!

I’ll be in Moab for a week (Arches/Canyonlands/mountains), Escalante for a week (Capitol Reef/Grand Staircase/Bryce/Glenn Canyon?), Kanab for a week (Bryce/Zion/Capitol Reef/Grand Canyon North Rim?), and then I have a fourth week still TBD.

Ideally, I am looking for less trafficked spots due to covid (and also the insane crowds here!). I have a high clearance 4x4 vehicle (old land cruiser) so light/moderate off-road is no problem.

Thanks in advance.

Apr 18, 2021 at 09:50 PM

gdanmitchell
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

If they were secret spots and we posted them here... they would not be secrets any more!

Assuming this is your first time to visit these place, in which case you can't go wrong by beginning the process of getting to knew these places by checking out the icons and expanding outwards from there. Just go to places like Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion and you'll find more than enough stuff to keep you busy!

That's the good news. There's so much stuff to see out there that you are best off not going straight to someone's special spot. Instead, you'll find your own. Trust me on this! :-)

Get out your map and start looking for some of the many gravel through routes in the area, too. There are quite a few, including around Escalante.

Good luck!

Edited on Apr 18, 2021 at 11:45 PM · View previous versions

Apr 18, 2021 at 10:30 PM

Greg Campbell
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

In years past I'd cheerfully share my big KMZ collection, etc. But now, after seeing so many once-remote places damaged and outright destroyed by the thundering hordes, I'm loathe to share even the better web sites. If you have a specific question about a specific location, I'll be happy to help. But if you're just looking for someone to do the research for you... sorry.

Suffice to say that a HC 4x4 is ideal, and that there is no shortage of cool places to go!
Enjoy your trip!

Edited on Apr 19, 2021 at 06:43 PM · View previous versions

Apr 18, 2021 at 11:10 PM

GroovyGeek
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

Secret handshake to get you to some less visited spots and potentially interesting spots

https://caltopo.com/ particularly the slope shading feature
https://www.americansouthwest.net/
https://www.google.com/earth/

Apr 19, 2021 at 01:36 AM

Rajan Parrikar
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

You can buy these PDFs detailing many out-of-the-way locations in the Southwest and elsewhere within the USA -

https://www.photographamerica.com

Under 'Newsletter' you can search by region -

https://www.photographamerica.com/listing-by-region.html#/

Apr 19, 2021 at 02:47 AM

Dustin Gent
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

I agree with what others said here. Utah is getting destroyed, and covid didn't help. There are tons of areas to explore, and even the known spots.

Finding solitude is becoming harder and harder, and seems everyone is moving to utah now.

Apr 19, 2021 at 11:24 AM

Dustin Gent
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

I will add that stopping in the BLM office in Escalante will help. They have great top maps that they can show you, and they will have places you could go.

Apr 19, 2021 at 11:25 AM

Charlie San
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

I sometimes went to the Moab Photo Symposium in the past and some of the workshops went to places seldom visited. While the symposium has ended there is a FB page run and contributed to by former attendees and leaders. You might find some of the info you want there.

Apr 19, 2021 at 06:26 PM

Older Fossil
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

Southern Utah is certainly worth spending a lot of time for photography. We've spent the last couple of weeks working our way across Southern Utah revisiting spots we've visited in the past. We are currently in Moab for a few days. Having a HC 4x4 vehicle certainly helps to get into some great areas! We've noticed fairly high visitation at all of the areas we've been.

A couple of recommendations would be the Cathedral Valley Loop and the Burr Trail in Capitol Reef NP.

Art

Apr 19, 2021 at 06:30 PM

Greg Campbell
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

Dustin Gent wrote:
I will add that stopping in the BLM office in Escalante will help. They have great top maps that they can show you, and they will have places you could go.

There are also BLM centers in Big Water, Cannonville, and Kanab. All offer good local info, road condition reports, etc.

Apr 19, 2021 at 06:46 PM

tsinsf
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

Good advice I got from an experienced landscape photographer: "give up thinking you can go to a place just one time and come away with great photos. Most great photos are the result of someone going back, over and over, familiarizing themselves with the country and the weather and the light. Even with the GPS location of a great photo, you can't expect just to drive there and get a great photo". Enjoy your trip as an exploration and if you love it and want to capture great photos there, plan on going back over and over.

Apr 19, 2021 at 08:13 PM

Dustin Gent
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

you could try for permits to the wave. They increased daily permits to 90 i think.

Apr 19, 2021 at 09:43 PM

liftedspirit
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

Keep in mind that the Navajo Nation parks and rec are closed due to Covid. Whether they'll be open by the time you get there or not, no one knows.

There are many places to explore and a lot of information already on the internet.

Apr 20, 2021 at 12:41 PM

Greg Campbell
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

"Hello?"
"Hellooooooo?!?!?"
Is the OP even reading any of this??

Apr 21, 2021 at 12:45 PM

js47
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

Greg Campbell wrote:
"Hello?"
"Hellooooooo?!?!?"
Is the OP even reading any of this??

Yes Greg I have been reading everything but I have just been go-go-go all week sunrise to sunset and have had no time to reply! Plus no phone service anywhere with T-Maybe. Don’t want to waste people’s time with a low-effort response since everyone here has been so helpful. I may get some time today or tomorrow on my way to Escalante for a mini trip report for my week in Moab, but to summarize — I saw many beautiful things, and few people.

Apr 24, 2021 at 09:36 AM

mwalrod
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

js47 wrote:
Yes Greg I have been reading everything but I have just been go-go-go all week sunrise to sunset and have had no time to reply! Plus no phone service anywhere with T-Maybe. Don’t want to waste people’s time with a low-effort response since everyone here has been so helpful. I may get some time today or tomorrow on my way to Escalante for a mini trip report for my week in Moab, but to summarize — I saw many beautiful things, and few people.

Wow, hard to believe Moab wasn't busy.

Apr 24, 2021 at 09:55 AM

js47
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

mwalrod wrote:
Wow, hard to believe Moab wasn't busy.

It is extremely busy! I just found the right spots. Will report later!

Apr 24, 2021 at 10:33 AM

elkhornsun
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

I highly recommend the guide books for this region (broken into 3 sections) by Laurent Martres.

Apr 24, 2021 at 05:54 PM

GroovyGeek
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

elkhornsun wrote:
I highly recommend the guide books for this region (broken into 3 sections) by Laurent Martres.

Yes, it has some of the less popular spots in it. Some of the contributions for the more out of the way places are from here
https://www.thewave.info/

Useful site, but many of the places have more potential than the images would suggest

Apr 25, 2021 at 12:00 AM

AZHeaven
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Favorite/Secret Spots in Southern Utah and Moab?

There is an amazing show on PBS called Outside, Beyond The Lens. You can catch it on Youtube. Check out the UT show. The entire series is wonderful, so try watching all of them. Might not only give you ideas, but inspiration as well!

Apr 25, 2021 at 09:31 AM

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