Moab, Utah
home to Canyonlands & Arches national Park & Co river rafting!
Moab Utah, the nation’s first green power community is also the ideal base for the incredible recreation available in the surrounding area including Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and Dead Horse State Park. A funky and unique community located in the deserts of Utah, they are the home of the annual Jeep Safari as well as a summer playground of the finest quality. The city is literally surrounded by public lands reserved entirely for recreation, enjoyment and preservation.
Situated in close relation to the Colorado River, this area makes for an original mix of water and desert activities including mountain biking, hiking, backpacking, boating, whitewater rafting, and skydiving. As well as an incredible wealth of trails, be sure to explore Moab film museum celebrating the best in western filmmaking.
History
The valley where Moab can currently be found served as a gathering place for the Navajo and Ute Indians. Even before formal settling and the establishment of the actual city area the Sabguana Utes had long occupied the valley and used the nearby crossing of the Colorado River. Under the orders of Brigham Young and the leaders of the Church of Latter Day Saints, or more commonly known as the Mormon Church, 12 men set out to establish a control point on the Old Spanish Trail in southern Utah. The next year 41 more men were called to go and construct an outpost in Spanish Valley, The Elk Mountain Mission was created.
During this early period the valley was mostly left alone, the home of the few and the resourceful but by the 1880's the area became of interest to ranchers and other settlers who named the town, Moab which is a biblical name referring to an arid mountainous area east of the Dead Sea and southeast of Jerusalem. Another theory is that the word Moab comes from a Paiute word which means "mosquito water".
Historically mining was the first major economic activity. By 1920 this Utah area had produced up to 2.4 million dollars in uranium and this was the first in a bust boom cycle so typical of mining towns. By the 60's the mills closed and the mining companies would continue to cut back into the eighties.
Beginning in the 1970s and continuing today, Moab is a predominantly tourist destination. With the completion of I-70, the establishment of major national monuments and the river running craze reaching the west, Moab found its economic stability mostly through tourism. Visitors to Moab annually include biking enthusiasts, rafters, kayakers and general sightseers.
Facts
Population 4,779 residents
Elevation 4,025 feet
Established 1880
First Hotel built in 1885
Things To Do
River Running, Jeep Tours, Canyonlands, Arches, Dead Horse State
Park, Biking the established slick rock trails, rock-climbing, hiking,
rafting, kayaking, canoeing, wildlife watching, bird watching, tour
the national parks, backpacking, skydiving.
Sign Up For A Moab, Utah Adventure Today!
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