I used to hang out around Moab a lot, BMB (before mountain biking). From the mid-eighties through the nineties, I would spend a month every spring hiking on the Colorado Plateau.
It was just a cow town then, a place to get gas and groceries. We would camp for free along the river, on the River Road, Kane Creek and the Potash Road. In Arches, we’d get up before dawn to get a jump on the masses and have the most popular trails to ourselves. If we felt like sleeping in, we’d find more obscure routes to follow. After all, it’s not wilderness if you can’t find solitude. Once, we spent three weeks straight trippin’ in the Needles District of Canyonlands, seeing ice cream flavors in the colors of the slickrock – fudge swirl and neapolitan.
It was a free life, both in cost and the freedom to do what you wanted whenever and wherever you wanted.
Things changed. Moab was discovered. It got crowded. We still came to the Colorado Plateau every spring, but we passed through Moab and didn’t linger on our way to points further south. Just gas and groceries.
It’s the first time I’ve been back in quite a while. The old cow town now smacks of the overkill typical of National Park gateways, reminiscent of Estes Park, Glitter Gulch outside of Denali, West Yellowstone.
New construction is happening everywhere. The Rock Shop used to be WAY on the outskirts of town, but now it’s motel after motel all the way past the river on Hwy. 191. There’s even a tram and a zip line.
It’s been years since you could camp free on the river. Designated fee campgrounds are the way to go now. You can no longer spend three weeks lost in the backcountry of Canyonlands. There’s a two week maximum limit, a $30 fee, permits to be acquired, designated backcountry campsites. And Arches? Ed Abbey would roll over in his grave. Talk about being loved to death.
I understand. We need to manage the impact on this fragile environment. Rightly so, there’s a lot of impact. Still, I cherish the time I had here when it WAS free, a little known secret paradise.
Of course, it’s mountain bike Mecca now. I don’t mountain bike, so if you want to know more about the Moab biking trails, check out this article on GoNomad. It’s also a hotspot for four-wheeling, with all the old uranium mining roads, rafting, and rock climbing. The hiking is still great. In addition to the national parks, there are the Behind the Rocks, Mill Creek and Negro Bill WSAs among others. The dining options and the nightlife are a lot better than they used to be, I’ll give it that!
I have no desire to be here in the peak season of spring anymore, when the crowds are insane, but it’s winter now. Off season, no crowds. I can love this place once again, and I’ve found some deals.
Due to Park Service budget cuts, the visitor center, and the entrance booth, at Island in the Sky in Canyonlands are closed in January and February. There’s nowhere to pay your fee, so the park is free for a little while. Quite a change from the proposed $70 per vehicle fee (up from $30) that may be charged beginning in June.
Although there are always a lot of visitors in Arches, even in winter, you won’t find any problems with getting a parking space, even at the most popular viewpoints and trailheads. And then there’s still the Potash Road. I may have to do an entire blog on that one. I fell in love with it all over again.
One of the best wintertime deals, though, is lodging at the Lazy Lizard Hostel. It’s cold outside. I don’t really want to camp in the cold. I need a place to stay.
The Lazy Lizard is a great deal year-round, with $12 bunks in the dorms. However, I find in my old age that I’m no longer comfortable sharing my sleeping space with half a dozen other people. The real deal at the Lazy Lizard in winter is private rooms and cabins. You can get a private room or cabin during December, January and February for only $22 a night!
That’s cheaper than rent in Denver. You get privacy, Wi-Fi, kitchen privileges, heat …and good company. There’s a great mellow vibe to this place. I find myself continually coming back. It’s allowed me to fall in love with Moab all over again. So if you’re passing through Moab in the winter, give the Lazy Lizard a try. It may become one of your new favorite places!
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We loved the Lazy Lizard, the kitchen, the company. Last time we were there was in October 2009 and things were starting to change in the region – lots more Europeans for the most part, and many things booked up well into the week. No more last minute travelling but I would go back to Moab in a minute!