Adventures In Southern Utah To Beat The Crowds

Matadornetwork.com has this interesting article on southern Utah adventures that allow you to get away from the crowds. Well, that's the claim anyway. Below I give their list, with a few comments of my own. (The video here has been pulled from the article.)

Down lower I link to another article that describes a place where you can really get away from the crowds.

1. Mountain biking Moab’s lesser-known trails

Dave W: Moab's lesser known trails still get considerable use - you'll see plenty of other people on any decent trail in the Moab area. Still, they are fun and worth riding.

2. Canyoneering outside Zion

Dave W: This one is true. The popular trails and routes inside Zion Park are busy but there are many quality routes just outside the park that see little use.

3. Rock climbing near Moab

Dave W: I guess "crowd" is a relative term. Moab has become very popular and there are people almost everywhere. You can find good spots with fewer people, if you search a bit.

4. Rafting the Colorado

You need a permit to raft in most places on the Colorado. Only a limited number of permits are issued, in an effort to ensure a quality experience. This one is a good option.

5. Hiking in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

Grand Staircase is huge and it offers many areas where you can find solitude. However, the photo illustrating the article shows Lower Calf Creek Falls, which is a very popular spot where there will always be people.

Rock hounds, climbers behold treasured Mineral Mountains

The Mineral Mountains are located west of Beaver in south-central Utah. They offer true wilderness visited by few people. Below are excerpts from the article linked with the title of this section.

A surprising variety of precious stones can be found on this range including smoky quartz, pyrite, gold, silver, feldspar, obsidian, and one of the most prized gems in the world – blue beryl.

For a visiting climber, the never-ending tall faces of the Milford Domes are overwhelming. There are more routes in the Minerals than are published...