Mexican Hat Rock: A Desert Oddity. 👒

Typically a stop on any good Four Corners or Southwest-inspired road trip itinerary, Mexican Hat Rock is geological oddity named for its obvious sombrero shape. Believed to be around 250 million years old, it’s located just outside of beautiful Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park., approximately 10 minutes past famous “Forest Gump Point” on Highway 163. …

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Newspaper Rock: One of the First Community Message Boards.

A fascinating archeological wonder, Newspaper Rock State Historical Site is a history or travel nerd’s fever dream. Located just 30 minutes outside the small town of Monticello, Utah, on the same road that leads directly to the entrance gate of Canyonlands National Park (Needles District), it’s a simple and quick 15-to-20-minute stop. While it’s highly …

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Goosenecks State Park: Tiny but Mighty.

Located approximately 40 to 45 minutes Northeast of the famed Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park., Goosenecks State Park is a beautiful and relaxing place. Luckily, it’s not difficult to find or hard to get to, located only a mere 3 miles off Highway 163, which is the same highway you’ll find the famed “Forrest Gump …

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Badwater Basin Salt Flat: The Lowest Place in North America.

Hands down my favorite part of Death Valley National Park, the Badwater Basin Salt Flat is a must-see for anyone visiting the park. Officially the lowest point in North America, at 282 feet (86 m) below sea level, it was once considered to be the lowest elevation in the entire Western Hemisphere. It is now …

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Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

"Whales Mouth". Truthfully, Carlsbad Caverns National Park should be on any good traveler’s or road tripper’s “must see” list. A massive and epic dark hole in the ground, it’s ranked as the 15th-largest cave system within the United States, and is home to the largest chamber in North America, known as the Big Room. An …

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Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.

Ahhh, Monument Valley (MV). An immense land of beautiful, mesmerizing, untouched desert. A mecca for Southwest lovers and road-tripping aficionados. A magical place locked in time. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park has earned every bit of its fame and reputation. For seven years I dreamed of visiting this world-renowned geographical wonder and I finally got …

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Four Corners National Monument.

With an official address in Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, the whole draw of the Four Corners National Monument is, of course, that it’s technically located in 4 states – Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. Furthermore, even though the official address is in Arizona, the entrance is actually located in New Mexico. It’s tucked back …

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Mesa Verde National Park.

The “green table” for which Mesa Verde National Park is named after. Translated from Spanish as “green table”, Mesa Verde National Park is very appropriately named. The “green table” for which it’s named is prominent from the start, appearing very shortly once you pass the entrance. One of the first things I remarked upon on …

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Grafton, Utah: “The most photographed ghost town in the West”.

The expansive Utahan desert, right outside of Grafton. Tucked down a bumpy, 3-mile partial dirt road, sits a little known and extremely cool ghost town. Located in the southwestern corner of Utah, not a soul lives in this completely deserted place, which is probably very creepy at night (there are ranch homes nearby, but nobody …

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