This popular route serves up the best in ruins and rock art, plus sandstone surprises like natural arches and spring-fed oases. To experience the canyon without jostling for a campsite, go in early winter or early spring, when temperatures are chilly, but crowds are few. As I hike deep into the canyon, it's easy to see why the Anasazi chose to live here. Even in winter, the weak sun warms the south-facing alcoves. Riparian corridors of cottonwood and oak give brilliant contrast to the desert-red walls.
Canyon wrens flutter through the sky, their calls echoing off the rocks like laughter.
My pace slows to a crawl as I gaze around the canyon. Camouflaged ruins perch high on the walls, tucked on precarious ledges. Look, but don't touch. Both Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Phoenix, Arizona, are about 51Z2 hours away. From Blanding, take UT 95 west 28 miles to UT 261 and go south.