Bring water, and try to get a very early start in summer. This is a tourist attraction with a large collection of Indian artifacts. Most of the arrowheads, pottery, sandals, and burials have been excavated locally. A diorama re-creates a ruin located five miles away in Cottonwood Wash. Fossils, rocks, and minerals are exhibited, too, including what's claimed to be one of the largest fluorescent mineral displays in the country. The collections and a gift shop lie within a spacious cave that stays pleasantly cool even in the hottest weather.
Reservations are a good idea during the busy summer months.
The summer rates listed may drop in winter. Canyonlands International Youth Hostel is a great place to meet other travelers, many from foreign countries. Guests stay in simple dorm-style accommodations with a free breakfast buffet and use of the kitchen, laundry, TV room, patio, lawn, locked storage, and a reference library of regional maps and books. It's centrally located a half-block off US 89 at 143 E. 100 S, tel. Aiken's Lodge National 9 Inn is at 79 W. Center, tel.