This Is Utah's Quirkiest Little Town
Moab, Utah, has steadily been gaining attention. However, it might come as a surprise that Moab’s beauty and eccentricity have only really caught the world’s attention in the last 100 years. Indigenous groups have lived in the canyonlands for thousands of years, and European settlers arrived in the mid-1700s, but it took time for the rest of the world to catch on. In the early 20th century, local newspapers began featuring the area’s marvelous rock formations, and later that century, two national parks were officially established.
Today, visitors from all over the world come to Moab to view these rock formations up close, and maybe even from above on a hot air balloon ride. However, the fun doesn’t stop there. Across town, you will find several other quirky attractions, such as The Jailhouse Cafe and The Hole ‘N’ The Rock roadside attraction. And each year, the town hosts one of the most unique music festivals you will find: the Moab Music Festival. While the rock formations may draw most visitors in, Moab’s wonderfully quirky side often leaves the biggest impression.
Arches National Park
Arches National Park is arguably one of the country’s most incredible geological wonders. Covering over 73,000 acres, this park is home to more than 2,000 catalogued arches, making it the most concentrated collection of natural arches in the world. In addition to the natural arches, visitors will find other geological formations throughout the park, including sandstone fins, ribs, gargoyles, towers, balanced rocks, and hoodoos. One of the most impressive formations, however, is Delicate Arch. This arch, towering over the park at 46 feet high and 32 feet wide, is the park’s largest free-standing arch and has become one of Utah’s most prominent symbols.
Travelers wanting to explore this park for themselves have so many ways to do so, including hiking, biking, camping, horseback riding, backpacking, rock climbing, and stargazing. Much of the park’s wildlife is nocturnal, with lucky visitors perhaps able to spot ringtails, foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, owls, kangaroo rats, and woodrats.
Hot Air Ballooning
After exploring Arches National Park on foot, travelers can kick things up a notch and see it from above! Several companies in Moab offer hot air balloon excursions, allowing you to see the geological formations and 13,000-foot La Sal Mountains from a bird's-eye view.
Redrock Ballooning, a highly rated ballooning company in town, is an excellent choice for your excursion. Passengers meet about half an hour before sunrise at Canyonlands Field Airport for a 45- to 90-minute flight, timed perfectly to catch the desert glowing in the early morning light, one of the most spectacular times of the day! After landing again on solid ground, passengers will toast with a glass of apple cider and recite the Balloonist’s Prayer, a traditional way to conclude the ballooning experience.
The Hole ‘N’ The Rock
Just off South Highway 191 in Moab is one of the area’s quirkiest roadside attractions: The Hole ‘N’ The Rock. This attraction features a historic 5,000 square foot home, carved out of a giant rock in the state’s Canyonlands Country. The Christensen family is responsible for this project, with their vision beginning nearly a century ago. The home began as an alcove for the family’s boys to sleep in, turning into a prominent engineering project, including unique features like a 65-foot chimney, 14 rooms, and a deep bathtub carved into the rock. Many of the furnishings that you can see in the home today are original, serving as a reminder of its history.
Over the course of 12 years, Albert Christensen carved out 50,000 cubic feet of sandstone and completed famous artworks like the Sermon on the Mount painting and his Franklin D. Roosevelt sculpture, which you can see on the rock surface above the home. Other activities on the premises of The Hole ‘N’ The Rock include an exotic petting zoo, a souvenir store, and a trading post with Native American artisan goods.
Jailhouse Cafe
After a day of exploring Arches National Park or hot air ballooning, you can grab dinner at one of the most eccentric restaurants in town: the Jailhouse Cafe! This beloved restaurant is housed in the county’s first courthouse, built in 1885 and sold to the county in 1892. It then served as the local courthouse for about a decade after that.
Off the cafe’s kitchen, visitors will find a small room with thick adobe walls that served as a prison cell in the building’s early days, resulting in its name: the Jailhouse. Although the Jailhouse Cafe has historically been a breakfast spot, it recently began serving dinner, with a few of the dishes available, including steak frites, fish stew, burgers, and homemade pies.
Moab Music Festival
Each year, Moab hosts its annual Moab Music Festival, featuring jazz, chamber music, and Latin music in venues that you will not find anywhere else. This year, the 33rd festival will take place from August 27th through September 12th. On August 27th, attendees can enjoy performances in the iconic Star Hall, a Richardsonian Romanesque style stone hall built in 1906 that intimately seats 300 people.
The Floating Concert is another noteworthy performance, occurring on August 29th and taking place on an open-air riverboat, where attendees can enjoy innovative compositions surrounded by colorful canyon walls. Other concerts during the festival take place in equally intriguing destinations, including canyons, ranches, and rafts, so make sure to check out the festival’s complete calendar!
The best way to truly explore Moab's quirky spirit is with a visit yourself! However, hopefully, these attractions serve as a good base, inspiring you to book a hot air ballooning trip or dine at the Jailhouse cafe. However you choose to explore during your time in Moab, you are bound to uncover a whole new side of Utah.
