Moab to Mexican Hat, Utah – July 24, 2011
We had more scenic highways with mountains, red rock cliffs, winding roads, Indian petroglyphs, and unusual rock formations. The something new added today were natural bridges. We learned that the difference between arches and bridges is weather the water sinks in and washes away the sandstone or if a river flows under the bridge and washes the sandstone away. Natural bridges have to have a stream or river flowing under it.
We left Moab about 9:15 am and headed south on highway 191. About 30 miles south of Moab we saw Wilson Arch on the side of the highway. A few miles further on we turned off on highway 211 to visit the large rock of Indian petroglyphs called Newspaper Rock. This was impressive and after viewing that we returned to highway 191 watching the occasional prairie dog on the side of the road. Past the towns of Monticello and Blanding we turned west on Scenic Byway 95 to the Natural Bridges National Monument.
At Natural Bridges we stopped at the visitor center then took the loop road that gives views of the three natural bridges all concentrated in one small area. First we walked to the lookout for Sipapu Bridge, the second largest natural bridge in USA. The next bridge we walked to see was Kachina Bridge and we ended with views of Owachomo Bridge. We stopped at a picnic ground to eat snacks for lunch because there was nowhere else to eat.
We took highway 261 south which turned exciting at Muley Point where the asphalt turns to gravel and a short, steep winding road drops several hundred feet in three miles. Outside of the town of Mexican Hat we saw the Mexican Hat Rock (see photos) which indeed looks like a head with a sombrero balanced on larger rocks. We continued south on highway 163 into the Navajo Reservation and through Monument Valley, a long straight road with scenic vistas of towering rock formations in odd shapes. Finally we turned around and returned to the town of Mexican Hat where we spent the night.
