Moab, a Winter Wonderland!
Most people think of warmth and sunshine when thinking about the Utah desert and the warmth of the sun radiating off of the red rock. But earlier this year I decided to head down to Moab, Utah in the middle of January, and it was honestly incredible!
If you've never been to Moab, I implore you to check this place out! Moab is a mecca for biking, climbing, hiking, sightseeing, mountain biking, kayaking, canyoneering, off-roading, and the list goes on and on! There really is something for everyone here! Like I mentioned earlier, most people think about Utah and roaming around the red rocks in the summer, and don't get me wrong, summer is a great time to go but definitely has it's down sides.
The bummer part about going here in the summer months is not only does it get really hot (easily getting to 100 degrees and above) but there are swarms and swarms of people everywhere. Oftentimes there are lines of cars just trying to get into incredible places like Arches National Park, and some will wait in these lines on a weekend day for an hour or two before finally being able to get into the park. And this is why I recommend going in the winter months!
In the winter it can get pretty cold, so bring lots of layers! Also be ready to have places to yourself, A LOT!! I was amazed at just how few people were in the parks during this time of the year. We were constantly looking around in awe that there was no one else around enjoying the views! We actually felt like we were getting spoiled, for example when we hiked up to delicate arch and there were maybe a dozen other people there, we found ourselves a little disappointed that we weren't the only ones there, ha ha! We honestly just got used to having incredible scenic places all to ourselves!
The other phenomenon we found ourselves immersed in was the incredible fog! I know fog in this area is pretty unusual and I don't know if it happens that often or not in January, but we had it the entire week we were there, but honestly it was one of the coolest things I've witnessed. One moment I would be looking at some massive structure in front of me, and the very next moment it would be swallowed up by a thick white fog, completely erased from my sight! It boggled my mind that something so large, could just vanish so quickly from one second to the next.
Another unreal beautiful thing we witnessed was the snow on red rock. Seeing pure white snow blanket across the red rock was unreal, especially at places like Mesa Arch! We were fortunate enough to watch sunrise here twice during our trip, and one of those times was right after a few inches of snow had fallen overnight. It was absolutely beautiful and serene and a sight I won't soon forget!
All in all, roaming around Moab in the winter is something that I will definitely do again! We enjoyed a quiet town, empty National Parks, and cheaper lodging and airfare due to going out of the busy season. So if Moab and the Utah desert is on your list of places to see, I would definitely suggest going in the winter!
