Biking the Great Wide Open
Sweeping cathedrals of tiger-striped sandstone. Bright fuschia cactus blossoms in a sea of rocks. The delicate scent of juniper and sage after rain. This is southeastern Utah, home of beloved national parks like Canyonlands and Arches and miles and miles of protected land. This is my pilgrimage zone every spring and fall, a landscape that clears the brain as much as it challenges the body.
Recently I had the opportunity to write about the adventure capital of this remote corner of the country: Moab. My primer in the May issue of National Geographic Traveler is enough to get you started riding through the undulating slickrock and vast canyons that have made this place so famous. But I urge you to see Moab as a leaping stone. It’s a terrific introduction to the deserts of the Southwest, but hopefully it’ll also spark your interest in the empty landscapes that lie beyond.