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There are a few things people expect to see when they head to southern Utah.
- Red slickrock: check.
- Interesting landscapes: check.
- Spectacular slot canyons: check.
- Amazing scenic vistas: check.
Those things are found in Utah's national parks and they come with a side of massive crowds.
Just two hours south of the Wasatch Front and 90 minutes northwest of Moab you'll find the San Rafael Swell, a quiet section of the Colorado Plateau offering endless recreation and timeless panoramas. Most of the Swell is located on BLM land, meaning it belongs to the public but it's wild and open and mostly empty.
Everything on the list above is there along with hiking, biking, camping, canyoneering and kayaking. And you'll find it all with minimal foot traffic and maximal views.
Before you head out on your quiet adventure, make sure you're stopping at Maverik along the way (there is a brand new Maverik in Helper). With refreshments, food, and some of the best soda fountains around, you won't find a better place to gear up for — and cool down from — a day of outdoor fun.
Start every adventure with Maverik
Maverik’s got you covered with great values on fuel, food, drinks and more. Check out maverik.com to find a location near you. Maverik — Adventure’s First Stop.How did it swell?
Before getting into the highlights of the Swell, here's a quick geology overview.
About 60 million years ago, a couple of tectonic plates off the now–west coast of North America decided to slip, slide, and collide. This resulted in the Laramide orogeny (yes, like Laramie, WY), a mountain-building period that literally helped shape much of western North America, including the Rocky Mountains, according to an article in the Journal of Structural Geology.
Among the many gifts this orogeny gave the world was baby Swell, which came to be when a bunch of rocks broke and created a dome-like shape called an anticline.
The Laramide orogeny also roughly coincided with the extinction of dinosaurs, which begs the question: Did a T-rex ever witness the Swell?
Over time, recurring flash floods eroded the Swell's sedimentary rocks and turned it into a colorful chaos of buttes, mesas, badlands, valleys, and canyons.
The Wedge
If you want to consume the buttes, mesas, et al. of the Swell all at once, stop by the Wedge where you can have your geological cake and eat it too.
In fact, the Wedge's main overlook offers such sweeping views that the gorge it looks onto is often nicknamed the Little Grand Canyon — a moniker you'll find accurate when squinting down at the San Rafael River 1,200 feet below.
To enjoy the view a little longer, you can hike along the rim or bike around the area. Several mountain biking trails are available, the most popular one being the Good Water Rim Trail, an intermediate-level ride that's one of the most scenic you'll ever go on.
If you want to hang around even longer and catch the Little Grand Canyon at sunrise the next day (good choice) there are about 15 first-come, first-served campsites. No water is available so stop at Maverik and load up!
Stories told on rocks
Through pictographs and petroglyphs ancient Indian tribes who inhabited the land long ago told stories of their hopes and dreams — or something like that. Much of the appeal of rock imagery is the mystery behind it: modern humans have never been able to determine its exact purpose and meaning with a high degree of certainty.
What is known is that within several of the panels are both red pictographs—which are painted—and petroglyphs, which are pecked into the rock. These aren't just ordinary ancient findings, though. They're classified as Barrier Canyon style—a style specific to the region.
This Barrier Canyon culture is described in the Anthropology journal as "...panels of life-sized, mummy-like anthropomorphs, often accompanied by realistic representations of animals and organized in three-dimensional displays."
There are a lot of places in the Swell where you can take in these masterpieces including these three that are right off the road:
Speaking of rocks, if you happen to be a rockhound, the Swell has areas where agates, geodes, petrified wood and fossils are abundant. Unlike in national parks or monuments, if you find a rock on BLM land that you can't live without, you can take it home, as long as you adhere to BLM rock collecting regulations.
While these are only a few of the attractions at the San Rafael Swell area, there is no shortage of things to do. Bring your bikes, your kayaks, your hiking boots and whatever else you need to adventure through Utah's southeast desert.
Utah Adventures with Maverik: 5 great places to view and photograph wild animals
Some of the best areas in the state to view wildlife are actually close to the metro areas. If you live along the Wasatch Front, there are likely good wildlife viewing opportunities less than 30 minutes from your home.Start every Utah Adventure with Maverik
Wherever you explore in Utah, make sure to fuel up and grab some food at one of the Maverik locations. Maverik's Nitro Card saves you 10 cents off every gallon, every day with additional high-value benefits on its huge selection of tasty food and drinks. Maverik's premium BonFire food made fresh in every Maverik features breakfast and lunch burritos, sandwiches, pizzas, salads and more. New dishes to amp up your spring road trip feature premium hardwood smoked burnt ends including the Burnt Ends and Hatch Green Chili Mac n' Cheese; Burnt Ends Breakfast Burrito; Burnt Ends and Tots Burrito; and later this summer the Burnt Ends Pizza.
To save on every gallon of gas and get special offers inside the store download the Maverik app to join the Adventure Club and activate your Nitro Card.
