Native American heritage surrounds us in Moab. Woven subtly in the patterned colors of the landscape are traces and clues that we are neither the first nor last visitors to seek out the treasures of this region.

This whole area was once home to the Parianuche, or Grand River Ute people. Other groups left carved messages and artifacts bespeaking rich traditions and deeply meaningful connections to the area. These include the Desert Archaic, the Freemont and transient populations such as the Ancestral Pueblo people who called themselves Hitsatsinom.

Today, cultural attractions include ancient ruins, intriguing rock art panels, rich traditional art and exotic treasures available for viewing or for purchase. Much can be learned from our living neighbors, the Navajo, Ute, Hopi, Paiute, Zuni, Mexican and others, who live and work in every town in the Southwest. To travel with humility and respect amid the native people’s subtle philosophies and mannerisms can open many doorways to opportunity as well as to our larger selves. Wherever out feet touch in this desert land, we will find irreplaceable natural treasures, dinosaur tracks, stone artifacts, wagon tracks, signs of ranchers and miners or wild creatures who are always at the heart of things. As modern sojourners, we are asked to give something back in return for what we may experience, i.e., to follow the laws protecting all resources from damage or theft, to help preserve what is fragile and precious, and to leave things exactly as we found them. Thank you and enjoy!