Three's a charm in Manti-LaSal National Forest in southeastern Utah. That is, three unique land ecosystems - - alpine, desert, and red-rock canyon. For thrill seekers, solitude cravers, and nature lovers that adds up to year-round amusement.
At Manti-LaSal, you're in charge of the climate control switch. Summer's heat too much to bear? Then head up into the cool, green LaSal Range. Winter's deep Utah powder not your thing? Then direct your steering wheel to the low desert areas, where snowfall is a rare and fleeting occurrence.
While the majority of visitors to this part of Utah bypass Manti-LaSal en route to nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, they've most likely laid eyes on the forest's signature feature, the beautiful LaSal Range. These 12,000-foot peaks provide the dramatic visual backdrop to the hot red-rock landscape that you've probably seen in travel posters and nature calendars.
It's down in the midst of red-rock zone that you'll find Manti-LaSal's marquee attraction: Moab. This, of course, is the town that mountain biking built. Knob-heads from around the world flock to Moab to test themselves on the famous Slickrock Trail and other routes. What started out as a curious sideshow has turned into the region's economic engine.
If your idea of outdoor adventure doesn't involve tattoos, pierced body parts, and bicycles costing more than a good used car, then Manti-LaSal's other natural assets should satisfy your interests. There are streams to fish, petroglyphs and stone dwellings to ogle (look in the Monticello ranger district), weird geology to comprehend, national recreation trails to hike, lakes to camp beside, ghost towns to visit, elk herds to watch, and snowmobile and cross-country trails to travel.
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