Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
93
living room. Rates per night are $90 for one or two people, $100 for three or four people,
$110 for five or six, and $195 for the entire house. For information on both the tours
and lodging, contact Far Out Expeditions, 7th East St. and Mulberry Ave. (P.O. Box
307), Bluff, UT 84512 (
&
435/672-2294;
www.faroutexpeditions.com).
Note that both of the above companies also collect per-person user fees charged by the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
MORE TO SEE & DO
About 2 miles west of town is
Sand Island Recreation Site,
operated by the BLM.
Located along the San Juan River among cottonwoods, Russian olives, and salt cedar, this
area offers boating (there's a boat ramp) and fishing. Boaters must obtain river permits
in advance, which are awarded through a lottery. Permits are free for river trips from
November through February, but fees are charged the rest of the year, based on the sec-
tion of river and number of people in your party. There is a lottery for permits in early
February, so applications should be submitted by February 1. After the lottery has been
held, you may still get a permit if there are cancellations or vacant time periods. Contact
the Bureau of Land Management, 435 N. Main St. (P.O. Box 7), Monticello, UT 84535
(
&
435/587-1500;
435/587-1544, 8am-noon Mon-Fri for permits and applications;
www.ut.blm.gov). Nestled between the river and a high rock bluff are picnic tables, vault
toilets, and graveled campsites; camping is $10 per night and drinking water is available.
Head west from the boat launch to see a number of petroglyphs; some can be seen easily
on foot, others are glimpsed only from a boat. Unfortunately, you must have your own
boat, as there are no nearby rentals.
Goosenecks State Park,
set on a rim high above the San Juan, offers spectacular views
over the twisting, turning river some 1,000 feet below. It's named for the sharp turns in
the river, which meanders more than 5 miles to progress just 1 linear mile, and provides
a look straight down through 300 million years of geologic history. (The park also has
some Hollywood history: It served as the location for the climactic scene in
Thelma &
Louise
.) You'll find picnic tables, trash cans, vault toilets, and an observation shelter, but
no drinking water, in a gravelly open area at the end of the paved road. It is often very
hot in summer, and there is practically no shade. The park is open around the clock, and
admission is free; primitive camping is permitted at no charge. The park is about 23
1
/
2
miles from Bluff, just off the route to Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. Head west
on US 163 for about 20 miles, turn north (right) on Utah 261 for about a mile, and then
west (left) on Utah 316 for 2
1
/
2
miles. For information, contact Goosenecks State Park,
c/o Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, 600 W. 400 North, Blanding, UT 84511
(
&
435/678-2238;
www.stateparks.utah.gov).
WHERE TO STAY
Lodging tax adds just over 10% to room bills in Bluff. Far Out Expeditions (see above)
also offers accommodations in its guesthouse.
Desert Rose Inn and Cabins
You can't miss this imposing lodge-style build-
ing on Bluff 's main drag, and if you're looking for upscale accommodations with a decid-
edly Western flavor, this is it. The spacious and attractively decorated motel rooms have
log headboards, pottery-style lamps, solid-wood furnishings, and Native American art-
work. In addition there are five pleasant cabins, a bit more rustic in appearance, each
with a large walk-in shower (no tubs), one queen bed, refrigerators and microwaves,
porches, and cathedral ceilings with exposed beams. There is also an attractive cabin suite
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