Castleton Road ~ Moab

There are two very busy National Parks in Moab, Utah and most of the vehicular traffic stays within the bounds of these primary destinations. Surprisingly, the secondary destinations in this region receive light to moderate traffic on any given day. Part of the reason why is because there are hundreds of side roads to explore in the Moab region, so the crowds are spread out thin. Driving a 4x4 vehicle will present plenty of opportunities to find some extra breathing room in the wide open spaces, because most of the roads are dirt in this region. There are a few paved roads that the mainstream National Park tourists overlook too and one that simply is a must to check out is Castleton Road.

Castleton Road is located just south of Fisher Towers along the Colorado Riverway Recreation Area corridor next to Arches National Park. When cruising along Highway 128 a map is really not needed to tell whether you have arrived at the right spot, because when the Castle Valley comes into view, the gothic appearance of this mesmerizing landscape will confirm all notions. The endless miles of square face bluffs that look like the Great Wall Of China, the eroded red rock mesas that look like Medieval fortresses and the towering solid stone pillars all combine to create a natural gothic landscape that must be seen to be believed.

Touring Castleton Road is the best way to experience Castle Valley and one of the most famous landmarks in the west can be found along this road. The Castleton Tower touches the sky in this majestic red rock landscape and it sure is a splendid sight to see. There is adequate parking with facilities at the tower and some shade trees for a cozy picnic. A trail goes to Castleton Tower and information is posted about the climbing regulations. This picture perfect red rock pillar is the home of several rock climbing events each year, so be sure to browse the local extreme sports websites if standing on top of Castleton Tower is something that you have always dreamed about!

Castleton Road only takes about 30 minutes to tour when in a hurry, but there is an option to do a complete loop tour back to Moab through the La Sal Mountains. Transitioning from the barren red rock desert to thick pine forests certainly is a unique experience and the scenic views along this route will make it all worthwhile. Castleton is a small farm community, so there will be some roadside farm stand shopping to be done too. Castletion Road definitely is a little side trip worth remembering when touring the Moab region!