Mountain biking in Moab, Utah is a dream come true

I've always loved mountain biking. I don't do it anymore as much as other activities like tennis and road biking, but when I do, I always have a blast (even when tumbling bike over heels down cliffs, which seems to happen way too often to me).

So knowing that about me, you can guess that Moab, Utah has been a place I've wanted to visit for a long time. It's known as the mecca of mountain biking in the U.S. I took about a three-hour ride on Saturday with my family and didn't do anything too daring, but it was an exciting taste of what the area known for Arches and Canyonlands national parks has to offer. 

We rode in Dead Horse Point State Park, which is located on a mesa (a flat-top mountain) high above many breath-taking views of the Grand Canyon-like sandstone cliffs of Canyonlands National Park and the Colorado River.

It seemed like we barely explored the 17-mile mountain-bike trail system located in the park. It takes a long time to go a little way over such rocky trails, especially with our 10-year-old in the mix. That said, she was able to conquer the many obstacles along the way and this is a really good option for other families with young kids (and bike rentals, although pricey, are available right there in the park at the trailhead alongside a handful of camping yurts).

Other points to note:

• Dead Horse Point allegedly got its name from many horses dying there from exposure to the elements high on the mesa (it was a very windy ride, at least on this day).
• It has provided a set for many movies and TV shows, including Con Air (1997), Joe Dirt (2001), MacGyver (1985), Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), Westworld (2016), and, most famously, the ending scene in Thelma & Louise (1991).