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Known for Scenery

Moab, Utah

Moab is perfectly situated to give visitors the best of Utah’s red-rocks realm and has three state-designated Scenic Byways, two of which run alongside the Colorado River, said Elaine Gizler, executive director of the Moab Area Travel Council. On state Route 128, visitors can take in red-rock mountain vistas, including views of the famous Fisher Towers, or they can get off the road and into rafts to enjoy the same scenery from the Colorado River. Along state Route 279, groups can view petroglyphs, see dinosaur tracks and stop for an easy hike to Jug Handle Arch. Route 313 offers expansive views on the way to both Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park.

About 30 miles southwest of Moab, Canyonlands is a sunset-colored canyon wilderness carved out by rivers and tributaries. The Island in the Sky Visitor Center delivers panoramic views from its mesa-top perch. Canyonlands by Night and Day offers daytime jet-boat trips and evening dinners, followed by a boat ride and a light-and-sound show on the Colorado River.

In Arches National Park, groups can stick to the roads for scenic drives, get in the saddle for a horseback ride or hit the hiking trails to glimpse more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches and countless red-stained cliffs.

www.discovermoab.com

Munising, Michigan

Munising is both the launching point and the home base for thousands of visitors who travel to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula every year to explore Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The stretch of sculpted sandstone shoreline hugs the south side of Lake Superior. Rock formations jut up from the lake, and waterfalls plunge into the green-blue water below.

Pictured Rocks Cruises offers narrated boat cruises that launch from Munising and take passengers past some of the shoreline’s most picturesque sites, including the restored historic East Channel Lighthouse; Grand Island; and famous rock formations such as Miner’s Castle, Grand Portal and Battleship Rocks. The company also offers private charters.

The park has several visitor centers, and beginning this winter, the Munising Falls Visitor Center will be the park’s main visitor hub. Throughout the park, rangers lead guided walks, historic lighthouse tours and evening programs, all free, except for tours of the 1874 Au Sable Light Station.

Near Twelvemile Beach, visitors can explore the two-mile, self-guided White Birch Nature Trail, and on the eastern end of the shoreline, the Grand Sable Dunes soar over Superior, with the best views from the trail beginning at the Sable Falls parking area.

www.nps.gov/piro

Bar Harbor, Maine

Just outside Bar Harbor, Maine, visitors can stand in the spray of pounding surf as it explodes against the craggy coastline, or they can stand atop the highest point on Mount Desert Island — Cadillac Mountain — to take in sweeping views of the island-strewn Maine shoreline.

Acadia National Park covers a big chunk of the island and surrounds Bar Harbor, which sits on the eastern shore. Visitors can explore the park’s historic carriage road system that includes 45 miles of rustic roads and 17 stone bridges, all gifts of John D. Rockefeller Jr., who wanted to be able to travel on motorless roads on the island. Groups can use the winding road system for bicycle treks or horse-and-buggy rides with concessionaires such as Carriages of Acadia and Wildwood Stables.

Groups can also board a ranger-narrated boat tour or take guided park tours, either aboard a bus or Oli’s Trolley, which also offers guided city tours of Bar Harbor. Groups can rent sea kayaks and canoes or hike on any of the trails, including the walking trail around Eagle Lake.

The Harborside Hotel, Spa and Marina sits on the shores of the Mount Desert Narrows and has oceanfront event space and guest rooms delivering views of sailboats dotting Frenchman Bay.

www.barharborinfo.com