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Since Precambrian times, the Colorado Plateau has remained ferociously barren. Yet human beings have found dozens of ways to make a living in this American region of the Four Corners, notably Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Among these human habitats are a number of picturesque towns in the Colorado Plateau worthy of a weekend retreat in 2024. From the Rocky Mountains to the north and east, the Sonoran Desert to the south, and the Great Basin Desert to the west, there is no shortage of small towns to feel enraptured by. So whether you are reliving the cowboy lifestyle in Moab or Monticello or unearthing the bones of ancient individuals in Lupton or Holbrook, these towns have features and landscapes that your cameras can capture and immortalize forevermore.

Holbrook, Arizona

From the Grand Canyon, all the way to the Navajo Nation, lies a stretch of arid badlands called the Painted Desert. Amidst the 200-million-year-old Chinle Formations is the small town of Holbrook, Arizona. It had seen its share of Wild West violence when a famous shootout between the Blevins gang and Perry Owens, a Sheriff Commodore, transpired in the Bucket of Blood Saloon and the Blevins House. These days, Holbrook is most renowned for being a lively gateway to the Petrified Forest National Park. The forest earned its name from petrified wood found in the area, which have been used to create notable indigenous abodes such as a hundred-room compound and an eight-room Pueblo structure called the Agate House. There are also the Homolovi Ruins, Window Rock, and Canyon de Chelly that all in some way have petrified wood from the Petrified Forest National Park.

Jemez Springs, New Mexico

Not everything in the Colorado Plateau is part of a hot desert biome. In the riveting village of Jemez Springs in New Mexico, you will find some of the most relaxing and soothing hot springs only an hour away from the cities of Albuquerque and Santa Fe. These hot springs have been so essential to people evading the intense Colorado Plateau heat that the local Walatowa pueblo have relaxed their ailments in Jemez Springs since the year 2,5000 BCE. The Jemez Cave near Soda Dam offers exemplary evidence of the Walatowa鈥檚 consistent visits to Jemez Springs鈥� hot springs. Even in the 16^th century, Spanish missionaries visited the town and erected the San Jos茅 de Guisewa (Jemez) church to build a permanent residence in Jemez Springs. For more picturesque sights of the land, you ought to go sightseeing at the Valles Caldera National Preserve, which used to be an active volcano until its volcanic eruption more than 1.25 million years ago.

Moab, Utah

The Wild West is renowned for both its violence and its picturesque landscapes in America鈥檚 hot deserts. Moab, Utah, is one of the few towns in the Colorado Plateau that captivates travelers with its status as 鈥淣ature鈥檚 Masterpiece.鈥� From the beautiful landscapes of the Canyonlands National Park鈥攖he precise site where cowboys corralled mustangs鈥攁nd the Arches National Park, these scenic destinations have remained unchanged since way before the era of the gunslingers.

Several adventure films like The Lone Ranger, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and Galaxy Quest were set along the Colorado River. Now, you can create your own wild adventures at either the Dead Horse Point State Park or at night when the stars and the Milky Way galaxy are at their brightest and clearest. Those inclined to archaeology might be invested in the millennia-old petroglyphs carved in the dozens of mountain walls and caves in Moab, said to come from the Navajo, Hopi, Pueblo, and other indigenous peoples. Do not miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure in the picturesque town of Moab.

Lupton, Arizona

Towns like Lupton in Arizona may not be as dynamic and ferocious as other towns in the Colorado Plateau, but it does create an atmospheric quaintness and quietude that the fictional town of Radiator Springs in Cars exudes. With its position on the well-known Route 66 highway, Lupton is a convenient stopover for anyone wanting to get anywhere in Arizona or in nearby New Mexico. Originally, Lupton was called Tesesi鈥檃ni鈥� (Setting Rock) and Tsedijooli (Round Rock) by the Navajo. It was also a military depot for supply runs before the creation of Fort Sumner in New Mexico. For all its simplicity, Lupton still has a number of picture-perfect attractions, such as the Painted Cliffs.

Page, Arizona

Page, Arizona, has been an excellent base camp for some of the best destinations in Arizona. From Antelope Canyon鈥檚 recognized figure and herds of pronghorn antelopes to Lake Powell鈥攖he largest artificial lake in the globe鈥攖hese attractions are all within walking or driving distance from Page. Horseshoe Bend provides a 1,000-foot vantage over the Colorado River and Glen Canyon Dam for those wanting a splendid photograph of the landscape, while the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument and Monument Valley are also great spots to take groupies or selfies in the Colorado Plateau. So this year, explore more from a region once dominated by the amazing Navajo people and spend a lot of time in the lovely town of Page.

Monticello, Utah

From an impressive 7,000 feet height on the Abajo Mountains鈥� east side, Monticello, Utah, offers a picturesque vantage over the Colorado Plateau and beyond. Only an hour away from Moab, Monticello promotes spectacular views of both the Canyonlands National Park and several other landmarks, such as the Manti-La Sal National Forest, Monticello Lake, and Indian Creek. However, the finest attraction in Monticello is an archaeologist鈥檚 dream come true鈥�Hovenweep National Monument, where the ruins of the Anasazi, the Ancient Ones, and other Puebloan people are dated to be between 500 BCE to 1300 CE. The Bears Ears National Monument, so named after two towering buttes that appear to be similar to a bear鈥檚 ears, also contains a number of indigenous relics. Meanwhile, ancient petroglyphs from the Archaic, Fremont, and Ute peoples can be located in a dark sandstone panel in Indian Creek called Newspaper Rock.

Bluff, Utah

Bluff, Utah, about 50 minutes away from Monticello, derives its name from the sandstone bluffs that overlook the San Juan River鈥攑ristine spots to take photographs of San Juan River鈥檚 鈥済oosenecks鈥� or tight loops in the Gooseneck State Park. You can also explore the twin buttes of the Bears Ear National Monument and the ancient Anasazi ruins at the Hovenweep National Monument. There is also the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway for you to undertake, where over 116 miles of arid landscape dominate the terrain. The Sand Island Petroglyph Panel, an indigenous artwork, can be found along the Trail of the Ancients Scenic Byway. Aside from indigenous cultures, Bluff is notably a former settlement for Mormons as best seen in Fort Bluff, an old fort for Mormon pioneers to rest and recharge after their ordeal through the Hole-in-the-Rock trail.

This 2024, ready your films to take pictures of the most picturesque towns in the Colorado Plateau. Where the most notorious outlaws met their match and indigenous cultures withstood the harsh living conditions in the desert, the Colorado Plateau has an abundance of idyllic small towns that will captivate you just as you will capture their sights. Go trekking through Bluff鈥檚 and Monticello鈥檚 dynamic sceneries and terrains. Soak in the relief-giving waters of Jemez Springs or admire the movie references in Moab. Finally, refill your engines or settle about in the night at waystations such as Lupton and Page. In the Colorado Plateau, you go where the road takes you, and many such roads will take you to the picturesque small towns for a weekend retreat this 2024.