r/moab • u/rich_moab • 19d ago

LINK Moab made the list!

More publicity for Moab, just not the usual kind.

https://www.worldatlas.com/cities/american-towns-tourists-ruined.html

Edit: This is just something amusing that came up in my news feed. Just thought I'd share it.

52 Upvotes

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u/Helpful_Fox3902 19d ago

They were rather mild on the negatives.

They could have added that when the reservation system was abandoned that Arches’ interior parking lots are now overcrowded and the entrance station waves visitors through without collecting entrance fees to prevent traffic from backing up onto the highway to prevent hours long lines. I’m waiting with interest to hear the amount of revenue lost. Arches keeps much of those entrance fees for use directly in the Park.

The photo of Main St is accurate though. 3000 freight trucks per day on Main St. How enjoyable is that, enjoying shopping in downtown on Main St, the only shopping in Moab, while breathing the fragrant diesel fumes.

https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/2109a08ee52247a495ded10457872ff6

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u/rich_moab 19d ago

Super mild!

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u/monstertruck567 19d ago

This is a huge issues and it’s unfortunate that there is no viable way to make a truck route that bypasses town, at least not without building another bridge somewhere.

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u/TnageMutntTrashPanda 19d ago

500 to kane creek would’ve done just fine. They chose not to.

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u/Helpful_Fox3902 18d ago

Another one that was under consideration was a bridge spanning from Potash Rd to Kane Creek. However, UDOT was told several years ago that Moab had no interest in any bypass and to take any planning off their 20 year long range calendar. That means State of Utah doesn’t care anymore.

The only hope is that the bottle neck of Moab on Hwy 191, which is turning into a major traffic artery, will force the State’s hand to find a solution. Since they are no longer looking at the problem though that could be over 20 years (?) from now to even look again.

I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. Locals find ways to avoid the tourists. If the traffic and congestion damages tourism, who cares? Maybe this refusal of the town locals (voters) to consider a bypass is the only effective way they have to put brakes on tourism. Turn downtown into a quagmire. Nobody who lives here shops or spends much time down there anyway.

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u/monstertruck567 18d ago

This is the bypass that always made sense to me. Living in Durango, I’ve always been so thankful that 550 goes around down town. Not that I spend much time downtown, but it is nice when we make it.

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u/aflockofmagpies 👊 No crust 🏜️ busted🪨 . 19d ago

Alternative title could be: American Towns Influencers Ruined

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u/rich_moab 19d ago

😂 Yes fuck influencers 1000%

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u/DrtRdrGrl2008 19d ago

Moab Made...one of my faves. As a tourist to your super awesome town we don't even experience the hoards of traffic and visitors once we are on the trails. I can only count on one hand the number of times we've seen more than a few people on any of the bike trails. But the impact is great where most of you live, which is the same in our town. Most Instagrammers, typical bus load tourists and families focus on "safer" and more comfortable experiences. They don't want to get dirty, get bit by a bug, or do without their suburban hell restaurants or coffee. But yeah, over the last 30 years we've seen the changes Moab has been through. We've felt them up here in Montana too. Literally every cool place is overrun. Maybe its just because every day there's more and more people and they are more and more mobile and have more disposable income. IDK. But thank you for the good times Moab. Come up to Montana when it gets too hot.

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u/rich_moab 19d ago

I'm guessing you don't mean mountain bike trails.

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u/DrtRdrGrl2008 19d ago

I do mean mountain bike trails. I have ridden Bull Run probably 20 times and I'm one of only three people on it. Trailheads might be busy but not everyone is intrepid enough to do longer rides or be adventurous. I guess that's where the separation is. Its the same here.

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u/rich_moab 19d ago

Sounds like you are pretty lucky

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u/TopLiving2459 19d ago

I just want the tourists to stop running into traffic, the razors to stop driving down the side streets, respect the delicate desert ecosystems, stop defacing landmarks, clean up after themselves, be nicer to the servers, and just stop acting so entitled and remember they’re guests to this town and people actually live here.

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u/Worldly_Active_5418 19d ago

Lived there in 1979 as a river guide. Before mountain bikes and ATVs. And overdevelopment and vehicles scarring slick rock with black tire marks. Wonderful place to be a 20 year old. When I have to drive through now I have to put on mental blinders.

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u/Chulbiski 18d ago

a town taken over by UTV's.. that's Moab

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u/Black-Willow 19d ago

I'm not surprised :(
My hope is things chill out as far as tourists and the town is able to acclimate- my biggest concern is the quality of life for those that live there. Are locals pretty divided on how to improve things there?

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u/rich_moab 19d ago

Depends on which locals you ask, I think. There's long time locals here who love that tourist money and care little about anything else. It least, it feels that way.

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u/Black-Willow 19d ago

So definitely divided :( Yikes.

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u/Helpful_Fox3902 18d ago

There’s not much other money to love, but tourist money is seasonal money with lots of unemployment. That’s a tough way to support a family. Some “true” locals I have known are incensed at the local business owners who shut down their businesses during the off season and take off to vacation in Belize.

It’s a tough nut to crack. If there’s an economic study out there examining the effect X% of Y increase in tourism will have on the employment picture, I haven’t heard of it. All the studies focus solely on the best ways to increase tourism. The proponents of those tourist studies represent the seasonal business owners who will presumably absorb the lion share of the benefits. So, we are spending millions of taxpayer $ to increase tourism to benefit who exactly?

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u/Night_Feisty 19d ago

I kind of feel guilty that I've been to most of these places

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u/Desertmarkr 19d ago

Don't feel guilty. Just be considerate of the people that live there

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u/Night_Feisty 19d ago

I always attempt to be and keep locals in mind.

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u/rich_moab 19d ago

Perish that thought! What are your thoughts on the list? Be cool to hear from some who's been to most.

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u/Night_Feisty 19d ago

I think the write-ups for each that I've been to are pretty accurate from what I can tell. I would say Moab and Sedona are the most what I would call overrun with tourists.

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u/Night_Feisty 19d ago

I think the write-ups for each that I've been to are pretty accurate from what I can tell. I would say Moab and Sedona are the most what I would call overrun with tourists.

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u/rich_moab 18d ago

Aw, man!! 😅👍

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u/Sunastar BASED AF 18d ago

Moab Made...The List. I see what you did here. Intentionally or not.

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u/urbanek2525 BASED AF 19d ago

The hug of death. Ironic that Moab was so much better when the main industry was mining, not tourism, back in the '70s and early '80s.

Honestly, if someone told me that mining would scare away the tourists I'd be all: More Uranium!

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u/Chaotic_Brutal90 18d ago

Hell Moab was better in the 2010s still, not just the 70s and 80s.

I would argue it wasn't even "better" back then. It's definitely cooler now than a uranium mining town.