Goosenecks State Park, Utah

Goosenecks State Park near Mexican Hat, Utah is one of the world's finest examples of an entrenched river meander. The San Juan River has cut 1,000 feet into the Colorado Plateau while maintaining its sinuous course from ancient times, creating a series of tight loops visible from the rim. The geology here exposes 300 million years of strata in one view. A short walk from the parking area delivers this overlook — one of the most remarkable geological vistas in the American Southwest, and almost entirely missed by tourists heading to Monument Valley just 20 miles south.