Scott M. Matheson Preserve

The Scott M Matheson Preserve

Scott M Matheson Preserve is run by the Nature Conservancy. It is located on the outskirts of Moab and is a nice morning stop.

A boardwalk winds around the preserve, leading to several viewpoints. We saw some interesting birds along the way. We counted about ten spotted towhees. There were also robins, pheasants, and mourning doves. The trail is nice and stroller friendly. It wanders about a mile across a bridge and around a loop. There is one spur that leads to an overlook of the river.

In the river we saw a strange sight. About 20 large fish, probably either carp or catfish were surfacing as if they were gulping for air. We watched (and listened) for awhile as they gasped for air at the top of the water.

One of the spotted towhees we saw.

The fish

The Matheson Preserve is a nice spot in Moab to get away from the crowds that are ever-present in Arches and other more touristy areas. To get to the Preserve, turn off Main Street onto Kane Creek Boulevard between McDonalds and Burger King. The preserve is nearly 1.5 miles down the road. Go left when the road splits. The preserve will be on the right. All the trails are stroller friendly, and most are boardwalks.

The trails are nice and flat and about half are boardwalks.

This blind was nice, but there weren't too many birds to hide from.