2 Best Hotels in Goosenecks Region, Utah, Northeast Arizona

This nicely maintained motel with a handsome timber-frame facade and panoramic views of the surrounding red rocks is in Bluff, 25 miles northeast of Mexican Hat; it's an excellent base for exploring Goosenecks State Park, the northern end of Monument Valley, and even Canyonlands National Park, to the north. Rooms are spacious with log-frame beds and large bathrooms, and there are also seven upscale cabins with wood-paneled walls, high ceilings, and private porches. The on-site restaurant, Duke's, serves breakfast, dinner, and nonalcoholic beverages daily.

This quirky motel's well-maintained, Southwestern-style, rustic rooms overlook the San Juan River in Mexican Hat, Utah, and the setting, against the red rocks, is quite inspiring, even if accommodations have few frills. A few miles away, the inn's three yurts provide a glamping option. Diners can watch the river at the Olde Bridge Grille, which serves great grilled steak and juicy hamburgers, fresh trout, and inexpensive Navajo dishes—it's also the only place for 100 miles in any direction with a liquor license.