Hello!
Here is your location guide. I have broken it down into areas. Each area will have a section on lodging, and a section on ceremony/run around type of spaces. Consider this a jumping off point, if there is a general location or lodging area you like, we can move forward with that and search more places for the ceremony site, etc.
La Sals
The La Sals are a mountain range located about a 30 minutes drive from Moab. They offer a beautiful look into several of the national parks, while still offering pines, junipers and aspens. There are several lakes and lots of forest service roads. We stayed in this area for our honeymoon in mid-October and the grasses were that lovely brown color I know you both love!
This property is nestled in the La Sals. This cabin in particular, “The Wildflower Cabin” has incredible views of the main mountain peak from both the cabin and the hot tub. Each cabin has a full kitchen, can sleep a couple people and have a hot tub. While there are several cabins on the property, they are all nestled in junipers so that you feel very secluded. Would be a great jumping off point to explore the La Sals. And of course, pet friendly!
https://www.whisperingoakslodging.com/wildflower-cabin-3/
Especially look at the last photo listed under this property!
This property is about an hour south of Moab, and about a 45 minute drive to get into the La Sal Mountains. There is a historic 1890’s cabin you can rent, along with many other options for lodging. While it is totally off-grid (no service, or wifi) the cabins have been renovated to feel fresh and modern inside. From the property you can see the beautiful La Sal peaks. They also offer breakfsat and dinner, cooked up in cast iron and delicious in the home cooked sort of way. pet friendly.
Additional Airbnbs in the area. I don’t have personal experience with any of these, but they all are in the La Sals, pet friendly, highly rated and beautiful. I could see them even being a good spot for dinner or a ceremony, with access to running water fairly close for that part of the day.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/36172433?federated_search_id=03dc6df4-f664-42a1-9940-f3fc1af27dd0&source_impression_id=p3_1611697656_RCaLFjiFx%2FTFckpl
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/36172443?federated_search_id=03dc6df4-f664-42a1-9940-f3fc1af27dd0&source_impression_id=p3_1611697657_3EFH9pgIxgqIcCqo
The La Sal Mountains
The La Sals are about an hour drive from Moab. There is a paved scenic loop that wraps around the entire length of the mountain range. There are several lakes and streams. I have been to a couple of the lakes, but would want to plan a scouting trip to find an exact location. I think some of the airbnbs above would be a good spot to have the ceremony, with the water part taking place somewhere separate. Here are some of the spots I would be interested in scouting:
https://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/la-sal-mountains/index.html
https://www.dangerousroads.org/north-america/usa/3807-geyser-pass.html
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/utah/gold-knob-trail
https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232404
The Uintah Mountains
This is a massive mountain range that covers a good chunk of Eastern Utah. Depending on the access point, they are about a two hour drive from Salt Lake. You can either approach from Kamas, Duchesne, or Evanston on the Wyoming side. While some parts of the Uintahs are more frequented, there are lots of quiet corners. As with most mountain ranges, we are getting into the danger zone of snow the closer to the end of September we get. While it’s a low possibility, I want to make sure to mention it!
Lodging Options
Options for lodging are fairly limited in this area. If you wanted to drive a couple of hours you could stay in Park City. However, I found some Airbnbs that are closer to where we would go for the bath/ceremony, etc, so they would more just be a place to stay vs. being close to where the ceremony would be.
Airbnb Option 1. THERE IS A RIVER RUNNING THROUGH IT!!!!!
Airbnb Option 2. This one is further away from where we would go but it is cute.
Christmas Meadows
I pretty much insist you get married here…haha. It’s down a dirt road high in the Uintahs, by this time of year it’s usually pretty quiet. There are a few cabins on the right side of this frame of people who live there in the summer, there is usually not anyone up there. The grass turns the prettiest brown in the fall and this beautiful silky glass creek runs through the meadow. As with most of these locations, its going to be very cold and frosty in September, but it is just otherwordly. This is where I camped with my grandparents this summer, if you happen to remember. I have tons more photos and videos I can send you if you are interested.
My editing and shooting style has changed so much, but this was shot in Late September.
Beaver Lake
I included this because I remember you saying how much you liked it when I was there this summer, it’s where I saw the three moose. It is quite a ways up a dirt road. I am not sure if it’s “the spot” but I wanted to include it. The uintahs are FULL of little lakes like this.
Lily Lake
This lake is right off the highway, but this area is just so quiet in the later months that I don’t think it would be an issue. There is an open flat spot where they are standing that you could get married at. The downside is that there is a decent amount of beatle kill.
Idaho
I know this was not necessarily on the list but there are a few spots that I wanted to share! If you are interested in Stanley, we can source some more lodging ideas.
Stanley Lake
Stanley is about a 5.5 hour drive North of Salt Lake City. It’s a fairly small town with UNREAL views of the Sawtooths. There is a little motel with a kitchenette not far from here called Redwood Motel. Truck and I go there every year, I think I have mentioned it to you before. It sits right on the Salmon River with majestic views of the Sawtooths. This photo here is of Stanley Lake. It is a campground, but it’s almost always quiet on either side of the summer months. There are so many water options for your bath ritual, whether here or somewhere in town. No matter what, its going to be freezing, it’s just the nature of a mountain wedding in September! This place is so special to me, I really think your hearts would feel at home here.
Mackay Bar
Now THIS is a wild, and remote place. The salmon river is so special for a bunch of reasons, as is this place. There is a lot of heritage here! This place is only accessible by jet boat. The closest town is Riggins, for reference. They have a meeting point you drive to, then they pick you up and boat you up the river to the property. I am not sure how they do weddings, but there are several beautiful spots within walking distance. They also offer horseback rides and INCREDIBLE food.
Info
Honorable Mentions
Maple Grove Hot Springs
Ketchum, Idaho
Hailey, Idaho
Fishhook Creek Trail
New Mexico
The only areas that I am finding that could work with our parameters are around Taos. I have reached out to a few people to see if they have any tips. There are lots of cute Airbnbs in Taos, but I am having a hard time finding some in the actual mountains. So I will keep you posted on this!
MISC.
Here is a list of a few places, mostly Airbnbs that I think would be a good fit. If you felt drawn to any of them, we can explore more of what would be available in the area as far as locations. Also, Jane says hi!
Horseshoe Springs
This is by where my grandparent’s live, sort of. There are a series of “warm ponds.” This stream is probably about three feet wide. There are not Airbnbs anywhere nearby, you would need to stay in SLC. I don’t know if this is a great fit but I wanted to include it since you like it!
Cathedral VAlley
Cathedral Valley- Capitol Reef NP Backcountry
Location: 3 hours from Salt Lake, this is a backcountry part of Capitol Reef National Park. Nearest town is Torrey and Hanksville, I have lodging recommendations for Torrey!
Information: This is a fairly easy off-road drive. The rock structures are so stunning. This area really gives that vast and beautiful feeling. If interested, I will call the park service to get information on current road conditions.
https://utah.com/capitol-reef-national-park/cathedral-valley
https://www.parkrangerjohn.com/exploring-cathedral-valley-in-capitol-reef-national-park/
https://www.themandagies.com/capitol-reef-national-park/ (This is about the whole park but there is a section on this area. The whole park is gorgeous and another great option!)
If you like this area, there is forest access really close, called Fishlake National Forest. I’m not sure if it all lends itself to the flow of the day how we talked about but wanted to mention it.
San RAfael Swell
Location: Central-ish Utah, Very remote and not really close to anything Information: This is where I go if I want to camp and be alone. It is a VAST area of red rock, there is a river, lots of hikes, petroglyphs, etc. AND it’s not a designated park, so the whole area is dispersed camping. I have GPS points I can share of the best camping spots depending on what hike we’d like to do and if you’d like to be close to the river, tucked back in a canyon, etc. Since this encompasses such a large area, I will be sending a few different links to places that might look totally unrelated, but they are all encapsulated in this area. This is Utah’s little secret, lots of people in Salt Lake don’t even know about it. Although it has gained popularity in the last couple of years, it’s still a very quiet place.
https://utah.com/scenic-drive/wedge-overlook
The wedge overlook is vast and beautiful! We could combine it with some other cool spots nearby. It is often windy, which can be a little uncomfortable when cold but looks and feels magnificent!
https://www.roadtripryan.com/go/a/utah/san-rafael-swell (Roadtrip Ryan is a fantastic resource for Southern Utah. On his page, for any given area will be a ton of info on various kinds of activities. I purchased his app and love it for the offline maps and up to date weather info for trailheads)
https://www.roadtripryan.com/go/t/utah/san-rafael-swell/buckhornwash https://www.theoutbound.com/utah/camping/camp-at-the-little-grand-canyon (one of the busier spots, but gorgeous and easy to walk along the rim and get away)
https://www.blm.gov/visit/search-details/257019/1 (Just a disclosure, this is WILD WILD country. While that means there is solitude, I don’t want to point you in the direction of stuff like this without also mentioning the safety issues. I know you guys are super capable but dehydration, getting lost, snakes, all of that are very real in this kind of area)
http://www.girlonahike.com/2017/10/hiking-to-wild-horse-window-arch.html (I LOVE this hike)
http://www.girlonahike.com/2015/11/little-wild-horse-canyon.html (Other side of the Swell, really cool camping very close and this hike is a cool way to experience the southwest and a slot canyon without the crowds, I also put this under it’s own heading)
https://www.roadtripryan.com/go/t/utah/san-rafael-swell/salt-wash (Remote but think it would be an amazing way to spend your wedding day) -Also in this area is a canyon that isn’t really even on a map, just somewhere I’ve explored with the pup. If you guys end up interested in this area, I can send more photos and videos. But basically you hike up this fairly narrow canyon with huge, huge cliff walls. Lots of little nooks to explore, and you could easily spend a couple of hours exploring. I’ve camped nearby and walked 5-10 minutes to be in that canyon. Water is near the camp spot (5 minute walk or so). I have video and pictures of this area that I am working on uploading into an Icloud link for you guys.
Valley of the Gods
Location: South of Bluff, Utah
Information: Very, very remote. It is very close to Moki Dugway, Gooseneck State Park, Monument Valley, and Muley Point. Muley point is a lookout that is almost always empty. It looks like Goosenecks and Monument Valley from above. It is HUGE and has sheer cliffs and is just totally awe-inspiring. I have more personal videos I can share if you feel drawn to this area..https://utah.com/monument-valley/valley-of-the-gods
https://www.americansouthwest.net/utah/mexican_hat/muley_point.html
https://www.theoutbound.com/utah/camping/camp-at-muley-point
https://www.earthtrekkers.com/valley-of-the-gods-off-beaten-path-utah/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPGcHNy3QTQ
Wahweap Hoodoos
Near Lake Powell. Not thinking the hoodoos as much as the area nearby.
Water would be tricky but we could do Lake Powell, and then somewhere out here for the ceremony and portraits.
https://www.shaunasadventures.com/2018/03/360-adventure-hiking-wahweep-hoodoos.html
Cathedrral Gorge State Park
Location: Middle of nowhere Nevada, 2.5 hours from Las Vegas Airport
This is SUCH a cool place. Very remote but a ton of diversity in shooting locations without much hiking needed. There are overlook spots and little slots. It’s all pretty compact and could all be explored in one shoot. ENDLESS hiking to be done through little slot canyons and through the valley. Would need to research water options.
https://travelnevada.com/discover/25957/cathedral-gorge-state-park
http://parks.nv.gov/parks/cathedral-gorge
https://localadventurer.com/cathedral-gorge-state-park-nevada/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ziy1BMJgN_U
Pecos
https://www.nps.gov/peco/index.htm
You could have a ceremony here and then a dinner back in Santa Fey at somewhere like El Rey Court, which has a beautiful intimate dining space.
Bisti Wilderness
Location: Northern NM, near Farmington This place is very accessible and beautiful! Lodging nearby is cheap and only about 20 minutes away. This has a good variety of textures and heights, which I like! Not sure on water.
https://www.americansouthwest.net/new_mexico/bisti_badlands/index.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhz58Iw6YKI