Moab is considered the mountain bike capital of the country, if not the world. But you don’t have to be a rider to soak in the sights. Here are three excellent ways to experience the raw beauty of Canyonlands and nearby Moab.

■ Combine motoring along Island in the Sky with a series of short, easy hikes. Start at the visitors’ center for maps of the mesa.

First stop is Mesa Arch; a 15-minute walk will take you to the large, elongated formation that frames the plateau below and the La Sal Mountains, 35 miles away.

Next, the Grand View Point Overlook is an edge-of-the-cliff trek. A finger of land takes you to a panoramic point of stunning views; there and back is two miles total. Here, you hope for a passing shower — your perch will offer you a horizon-to-horizon vantage point to watch the curtains of rain cross the canyons. Because of the dry desert air, most of the drops evaporate before reaching the parched ground.

A seven-mile drive from the parking area of Grand View takes you to Upheaval Dome. This is a geological marvel and mystery, its deformed rose and peach rocks offering an otherworldly view. The hike to the vantage points is about 1.6 miles roundtrip.

End the excursion at the Green River Overlook at dusk. The setting sun beyond the Green River canyon casts the buttes and cliffs below in a brilliant crimson.

■ Hike Murphy’s Loop. This is a moderately difficult hike, 11 miles roundtrip. The best part? A dizzyingly steep descent built into a canyon wall, with lots of wildflowers and lizards. The loop will take you to Murphy’s Hogback, the steepest section of White Rim Road, save for the switchbacks from Island in the Sky. Keep an eye out for remnants of horse corrals.

■ Drive along the Colorado River. Route 128 from Castle Valley to Moab is one of America’s most beautiful roads. The canyon walls are so close, they often hang over your car. And the river on the other side is resplendent. If you’re a camper, there is no better campsites than the Bureau of Land Management offerings next to the river ($15 a night). You can extend the ride by turning onto Route 279. Short hikes from the road will take you to Corona Arch (3-mile roundtrip; keep the rope swing at home), dinosaur tracks, and petroglyphs.

Guardrails around here are rare — don’t let the views steal your eyes from the road and Thelma-and-Louise you into the abyss.

Michael J. Bailey