Driving through Utah’s remote Nine Mile Canyon, a thought came to mind: This is what Disneyland for adults should be like.

Geographic and geological beauty is everywhere; ancient Native American rock art abounds; there are no tourists or anyone around for most of the drive, and there’s a sense of fright with no cell phone reception, no gas stations, no retail shops or services for several hours.

Nine Mile Canyon, located about 125 miles southeast of Salt Lake City in Carbon County, is relatively unknown. Before leaving Salt Lake, I asked locals about Nine Mile Canyon, and none had ever heard of it. It’s also misnamed, because it’s 46 miles long.

A paved road with numerous dips leads through the canyon, starting in Wellington City, a mining and farming community with about 1,600 residents. To my surprise, after an hour or so of driving and sightseeing through the canyon, I had to drive on a narrow, bumpy, rickety dirt road with switchbacks for about six miles up Gate Canyon to reach Myton en route back to Salt Lake. This stretch of dirt road should likely be avoided in rainy conditions or by jittery motorists unnerved by desolate terrain in America’s West.

But, otherwise, Nine Mile Canyon is certainly worth the drive—a thrilling high-desert landscape full of history to enjoy on your own.

“Renowned worldwide as the world's longest outdoor art gallery, Nine Mile Canyon stands as a testament to Utah's rich cultural and historical legacy,” declares the online Carbon County Nine Mile Canyon guide. “The 46-mile-long Nine Mile Canyon Road takes you on a scenic journey into the heart of the Book Cliffs, unveiling thousands of years of history and human expression.”

A mountain range resembling a shelf of books extends 250 miles from outside Price—a city with roughly 8,200 residents 11 miles northwest of Nine Mile Canyon—to an area north of Grand Junction, Colorado. The range, according to Britannica, is “the longest continuous escarpment in the world.”

Nine Mile Canyon is one of many steep and rugged canyons in the Book Cliffs. It contains magnificent sandstone buttes and pinyon-juniper filled arroyos, but its most rare, unique features are petroglyphs and pictographs, commonly called rock art, that are more than 1,000 years old.

Petroglyphs, according to the National Park Service, were created by carving, engraving or scratching the rock’s surface to reveal the lighter layers beneath. Pictographs are images and designs made by painting on rocks or in caves.

“Marvel at the ancient rock carvings and paintings left behind by the Fremont and Ute people,” Carbon County’s website says. “These images offer a fascinating look into the lives and beliefs of the canyon's early inhabitants. From hunting scenes to spiritual symbolism, these images tell the stories of the people who once called Nine Mile Canyon home.”

According to the travel website WereInThe Rockies, there are more than 1,000 rock art panels and more than 10,000 images created by the Native Americans who once lived in Nine Mile Canyon. Those numbers make Nine Mile Canyon “the densest collection of rock art in the world,” the website says.

I noticed only three sites that have signs instructing visitors to stop and view the artwork during my early-February journey through the canyon. And—maybe it was the late-afternoon lighting—I couldn’t locate any artwork at one site. I also was in a rush, because evening darkness was approaching. Visitors should allow plenty of daylight hours to find and view the artwork, including some petroglyphs and pictographs that can only be viewed after a short walk.

Must-see locations, according to Carbon County, include the Big Buffalo Panel, Cottonwood Glen and the historic homestead at the entrance of the canyon.

The county recommends downloading a guided audio tour to listen to while driving through the canyon. Guided tours are also available by contacting the Carbon County Recreation Office.

The petroglyphs and rock art are not protected in any way. They are an important part of North American history—not to be touched or defaced.