As Utah’s only major city on the eastern side of the state, Moab is surrounded by some of the most uniquely beautiful destinations in the American Southwest. This place is the mother-of-all-boondock towns due to its isolation. Its backyard wilderness consists of tons of opportunity for exploration and recreation. Its beauty will make you feel like you have both gone back in time and sprung into a world of space travel where we are able to visit another planet.
This small western city is nestled in between Arches and Canyonlands, two major US national parks. It is surrounded on all sides by camping, hiking, and backroads. The Colorado River runs right through Moab, which gives life to this thirsty desert destination. Many of its famous landmarks can potentially be enjoyed at no extra cost to you, depending on what you bring to the table.
When to go and how long
The desert can be blazing hot in the summertime, but it seems it is still the most popular most likely due to school not being in session. I would not recommend strenuous activity (like long hikes) on the hottest days unless you embark before or around sunrise. May and June are definitely preferable to July and August. I would argue that spring and fall are far more enjoyable in general because temps are mild, and for the most part much of the town remains open. Many businesses in Moab do not operate during the winter. It does get pretty chilly, but the area rarely sees snow. In fact, it doesn’t get much precipitation at all during any time during the year outside of its summer monsoon season. Beware of flash floods.
There is little vegetation in the area, so seasonal changes to the landscape are minimal but still very noticeable, especially near the river.
Moab is a wild west lover’s wet dream, so if this is you, you could absolutely dedicate several days to both of the national parks, and even more time for exploring other spots around the area. There is at least a week’s worth of stuff to do for a lover of hiking, biking, off-roading, or climbing. A long weekend would make a perfect starter trip to the region, and Moab could be the perfect place to call home base for your adventure.
Major cities nearest to Moab include Salt Lake City (3.5 hours drive to the northwest) and Grand Junction, Colorado (just under 2 hours to the northeast).
Where to stay
Most people will either stay at a hotel in town or at some of the campsites in the area. All three of the nearby parks have campsites available to be reserved ahead of your trip. Free camping can be tough to find depending on the season, but many options are available outside the main city. There is otherwise dozens of other campgrounds (with basic facilities) located around the area a short drive outside the city, especially all along the river.
Moab has a wide array of lodging options, from pricy resorts and cute inns to modern hotels and your average motel. There’s a lot of options for food and shopping in town, and some private tour companies may even pick you up directly from your hotel lobby if booked in advance. About an hour to the northwest in the town of Green River you may find less expensive hotel options, but it is currently a much smaller and less touristy place.
How to get around
It is possible to fly in from a couple nearby cities to the Canyonlands Regional Airport, and you can rent a car or jeep in the city of Moab, but you will have to pay for a taxi or shuttle service to get there once you land. There is also a shuttle bus that will take you here from some major cities which will take much more time, but will save you money. I found this page on the Utah website that may be able to offer other forms of private transportation.
To make the most of your adventure in this area, you will need a car. Downtown is mostly walkable for shopping and restaurants, but the city is otherwise too expansive for walking the whole thing. No public transportation at all exists between mid-October and mid-March, but during the warmer part of the seasons, they are now experimenting with a free shuttle service to get around Moab (this is a pilot program, so it is currently unclear if it will hold or change over time). With so many unknowns and hoops you will have to jump through to get a ride around here, I would not recommend anything other than having your own vehicle.
Money
The city itself is not cheap, but many activities don’t have to cost you anything (they’re either free or have reasonable admission to get in). Any lodging in town is likely going to cost you well over $100. Food may be on the pricier side, but there are a lot of options. Because of its climate and remoteness, mostly everything is imported from outside Moab by truck and train.
Camping is very popular around here, and will definitely help keep your costs low if you already have the equipment you need to survive with the basic facilities offered at various campgrounds. Check the availability of specific campgrounds on their individual websites.
By staying in the town of Green River, you might be able to save a little bit of money on your hotel, but you will be commuting an extra half hour to any of the parks which will also cost you additional funds on gas. Green River is about an hour total to Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point, and about 45 minutes to Arches.
Arches National Park
This is where the Delicate Arch is located (the famous one found on Utah’s license plates!). The entrance to the main park is located a quick ten minute drive from the city of Moab. Reservations may be required, but they are not necessary if you go during less busy times of the year.
My comprehensive blog post about Arches National Park can be found here.
Canyonlands National Park
A cousin to the infamous Grand Canyon, this impressive gaping slice through the red desert captivates visitors with its otherworldly views, and a highlight of visiting the park are all of the viewpoints and pullouts. It is about half an hour to drive to this park from Moab, and the drive along the Island in the Sky Road is deliciously scenic. Bring your own lunch and snacks though!
My detailed blog post about Canyonlands National Park can be found linked here.
Dead Horse Point State Park
Many years ago, some old cowboys trapped a bunch of wild horses out on the tippy top of this canyon plateau. After choosing their favorite ones to ride off on, they left the unchosen horses barricaded here, trapped without food and water, leaving them to die. At some point, the skeletons of the deceased horses were found, and this place got its name. Or so the story goes… but who really knows. It’s an old legend, but apparently the ghosts of those horses haunt the area to this day… You can learn more about the horrific history that explains how this place got its name at the small interactive museum.
This sky peninsula makes a great place for camping and is located on the way to Canyonlands. It is all about the viewpoints, especially during sunrise. This could also make a great spot to relax and hang out for a couple hours until sunset. There are a couple large parking areas you can just drive to, park, and check out the major viewpoints; or you can wander by foot around the entire (mostly flat) 8-mile loop, complete with trail markings, which follows the edge of the peninsula to all of the major viewpoints along the eastern and western rims. To walk to all of them would take a half-day, but you could really just check out a couple views, enjoy your picnic lunch, and get a feel for the place if walking eight miles is not your idea of a good time. The option to bike around the area is very popular, and you can sign up for a private tour if you like.
A few shaded picnic tables are available for your enjoyment. There is also a gift shop and a nature trail around the building, but you won’t really find any food here. Bring your own snacks (or breakfast/lunch/dinner if you’re camping!) and plenty of water, especially when it’s hot out. Water is available at the visitor center. Campgrounds are stated on their website to include “modern amenities.” Check out the official website for more information and camping reservations. The whole park is dog-friendly.
What to do
Inside the city, you will find a variety of restaurants of all different cuisines. I would recommend barbecue or Mexican food, or a local brewery. It is primarily small businesses, but there are a few chain restaurants and some fast food options. The streets in the downtown area are lined with souvenir shops, as well as plenty of outdoor-related retail stores. The Moab Information Center is a great place to start if you haven’t booked anything prior to your arrival or you just want to see what’s available around town.
Moab culture is very quirky and artsy, and there are some big annual events held here. The city has more information about those specific events on their website. You can also check out the Moab Museum (closed Sundays and Mondays) to learn all about its indigenous roots that go back thousands of years, and all over the area you can find petroglyphs and rock art on canyon walls. These lands were roamed by dinosaurs long before any of us, and there are several locations dedicated to this natural history in the area such as Moab Giants (closed Wednesdays), which is on the road to Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point, as well as at the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Track Site.
The Hole in the Rock is a famous spot (about 15 minutes south of the main part of the city) where you can walk inside a home that was built into the red cliffs. The story is that one hard-working family basically carved the whole thing out by themselves and opened a diner here during Moab’s Uranium boom in the mid-1900s. It is complete with a sculpture of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s head on the exterior of the rock. There is also a general store, petting zoo and souvenir shop. Is it a tourist trap? You tell me.
Extreme outdoor sports like off-roading, mountain biking, rock climbing, and more are extremely common around here, and may be its primary draw to the area. I recommend consulting the staff at the welcome center to find the specific activity that fits your needs from the local vendors if you didn’t do your research in advance. Otherwise you can search for all kinds of tours on the internet. There is a groomed bike path with parking and access from Lions Park for more leisurely rides.
On a really hot day, anything involving water makes for a great activity. Various tour companies offer river rafting adventures through the rapids during the warmer parts of the year, and kayaking and paddle boarding are also available in the calmer parts of the local river. (Equipment is usually available to rent from various vendors in town if you don’t have your own.) If you just want to stay cool without the physical activity, you can take a boat tour or relax on the beaches along the river, which is accessible from the access road that branches off behind Lions Park or from Potash Road. Both of these areas are packed with hiking trails and campsites.
There are also tons of great solo landmarks to hike to outside of the National and State Parks, varying from arches and canyon views to petroglyphs and unique rocks. This is a list of destinations that stand on their own within a 30 minutes drive of Moab, good luck picking one!!! It will take me forever to get to all of them, but in the event you can’t get a reservation for Arches National Park or don’t have a whole day to spend out in Canyonlands National Park, you have plenty of other options for places to check out close to town. Most of these trailheads are easy to access, but a few may be down dirt roads that require a higher clearance vehicle. Do your due diligence when researching the specific trails online or on a map BEFORE you go because cell phone reception can be very spotty outside the city.
- Corona Arch
- Bowtie Arch
- Pinto Arch
- Jeep Arch
- Jug Handle Arch
- Morning Glory Arch
- Porcupine Rim
- Faux Falls
- Moab Rim Arch
- Picture Frame Arch
- Jerome Arch
- Wilson Arch
- Elvis Rock
- Window Arch
- Anticline Overlook
- Catacomb Rocks
- Wine Glass Arch
- Little Bridge Natural Arch
- Longbow Arch
- Birthing Scene Petroglyph
- Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs
- Courthouse Wash Rock Art
- Updraft Arch
- Arrowhead Arch
- Dome Plateau Overlook
- Top of the World
- Fisher Towers
And so many more… take your pick. There are too many landmarks in this region, and you’ll have to find them on your own… 😉 (On the bright side, many arches look alike, so it’s not really necessary to go to all of them anyway.)
There is a lot to love about this place, and regardless of what time of year you visit, there is plenty to do. It’s all about nature, just turn your head in any direction and you’ll see something new. I can’t get enough of Moab, it’s one giant playground. If you do ever travel here (or to any other spot Mother Nature has allowed us to play), please respect it. #leavenotrace
Have you been to the general Moab area before? What did you think? Do you have any spots you would recommend? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy traveling! 😊
Laura the explora: the blog 
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