Moab, Utah
Location: Eastern Utah
Best time to visit: Spring or Fall (60 to 80 degrees)
Trip duration: You could do the highlights over a 3 or 4-day weekend, but there’s enough to easily keep you busy for a full week (or more if you want to do some serious hiking).
Couples or Kids? Either! If your kids are older and can hike, bring them! If you want to pick up the pace and do some longer, more intense adventuring then Moab would make a great couples’ outdoorsy/athletic get-away.
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The Vibe
This is the home of Arches National Park, Dead Horse State Park (40 minutes) and Canyonlands National Park (40 minutes). Think deep Colorado river-carved canyons, red rock arches, and daily hikes all centered around a cute, western town ready for people who love the outdoors.
The whole town is built upon the local hiking, biking, and off-road exploring culture. I love it because dirty hiking boots and fitness gear are the norm in most establishments. You don’t have to ‘dress up’ to eat lunch (or dinner, really), which is a plus because there is so much amazing scenery that you’re probably between hikes anyway.
Lunch dress code (feet of the people in front of me)
If Moab ever was a secret, the secret is out. We were there in mid-May and Arches National Park was already turning people away by 10 am because the park was at capacity (you could come a few hours later and get in, but if you want a full day I recommend getting to the gate by 8 am). If you can, hit it in early spring or late fall to thin out the crowds. If you go in the summer, just get your butt out of bed early because temps reach into the 100s and that doesn’t slow down the crowds!
Delicate Arch
Parenting tip: If you’re coming from the East coast, keep the kids on your East Coast sleep schedule and you’ll be out of bed two hours before everyone else. Get to the park early and catch the sunrises!
Activities in Moab:
Hiking Arches, Canyonlands, and Dead Horse State Park
Arches National Park:
There are many trails - I recommend downloading the All Trails app to make the most of the area - but here are some of the most popular hikes:
Delicate Arch - this is the iconic arch that is on Utah’s license plates and one of the most popular hikes in the park. It’s about 3 miles roundtrip and the majority is on big, open slickrock (not slick, actually very grippy). The last portion is flat, but has a steep drop off, so carry little tikes during that portion.
Landscape Arch - easy, less than 2 miles roundtrip.
Double Arch - two arches for the price of one! Easy 0.5 mile round trip hike.
Fiery Furnace - for those seeking adventure! No marked trails, just lots of fins and domes. Obtain a permit and explore on your own or schedule a guided hike with a ranger. (We ran out of time for this one - next visit!)
We got to Delicate Arch around 5 pm and the lighting was pretty great.
Canyonlands National Park:
Canyonlands is a vast expanse of canyons, mesas, buttes, fins, arches and spires. In other words, it’s a great place to teach your kids about landforms! The park is divided into three sections: Island in the Sky (northern), The Needles (southeastern) and The Maze (western, and difficult to access). Island in the Sky is closest to Moab, so for time sake that’s where we explored.
**There is no lodging in Canyonlands other than camping.
Whale Rock Trail - a fun, quick scramble up the side of a HUGE slab of sandstone (looks like a beached whale) for some amazing views. I wouldn’t attempt it with kids under four (unless they are in a carrier), or for people who have a fear of heights.
Hiking the top of Whale Rock
Mesa Arch Trail - a quick 0.5 mile round trip hike to see a beautiful arch.
Drive the Shafer Trail - do NOT do this if you 1. Have a fear of heights and 2. Aren’t in an all-terrain or SUV. It is a steep series of switchbacks that afford amazing views - if you’re not too scared to look! My husband loved it, and I listened to a funny podcast and stared straight ahead through the majority of the switchbacks.
***Tip: If you do go and you’re feeling stressed, get out and walk behind your vehicle for a little while. It is a tiny road, but a BIG walking path.
Shafer Drive - it took us about 2.5 to 3 hrs to drive it out to Moab
Dead Horse State Park
Dead Horse State Park is located just east of Canyonlands and is definitely worth the stop. It has less tourists (for now anyway), but packs just as big of a punch.
View from West Rim Trail (near Meander Lookout)
West Rim Trail - start at Dead Horse Point Overlook and end at Meandar Overlook for some jaw-dropping views of the canyon and the Colorado River below. It’s a primitive trail, so you have to keep your eye out for markers. We made our own path along the rim for a while, and then took the marked trail back (which was further away from the edge). It took us about 1 hr. round trip.
In addition to all of the rim trail hikes, for a longer visit look into:
Mountain biking - check out the Intrepid Trail System for miles of mountain biking
Sleeping in a Yurt & enjoying the night sky: Wingate Yurts (newer) or Moenkopi Yurts (near the Intrepid Trail System)
West Rim Trail
Accommodations in Moab
We rented this Airbnb just south of town, but there are plenty of hotels along the main street in Moab. Honestly, this was one area where we didn’t stress too much about having beautiful accommodations because our stay was short and we wanted to spend most of our time outside hiking and exploring.
Our condo about 10 minutes south of town - with access to a community pool!
For the kids:
Moab Rock Shop - if anyone in your family loves rocks and fossils, they are going to LOVE this store. From megalodon teeth to ammonites to dinosaur fossils, this place has quite the collection!
Moab Giants - Ok, honest review here. I saw under trained staff and technical glitches and my kids saw cool life-size dinosaurs. If you have a dino fan in the group…go. If you’re short on time, skip it.
Jurassic Park?!
Potash Petroglyphs & Dinosaur Tracks - this is a short, utterly baffling trail (look for green markers) up the side of a hill to check out actual dinosaur tracks and see Petroglyphs up close. If you see another person, just ask them the way because it’s definitely not clearly marked. But...dino tracks! (Route your GPS to the Poison Spider Trailhead, which is where you will park and access the short trail).
Real dinosaur tracks!
Petroglyphs that you can see up close!
Food:
Love Muffin - popular place, but you can order online and grab your food on the way to the trail. My oldest had a BBQ kimchi burrito that he loved.
Doughbird - it’s the place with the line out the door. Grab some doughnuts in the morning or their fried chicken sandwich in the afternoon.
Plus, two vegan options!
Sultan Medditerranean Grill - loved the Hot Cauli (cauliflower app) here and the Baba ghanoush! Service was slow and they were busy, so expect “leisurely” dining or get take out.
Moab Kitchen - calling all hippies! It’s a completely plant-based menu served out of a food truck that is parked on its own lot. Our breakfast burritos and smoothies were healthful and delicious. No prices, just make a donation.
Vegan breakfast of scrambled tofu and tempeh “bacon” with potatoes.
If you have more time...
Goblin Valley State Park (1.5 hrs from Moab)
If you have extra time or are heading west to visit Utah’s other National Parks, definitely stop here. Valley of the Goblins is where your kids can roam free, climb mini hoodoos and just be wild and explore.
It’s also one of the darkest night skies on earth. This certified dark sky park is said to offer unparalleled views of the Milky Way. There is a 24-site campground and two yurts.
Goblin Valley
In summary…
Moab is an outdoor lover's paradise. This is not the place you visit when you want to relax and have a cocktail by the pool. It’s where you wake early to catch a sunrise over the canyon, siesta in town for food that you genuinely feel you just earned, and then head back out in the ‘glowy’ light of the late afternoon for a view of an awe-inspiring arch. It’s a trip of accomplishment and a deeper connection to nature…and your pants may still fit when you get home.
Happy Hiker!