Moab, Utah is such a beautiful place, surrounded by red rock cliffs and located along the banks of the Colorado River.
I live in Salt Lake City, which is about a 4 hour drive from Moab. I have been traveling to Moab for over 20 years and have seen it go from a small resort town to a much bigger resort town.
Popular activities in this area are hiking and off-roading. The annual Jeep Safari is held annually in the spring. Tons of people flock to Moab to take their supped up Jeeps off-roading on the red rocks and trails that surround the area.
The other big draw to this area is that it has not one but two national parks within driving distance of town. Arches National Park is arguably the most popular national park. It is located just outside of town. The park operates on time slots for entry due to its popularity.
There are a bunch of hikes within Arches Park. Note: Dogs are not allowed on trails within the park. Dogs are only allowed on the paved sections of the park and in the parking lots. Remember it gets really hot, so don’t bring your dog and leave them in the car!
The most popular trail in Arches has got to be Delicate Arch. This is a 3.2 mile out and back trail that is moderately strenuous. It leads to Delicate Arch which is probably the most photographed arch in the park. Try to get here as early in the morning as possible for the best photo ops.
The second national park near Moab is Canyonlands.
Canyonlands National Park is located about 30 minutes outside of Moab, and also offers some great hikes. Unlike Arches, Canyonlands offers vast vista views with jaw dropping cliffsides.
The area of the park closest to Moab is called Island In the Sky district and has multiple trails to pick from. I like hiking along the edge of the rim, despite my crippling fear of heights.
Most trails in the park are moderately challenging. AllTrails app lists out the hikes and gives good information on the difficulty level and elevation gained on each hike. Remember that Moab gets really, really hot during the summer months, so plan to hike early in the morning.
I usually go to Moab in the spring or the fall, with spring being the busier season. Fall is calmer and has mild temperatures, with accommodations being priced a bit cheaper than spring time.
Check out my Moab post here for more information on accommodations and food options in town.
If you are interested in visiting a winery while in town, you are in luck. Spanish Valley Vineyards offers wine tastings, and the wines are pretty good. Moab has a nice microclimate for growing wine grapes. It is hot and dry during the day and because it is a desert, and near the Colorado river, it cools down quite a bit at night. This offers an ideal climate for growing grapes.
They offer tastings daily during the spring-fall months, if you are visiting during the winter season, check their website for opening hours.
After a day of hiking the parks, take a stroll down main street. Main street runs the length of town and is packed with shops, restaurants and accommodations. It is easily walkable.
For pizza, try Zax’s, they offer outdoor patio seating with misters in to cool you off during the hot summer months. They offer pizza, salads, pasta and a few steak options. There are plenty of vegetarian options here as well. Luckily Moab is pretty vegan and vegetarian friendly, with plenty of healthy food options in town.
If you like Neapolitan style pizza, try Antica Forma. They have killer thin crust pizzas. They use fresh mozzarella on top of their pizza, expect traditional italian toppings. They also have a good assortment of salads on offer, I like the pear and gorgonzola salad with balsamic dressing.
If you would like to try something a bit different to eat try Hidden Cuisine. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. They have some South African dinner options that are delicious. The bobotie is a South African version of meatloaf, that is really yummy and is served with yellow rice and a fruit chutney. This restaurant is located a few minutes outside of the main drag of downtown Moab. Head towards the Moab golf course to get here.
Golfing can be fun in Moab, and if you aren’t into traditional golfing, try frisbee golfing. Which is where you toss a frisbee into a cage like “hole”. Super fun and easier for beginners than traditional golf.
If you are looking for a short and easy hike with a waterfall, check out Ken’s lake. This manmade lake just outside of town also offers camping, and you can raft on the lake if you are so inclined.
If you are interested in camping in Moab, try out Sun Outdoors RV Resort. They offer tent sites with shade, RV sites and small cabins for rent. They also have a pool to cool off in after your day of hiking and jeeping.
Because we live in SLC, we often tow our trailer down to Moab. However we typically camp on BLM land. BLM land is public land, and you can camp on it for free. Because Moab is surrounded by national parks and protected land, there are some restrictions on camping on BLM land near Moab. For more information on where you can boondock near Moab, check out the BLM website.
Remember if you are camping on BLM land there are usually minimal facilities, so you will need to pack everything with you and remember to leave no trace. You will have to pack out all your trash, and there isn’t power or water hookups. We want to make sure that these lands are kept open and free for years to come, so always clean up after yourself, and be courteous of other campers in the area.
I hope this give you some good ideas for your trip to Moab. Check out my other Moab post here, and if you are from the Salt Lake Area, check out my dog friendly SLC post here.
-Beck
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