Moab, Utah is considered one of the best outdoor adventure towns in America.
Outdoor Moab adventures include mountain biking, rock climbing, hiking, river rafting, off roading in Jeeps and ATVs and exploring the Utah National and State Parks in the area.
If you’re traveling with kids, there are many things to do like hiking, biking, junior ranger programs, and discovering dinosaurs! Moab is the perfect destination for outdoor family fun.
We visit Moab several times a year and have written this guide to help you plan your vacation:
• What to pack for a Moab vacation
• Best time to visit Moab
• Where to stay in Moab
• How to get to Moab
• Best things to do in Moab
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WHAT TO PACK FOR A TRIP TO MOAB
To make your trip to Moab, Utah as successful as possible, it’s essential to be prepared and pack for the weather that you’ll likely encounter while exploring the area.
1. Hiking Shoes: Avoid injury from improper footwear. Wear sturdy shoes with ample tread.
2. Darn Tough Socks: Seriously, these are the BEST socks ever. They help prevent blisters, keep your feet dry, and last forever.
→ Check out our favorite socks!
3. Water: Due to the high desert and altitude in Southeastern Utah, you should drink at least one gallon of water per day, and always carry water with you during all hiking activities.
→ Check out our hydration packs and hydroflask bottles we carry in our camera backpack.
4. Food: Pack and eat plenty of healthy snacks and food. There may be NO services on the trails you’ll hike or drive.
→ Check out the healthy snacks and food we pack.
5. Lip Balm and Lotion: Utah’s high elevation and dry air can be hard on your skin. You’ll want to carry lip balm with sunscreen and hydrating lotion to apply as needed when you’re out exploring the trails.
Clothing for Moab Outdoor Activities
Summer in Moab: Soaring temperatures, unrelenting sunlight, and low humidity. To keep cool, wear light colored, loose fitting clothing that does not absorb sunlight. Also avoid sun burn by wearing a wide brimmed hat and by generously applying sunscreen to any parts of your body that are exposed to the sun.
→ Pack sunscreen for summer or winter.
Winter in Moab: Wear the right clothing to stay dry and warm. You can also become dehydrated in the cold as it is in the heat. It’s important to carry plenty of water during the winter, and not just during the summer.
National Parks Pass
If you’ll be exploring Arches and Canyonlands National Park:
→ Pack your The America the Beautiful Annual Pass.
Other items to pack for Moab outdoor adventures:
PLAN YOUR MOAB VACATION
Best Time To Visit Moab
Spring and fall are the peak times to visit Moab since the temperatures are more mild. During the summer temperatures can average 105 degrees. Even with the heat, summer can be a busy time.
During the winter there are days you could wear a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, or you’ll need to be bundled in layers depending on the weather. The off-season prices and fewer crowds make winter a terrific time to visit Moab.
Where To Stay in Moab
There are all types of lodging in and near Moab: hotels, resorts, vacation rentals, budget-friendly accommodations, campgrounds and RV parks.
Since there only campgrounds in Arches or Canyonlands, so most people stay in Moab. The town also has a variety of restaurants and places to shop.
People often ask us: “Where should we stay in Moab“? We visit Moab multiple times each year so Dave and I wrote a guide to help you find the best Moab lodging as you plan your trip.
How To Get to Moab, Utah
There are 3 ways to get to Moab: via Salt Lake City, Utah; Grand Junction, Colorado or Las Vegas, Nevada.
MOAB OUTDOOR ADVENTURES: BEST THINGS TO DO
Arches National Park Near Moab
Arches National Park is best known for the iconic Delicate Arch. The park showcases a collection of 2,000 arches, slender spires, and spectacular hikes.
People of all ages and abilities can see and explore the park. Many formations can be seen from the scenic roads and parking lots.
Moab outdoor adventures include exploring Arches National Park
Arches National Park hiking trails are perfect for the avid hiker, causal visitor and families traveling with kids. There are numerous easy hikes for families with children. The more advanced hiker will find difficult and primitive trails like Devil’s Garden which lead to serenity away from the crowds.
For the best experience and photography in Arches National Park, visit early or late in the day as the colors are more vibrant, crowds are lighter, and it allows you to avoid the heat of the mid-summer day. Or plan a trip to Arches in the winter and avoid the crowds.
Tips for Visiting Arches National Park
Expert’s Guide to Arches National Park Photography
Arches National Park Hiking Trails
Canyonlands National Park Close to Moab
Canyonlands is a much larger park than Arches. It provides opportunities for day hiking, backpacking, mountain biking and driving off road.
Canyonlands is split into four distinct “districts.” Island in the Sky is closest to Moab and the most visited.
Watch the sunrise at Canyonlands near Moab, Utah.
There are many things to do at Island in the Sky like hike to Mesa Arch, drive the Schaeffer Switchbacks and photograph the many awe-inspiring viewpoints 2,000 feet above the Colorado River.
The Needles distrcit is about an hour south of Moab. The various things to do at Canyonlands Needles include hiking, backpacking, driving 4×4 roads and photographing the unique sandstone rock formations.
The other two districts are the Maze which is remote and rugged and the Green and Colorado Rivers that offer rafting and paddling adventures.
Tips for Visiting Canyonlands National Park
Things to Do at Canyonlands Island in the Sky
Things to Do at The Needles Canyonlands National Park
Dead Horse Point State Park is a Moab Must-See
Dead Horse Point State Park provides breathtaking desert landscapes as well as dramatic panoramic vistas of Canyonlands National Park and the Colorado River.
Dead Horse Point is a must-visit location near Moab.
Named after a natural corral by cowboys in the 19th century, Dead Horse Point rests 2,000 feet above a gooseneck in the Colorado River. It is famous for being featured in the final ‘Grand Canyon’ scene of the 1991 film Thelma & Louise.
There are a variety of things to do at Dead Horse Point State Park like hike, bike, camp, and photograph the epic views!
Hiking Trails in Moab
Some of the best hikes in Moab are in the National and State Park boundaries. But there are also countless other hikes in the Moab area to explore.
The Corona Arch hiking trail near Moab is one of the best!
The Corona Arch Trail often gets overlooked. This 1.5-mile trail wanders over a Slickrock landscape and is marked with cairns that make it easy to follow. The trail gains 440 feet in elevation, most of it coming on a few short, steep scrambles equipped with steel cables (a trail version of handrails) for support.
The trail leads to various attractions, including the Corona Arch, Bow Tie Arch, beautiful views of the Colorado River, and a vast slick rock canyon. The trail is suitable for all ages and levels of hiker and is best hiked in the early morning or early evening due to the lack of shade.
Off Road Jeep or ATV Adventures Around Moab
The most famous 4×4 trail in Moab is Hell’s Revenge. It’s known for its high steep climbs, heart-pounding descents and beautiful views of the La Sal Mountains and Negro Bill Canyon.
The most spectacular view is from the overlook where you’re high above the Colorado River.
Moab has world-famous offroad 4×4 trails.
Feeling a little on the adventurous side? Take a Drive Along Tour where you get behind the wheel of a Jeep, and under the watchful eye of an experienced guide, follow their vehicle along this trail.
You may also opt for the Ride Along Tour where the guide does the driving and you simply enjoy the ride.
We have used and recommend Outlaw Jeep Tours.
Moab Scenic Byway: Potash Road
Your Moab itinerary should include driving the Potash Road, a Scenic Byway where you can see great views of the Colorado River, ancient rock art, and dinosaur tracks.
Begin the drive in the late afternoon so you can enjoy the spectacular color on the red sandstone cliffs on the return to Moab as the sun sets. The scenic byway is approximately two hours for the 34 -mile round-trip drive to Jug Handle Arch and back to Moab.
Reflection of red rocks in the Colorado River along Potash Road in Moab.
Potash Road begins about 4 miles north of Moab, where it turns off of Highway 191. The road first enters the deep gorge of the Colorado River. A few miles farther look for rock climbers on the cliffs which locals refer to as Wall Street.
Just beyond this, you can admire the petroglyphs that are signed with pull-offs. Further down the road is the “Dinosaur Tracks” turnout, where you can see a series of three-toed dinosaur tracks. READ to find more dinosaur tracks in the area.
The final attraction on the road is Jug Handle Arch. Beyond this, the canyon widens and the sheer cliffs below Dead Horse Point State Park are visible in the distance.
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Stargazing Moab’s Dark Skies
As cities around the world grow bigger and brighter, the night sky becomes dimmed by light pollution. Stargazing has become a tourist attraction at many Dark Sky locations around the world.
Milky Way over fins in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah
Moab, Arches, Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point are all internationally recognized as the best places for viewing stars and photographing the Milky Way due to their remote locations, altitude, and clear skies.
The slogan “Half the Park is After Dark” encourages visiting these National Parks in Utah at night and simply LOOK UP!
River Rafting Adventures in Moab
Rafting the mighty Colorado River you can experience a wonderful stretch of whitewater and famous red rock canyons.
You can enjoy this fun Moab adventure no matter how much time you have — from half-day and full-day rafting trips to multi-day rafting trips. Moab rafting trips are perfect for families or groups of friends.
There are calm sections of the Colorado River right outside Moab that are great for stand up paddleboarding.
TRY IT! A white water rafting adventure.
CLICK TO PIN THIS FOR LATER
Moab looks so exciting. Wow. The pictures and the landscape got me hooked. I would love to explore the National parks and that stargazing would be fun. This is definitely going to be on my list whenever I visit America.
I haven’t been to Moab and Utah and didn’t realise that there were so many places to see. I have always wanted to go to the Horseshoe bend. Now I have added the Arches park and others as well. Love the photograph of the milky way and it must have been awesome shooting it.
I love Utah but have never been to Moab! It looks like the kind of place my husband would love! Definitely bookmarking this for our next trip out there!
I’m going to Utah this spring for the first time, so nice to know that is a good time of year to visit Moab. Your pictures are really amazing. For me the stargazing photo is the most impressive. I am from New York City, so I almost never get to see incredible stars like that.
Spring is an amazing time to visit Utah. Definitely take the time to look at the stars at night while you are Moab. It’s amazing!!
OH MY GOSH. TY TY TY.
RURAL OH SENIORS ARE GRATEFUL FIR YOUR HELPFUL INFO!!!!
MOAB. HERE WE COME.
SUMMER 2020.
You’ll have so much fun! Let us know if you have any questions.
Wow! Moab looks stunningly beautiful and your super amazing pictures perfectly justify the beauty of the place. The views are simply breathtaking! I love the one at Canyonlands and the Dead Horse Point. But most of all, stargazing is something that has attracted me the most. Hope to venture through these National Parks some day and photograph the Milky Way. 🙂
Photographing the Milky Way is a bucket list think I hope you get to do one day!
Utah is probably the first ‘unusual’ place that I had heard of in USA (i.e something other than Washington, California etc). A decade ago, when there were hardly any blogs, there was a couple with a dog living in and blogging about Utah! Now I don’t even remember that blog’s name!!!! So yeah, Utah is always special to me… 🙂 🙂 🙂
Stargazing and the Arches National park would be the top things for me to do of this list. How did you click that pic of night sky? I always mess up!
We always shoot the Milky Way with focus set on infinity, full blown aperture and you’ll want a really fast lens like 1.8 and usually run between 1600 and 2400 ISO and 20 second exposure. Every camera will be a bit different. We use Nikon. Hope this helps!
And a VERY STURDY TRIPOD!
Looks like a fantastic place and your photos are so beautiful, they make me want to go there right now! Taking notes… 🙂
Thanks – Moab offers so much variety that anyone can find things to do!
This is an excellent post, and very adventurous too! Moab is completely new to me, but your photos are inspiring me to visit one day. I’m not a hiker, but I’d give it a go just to see those stunning arches and landscape. Will also have a go taking photos!
There are many easy ‘walks’ to see some of the arches so you would do fine. It’s an amazing place!
These photos are completely stunning! my brother went here during the Fall and he loved it, makes me want to go too!
Thank you Kristen. Being a photographer, you would love Moab – so many amazing things to photograph!
I’m hoping to plan a road trip here this summer. Pinning this for reference. Thank you so much!!
You will have so much fun!