5 Days in Moab, Utah
Enjoy solitude and adventure in Moab, Utah with this five-day sightseer’s itinerary and helpful notes.
Moab, Utah has so much to offer. From Arches National Park, to Canyonlands National Park, to the La Sal mountain range, dinosaur fossils, and everything in between, you will find areas of solitude and areas of adventure here. Depending on the time of year, you can go from the dusty desert, to the pool, to the snowy La Sal mountains in a single day. It is truly an adventurer’s paradise. Our family of four with elementary schoolers found some great hikes and activities everyone enjoyed.
A Few Notes
- Timed Entry: We were there in early April 2022 before Arches National Park required timed entry. Between April 3 — October 3, 2022 the park requires you to make a reservation. It’s worth it.
- Other Parks: Aside from Arches National Park, we visited Canyonlands National Park (about one hour away). You can also make a larger trip by going to Bryce, Zion, and other parks a few hours away (if I were doing that I’d book several different lodging spots instead of having our hub in Moab like we did this time).
- Popular Events: We were there before Easter Jeep Safari — the busiest time of year, according to locals, when a normally 15-minute drive can take 2.5 hours. Trails in the parks were manageable, though we saw plenty of hikers. We found the trails outside the parks relatively empty, but a local told me if you come in the offseason you can be virtually alone.
- Lodging & Food: We rented an Airbnb about 10 minutes south of town and it was perfect for our family. We cooked about half the time and went out for dinner about half the time. We packed lunches (and hand sanitizer) to bring on hikes since the parks nearby have no restaurant services. In the town of Moab we ate at the Moab Brewery, Moab Diner, Zax, and Fiesta Mexicana (YUM!). There is also a downtown food truck park and lots of restaurant options in town!
- Transportation: I didn’t see any public transportation (or maybe I wasn’t paying attention). We rented a car and drove four hours from Salt Lake City. It was a dynamic, beautiful drive. Ubers are sparse (if available at all), so plan accordingly. Conveniently, the town of Moab itself is small and easily walkable if you stay in a nearby hotel.
- Navigation & Trail Discovery: I use AllTrails, a mobile app you can download on your smartphone to find trails you might want to hike, according to your needs and preferences. This was helpful in finding some local spots outside the national parks.
- Hiking with Kids: We found plenty of hikes to interest our entire family (including our 7- and 10-year-olds). Depending on your risk tolerance and kids’ ages, you may be less thrilled with some of the heights and steep drops on certain trails. I’ll call them out below. Rest assured, there’s something for everyone.
Day 1 — Arches National Park
We spent the first day visiting our primary targets in Arches National Park:
- Landscape Arch (Devils Garden)
- Double O Arch (Devils Garden)
Entry and monuments
We headed straight for the park and were in by 9:00 AM. Here’s a map. There is a bike path leading from Moab into the park a few miles away. It looked well paved and wide. Bikers still pay an entry fee into the park. Entry fees are posted on the National Park Service website.
We stopped at the visitors center for a few minutes then followed the map into the park along a curving ridge with beautiful views. Our goal for the day was to hike Devils Garden, but on our way we stopped to ogle in wonder at the monuments, like the La Sal Mountain Range viewpoint, Courthouse Towers, and Balanced Rock.
Devils Garden Hikes
We spent most of our first day at Devils Garden (bathrooms are available at the trailhead). There are a number of family-friendly trails in this vicinity, but to hike the full trail out to Double O Arch, Dark Angel, or Private Arch, be prepared for some rock scrambling (climbing on hands and knees to get to the top of rock formations along the hiking path). Our 7- and 10-year old thought it was a playground, but young toddlers would struggle.
The purple marking on the map below shows our path. First, we headed out to Landscape Arch, then climbed the rock fin formations out to Double O Arch. On the way back we stopped at Navajo Arch and Partition Arch, which were a fun, short, diversion just off the path. We did not do the full loop with the primitive trail (they mention on the signs be prepared for wayfinding), but the path looked decently well marked and there were plenty of people out there.
I tracked it on my watch and it was about six miles round trip, which took us about three hours. We found shade under some juniper trees and ate lunch halfway.
That night we had dinner at the Moab Brewery in town. It was great!
Day 2 — Arches National Park
We returned to Arches National Park for a second day to finish some of the most revered hikes, including:
- Delicate Arch
- Double Arch
- The Windows
Delicate Arch
There are a few ways to see Delicate Arch — via a short hike (overlook style) or a longer hike up a mountainside and around the rock formations. We chose the longer one (3 miles / 1.5 hrs) and parked at the Wolfe Ranch area. There is an old ranch house and petroglyphs on the hike out to Delicate Arch. Even early in the morning, parking was tight and we had to circle a few times. Delicate Arch was a little steep and at times we were worried, but while we were there we watched someone hop into the center of the rock formation to collect a lost water bottle, so I guess it wasn’t too dangerous.
Sand Dune Arch & Skyline Arch
Next we caught some shade and relaxed while the kids played in the sandy spots among the rock formations at Sand Dune Arch and then at Skyline Arch. Both were sparsely crowded, and Skyline Arch features some rock piles you can climb on to get to some secluded areas with shade and trees if you’re looking for a quiet lunch spot.
The Windows (Double Arch, North Window, South Window)
Next we spent about two hours in The Windows area, looking around Double Arch, North Window, and South Window. These are easy hikes right off the parking lot (there was plenty of parking in this area) and you can also take a short primitive trail around the backside of The Windows to get a different, beautiful view. It was a relaxing time of day to watch the sun heading toward the horizon in the west. This would probably be a great place to come watch the stars at night.
Day 3 — Horses & OHVs, Petroglyphs, Corona Arch
Day 3 was our rest and relaxation day. So, naturally, we kept ourselves busy and I bought a local coffee at Moab Coffee Roasters and some hand-made artisan gifts at Moab Made, including my new spirit animal. We split the day in two parts: in the morning, my daughter and I went for a wild west horseback riding tour while my husband and son went on an Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) tour. In the evening, we visited the Potash Road Dinosaur tracks and petroglyphs, then hiked to Corona Arch.
Horseback Riding
I highly recommend Hauer Ranch (about 45 mins outside of town) for horseback riding. It was reasonably priced and you ride with seasoned professionals. Beware: this is not for the faint of heart! Then again, we were first-timers and we survived. After a short tutorial we mounted our horses (I had Gem, my daughter had Cowgirl) and we were off on a backcountry ride through rivers and winding trails. It was beautiful and peaceful, and it taught me a thing or two about myself. Bonus: you get to view the beautiful drive along Highway 128 on the way out and back.
OHV Tours
My husband and son booked a four-hour tour with Ultimate UTV Adventures, which was timed perfectly with our horseback riding adventure. We dropped the guys off and went on our way. Later, when we picked them up, they told us about their adventures driving their OHVs in the mountains and cliffs outside of town.
Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs
That afternoon, we explored the rock formations at the dinosaur tracks and petroglyphs area. This is free! There are some steep drop-offs over the road, so watch small kids.
Corona Arch
We finished our day hiking out to Corona Arch and Bowtie Arch. The sun was low and beginning to set as we hiked back, and we found it to be a very peaceful, secluded area without many people. The only nerve-wrecking part of this hike was a small 8' ladder and chains to climb the rock below it. It was very reasonable, as long as you watch where you’re stepping, and the views were worth it.
Day 4 — Canyonlands National Park
Day 4 we took a long drive (about one hour each way from Moab, plus driving time in the park) to Canyonlands National Park. It is expansive, and we only explored the Island in the Sky area. Check out the full park map if you want a more primitive adventure.
Grand View Point Overlook
This hike was about 2 miles round trip and offered expansive, 360-degree views of the canyons. It’s family friendly as long as you keep young children away from the open edges. There are no guardrails. There is a great rock to climb/snack on at the end.
Mesa Arch
This would have been beautiful at sunrise, or if there were less people, but it was very crowded and we only stayed briefly.
Aztec Butte
This was a fun side trip up a small butte, then we hiked another small hill to the ancient granary where Native people kept their grain stores hidden under the ridge. It was fun to find, and the kids enjoyed exploring the cave-like area.
Whale Rock
Whale Rock has a number of other rock formations nearby for any tired hikers who need a snack while others go explore the ridge of Whale Rock, which is a rounded, rolling rock ridge (say that three times fast!) that’s fun to climb with a few steep areas.
Day 5 — Faux Falls, La Sal Mountain Drive, Stargazing
Our last day in Moab was perhaps our most interesting: we went from a hot hike at a nearby waterfall, to the pool, to shivering in the snowy La Sal Mountains and, later, enjoying the stars.
Faux Falls
This waterfall is a short hike from the Ken’s Lake Campground area south of town. It was an easy, rewarding hike, and great for kids — though it is apparently fabricated, as its name suggests. Still, it was gorgeous, sparsely populated, and very relaxing to walk down the falls’ river / creek toward the lake. We parked in the lake area and walked through the campground to the falls, but you can also park closer and just hike the falls.
La Sal Mountains
After scouring maps and recommendations about where to go in the La Sal Mountain area, we learned most of them were closed due to snow, so instead, we enjoyed a scenic drive along the main road and discovered more remote dinosaur tracks at the Bull Canyon Overlook and Dinosaur Tracks site. The map below shows a very rough outline of our circular route. More resources.
Lions Park & Colorado Riverway Bridge
On the way back from our La Sal loop, we stopped at Lions Park for a small adventure. There is a climbing park for the kids and a beautiful bridge across the Colorado River. See map.
Arches National Park Stargazing
That night, we returned to Arches National Park one last time for stargazing at Panorama Point. There are plenty of places to stargaze at Arches, which is designated a Dark Sky Park, so find a place to sit, relax, and look around.
Summary
I cannot wait to return to Moab and explore even more of the backcountry trails. If you love the outdoors and enjoy reconnecting with nature, you will find everything you need here. Plus, they have a few ice cream shops and coffee shops in town. Enjoy!
#noregrets
The postings on this site are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.
