Moab, Utah is conveniently located near both Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. Deadhorse Point State Park, Sand Flats Recreation Area and the La Sal Moutains are also in the area. There are tons of hikes in just a short drive. The area is also known for spectacular mountain biking and 4×4 trails. Additionally, there are quite a few restaurants, hotels and RV Campgrounds in the area. We have stayed at: Arch View Resort several times. We have also stayed at a Best Western downtown and the Super 8 during car trips to Moab.
Hiking in Moab is beautiful any time of year. The summer months can get quite hot – it would be best to plan summer hikes for early in the day or in the early evening. It is also a dry climate. Always take plenty of water on your adventures here. Sunscreen or sun protective clothing is recommended as there is not much shade while hiking.
We have done some hiking here, but have barely scratched the surface. For additional information, there is a visitor center in downtown Moab at Center & Main. They have a website: http://www.discovermoab.com. They have free pamphlets on hiking, mountain biking, 4WD, and a Rock Art Auto Tour. They also sell trail guides & maps. Arches & Canyonlands also have visitor centers and offer park maps with trail information. We use: Moab Classic Hikes by Damian Fagan c. 2007 as a resource for picking and planning hikes.
Some of our favorite hiking is in Arches National Park:
Landscape Arch
Two of the other arches along Devils Garden Hike (above and below)
Devils Garden– up to 7.2 miles; has good views of several arches including Landscape Arch; there is a Primitive Loop portion that has some scrambling and tricky route finding – watch for cairns. One of our favorite sections is a stretch on the top of a fin which offers panoramic views including the La Sal Moutains- which may have snow on them. We do not recommend this for young children.
Crossing a fin in Arches National Park with snow-capped La Sal Mountains in the background.
Fins with the snow-capped La Sal Mountains in the background
Park Avenue– a 1.0 mile (one way tour) through Arches stone skyscrapers. There is one section of stairs that is quite long.
One of Park Avenues tall stone sky scrapers
Walking along the Park Avenue Hike
The Windows – A fairly easy 1.0 mile round trip offering spectacular views of a number of arches.
Delicate Arch – a 3.0 mile roundtrip that is considered strenuous, but provides up close and personal viewing of one of the most famous arches- you may recognize it as being on the Utah License Plate.
Delicate Arch is one of the most well known.
Canyonlands National Park: Park maps are available at the entrance or visitor center. Any of the hikes to viewpoints along the park road through the Island in the Sky District will offer incredible views. Most vehicles can handle the Schafer Switchbacks down into the canyon and the beginning of the White Rim trail is fairly easy. You can park and explore along this road. Please note: The White Rim Trail is a 90 mile slow, off highway driving + 40 miles of pavement with NO services. It includes some Moderate 4X4 sections that require high clearance vehicles to traverse rocky steep areas. It is best to turn around and return the way you came in if you are not equipped for and familiar with driving 4WD routes. This route is a very long one day route and best spread out over two days. See park staff at the visitor center for current trail conditions.
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park
Other: Many of the 4WD routes can also be hiked. You will likely encounter 4WD vehicles on the trails. The Easter Jeep Safari occurs annually near Easter over about 9 days. You can check for current dates on Red Rock 4-Wheelers website.This annual event brings thousands of Jeeps to the area. The weeks immediately before and after are also usually quite busy. This is particularly not a good time period to hike 4×4 trails.
