Moab, Utah is a small town surrounded by some big places to explore. You’ll most likely be coming in on Highway 191, which is the main road that takes you through this quaint town. Its shops and restaurants are surrounded by towering orange rocks and it’s a very picturesque town. There are a lot of cool things to do in Moab, Utah and it’s a great central location for checking out some of the parks nearby and for exploring the wilderness.
About Moab, Utah
It’s located toward the central, east part of the state just south of I-70. A lot of Utah is rugged nature and Moab is one of the more developed cities, though still quite small. While some towns you drive through have only one gas station and a small country grocery store, there are plenty of hotels, shops and restaurants in Moab. (There’s just something about a good Mexican restaurant and margarita after a camping road trip.) It’s also a great place to stock up on supplies and food!
We’ve visited a few times and have somehow ended up visiting in the summer each time. While it’s still doable, it is the hottest time to visit which makes some of the hikes a little brutal. Moab is a great place to visit in April or in the Fall, as that’s when the weather will be in between and more pleasant.
Things to Do in Moab, Utah
Moab is a great, rugged little town for exploring nature, hiking and taking some trails. Here are some of the top things to do in Moab on your visit:
Go Off-roading
Moab, Utah is basically the capital of off-roading in the US. It’s well known for its trails and off-roading opportunities. People come from all over to bring their 4×4’s, ATV’s, etc to be able to test their vehicle capabilities and have some fun out in the wild. If you don’t have the right vehicle for it, Moab is full of rentals and tours.
The pros of renting your own vehicle are that you have the flexibility of exploring whatever trail you like and staying as long as you like. But, ultimately you are responsible for it. If you don’t want to be responsible for a rental, you can always join a tour that will take you around to trails they are familiar with. The pros of taking a tour are that you don’t have to research trails that are suitable for you and your vehicle.
We rented a jeep from Las Vegas and were driving through Utah, so we had to do a bit of research beforehand. My husband found an easy, scenic trail and a local directed us to another awesome trail that led right up to a canyon!
READ MORE: Off-Roading in Moab, Utah
Explore Arches National Park
Two of the Big 5 National Parks are located near Moab, one of them being Arches National Park. While it isn’t my favorite park, it is still definitely worth seeing. There are about two thousand arches located inside the park which is pretty crazy and cool. It has some very ‘wild west’ looking scenery. It even kind of reminded me of the Lion King at times because of the big boulders and type of plants.
The park is very easy to explore with lots of viewpoints and stops that don’t require any hiking. You can of course take longer hikes and some of the more popular arches require that. The Delicate Arch was probably my favorite and is located on top of a tall rock ridge. You can hike all the way up to it or stop mid-way through to see it from afar.
Another interesting hike was to the Landscape Arch. The arch itself is very long and thin but the scenery on the way was what reminded me of the Lion King.
READ MORE: How to spend one day at Arches National Park
Hit the Viewpoints at Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands is an amazing park to see. The landscape here is absolutely insane and I highly recommend going here. The canyons are vast and unique looking. Another great part about it is the accessibility. Canyonlands is another place that you can easily drive up to viewpoints without doing much hiking. BUT, it also has different areas of the park that require hiking and a 4×4 to reach them. It has a little bit of everything–even an amazing arch!
The Mesa Arch is 100% worth seeing, even if it is crazy crowded at sunrise. Shafer Canyon overlook and Grandview Point are must-see highlights as well. And like I said, the accessibility is great. You can spend an afternoon exploring or several days.
Hike to the Corona Arch
While Arches has a multitude of arches, it doesn’t quite have one like the Corona Arch. It’s located right beside the Colorado River and is about a 3-mile hike up to it. We unexpectedly stumbled upon the trailhead after coming out of a canyon we were off-roading through. It was about one in the afternoon and very hot, so we opted out of hiking it. I do think this trail would be awesome in the morning or evening for sunset though.
Check Out Dead Horse Point State Park
Another neat park to see is Dead Horse Point. It’s right next to Canyonlands and easy to see. The canyon reminds me of a mixture between the Grand Canyon and Horseshoe Bend. We went here early in the morning, just after sunrise and it was completely deserted. It’s only got the one main viewpoint (I believe) so it was easy to park, walk around a bit and move on.
Drive/Hike Through Castle Valley
Castle Valley is an area about 30 minutes northeast of Moab and looks like it’s very similar to Monument Valley. It has several formations to see: the Castleton Tower, Parriott Mesa and the Round Mountain. The drive through is supposed to be really scenic and it’d be a great place to get some sunrise/sunset photos. This would be more of an “explore on your own” type place.
Bonus: Goblin Valley State Park
This state park is further outside Moab, but depending on where you’re driving to or from, you might find it on your way. Goblin Valley is about an hour and a half from Moab and is a very unique, otherworldly looking place.
It is filled with little rock formations called ‘goblins’ and is so strange looking that it’s been the setting for several outer space movies. It’s a neat place to explore and nothing else quite like it.
READ MORE: Goblin Valley State Park
I could go on and on about the places to see in Utah. There are so many unique landscapes in Utah and stops to explore that it’s really hard to make a dent in it. But that’s the good thing about Moab, being centrally located allows you to get to know the area better and explore all it has to offer!
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