Visiting Moab is one of the most popular stops on our road trip through the American West. The desert landscapes sculpted by the wind and the weather inArches National Park or Canyonlands National Park leave travellers who come to spend a few days in Utah speechless. And it's easy to see why as soon as you drive up to the town of Moab on the sublime Scenic Highway 128 from Denver or Estes Park in the Rockies.
We had already visited Moab and the surrounding area on a 3 day Land Rover off-road course a week earlier. We are so excited to be back in Utah to explore more.
Here is the outline of this blog post about our stay in Moab.
Visit Moab, Utah: 3 Day Colorado Rockies Getaway
1. When to visit Moab, Utah ?
We arrived in Moab after an 8 hour drive, first in the fresh snow and cold of the Colorado Rockies and then in the much more pleasant temperatures and beautiful autumn blue skies of Utah's red desert. We rented our vehicle at the SIXT agency agency in Denver and we will return it in Los Angeles at the end of the road trip.
Indeed, in October, temperatures vary between 4 and 8 degrees in the morning and 15 to 20 degrees during the day. Ideal for hiking! But we are still in altitude. The air is extremely dry. You have to drink water regularly to avoid headaches.
In autumn, the Moab desert is breathable and that is really very appreciable, especially when you spend your whole day outside, in the sun. Another positive point that will surely convince you to visit Moab in autumn and not in the middle of summer is the lack of tourists at this time of the year. The direct consequence is the significant drop in the price of accommodation in town. We'll tell you more about the addresses we tested a little further down.
2. Visit Moab and Arches National Park
Visiting Moab means visiting the national parks around the city. The two main parks are Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. We have to admit that we really fell in love with Arches National Park and its arches sculpted by erosion. Canyonlands National Park is also beautiful and can be a good option if the Grand Canyon is not on your road trip itinerary.
Arches National Park was established in 1971 and is located 5 miles north of Moab along Highway 191. The spectacle you're about to see is the result of 300 million years of geological transformation. Yes, the entire region was originally underwater! Over time, the water evaporated, leaving a desert of salt and sand. With the sediments, it all hardened into rock. The natural spectacle we see today is the result of slow erosion. A fragile ecosystem that must of course be preserved.
We take you on a video immersion in an extraordinary environment.
What do you think of this video vlog?
This is the third episode of a series shot in the American West between Denver and Los Angeles. Don't hesitate to join us on YouTube so you don't miss the next episodes. We are far from being in Los Angeles!
As we already explained in our main article about our road trip in the American West, we bought the $80 pass in Estes Park which includes the visit of many parks in the USA during 1 year including those around Moab. If you don't want to buy this pass, you'll have to pay $30 for a car for example. If you arrive very early in the morning, the doors of the Visitor Center are wide open. The same applies at the end of the day. On the practical side, you will be given a map with the main hikes at the park entrance.
The best advice for visiting Arches National Park is to get up very early to enjoy the beautiful colours. It's also a good way toavoid the daytime crowds, especially if you come in the summer. And yes, the park welcomes nearly1 million visitors a year! This is what we did that morning because yes, the national park, at sunrise, is absolutely magical! And at sunset, we confirm, the show is just as great.
The sites to explore are very numerous in Arches National Park because this one shelters approximately 2000 natural arches! Here are the natural sites we explored in 1 day. You will surely discover others by yourself once you are there.
2.1. Delicate Arch
We get up before the end of the night, just to be there to admire the spectacle that Delicate Arch offers at sunrise. Arrived at the car park, very few of us had the same idea and it's so much the better. After a half-hour walk, or 15-20 minutes running, we arrived on the site. It was really worth getting up early!
Delicate Arch is theemblem of the Arches National Park and it is also the most photographed arch of the park.
At 20 meters high, it is even featured on the license plates of Utah residents. You find yourself contemplating a true work of art that is over 70,000 years old! The moment is magical and Mother Nature rewards us for our efforts of the day. Not to be missed.
2.2. Landscape Arch
Another hike in the Arches National Park. We come across the largest natural arch in the world.
Landscape Arch is almost 89 m long and rises 32 m above the ground. It is very impressive. In addition, it is only 3.35m narrow.
2.3 Sand Dune Arch
On the main road, we stopped in front of the sign "Sand Dune Arch". This was enough to arouse our curiosity. After only 2 minutes of walking , in the middle of a small canyon, we come across a sand dune which changes from orange to red according to the sun's rays.
The setting leaves us speechless. Are we not on another planet?
2.4. Windows trail
Last discovery of the day with 2 arches or rather 2 windows open on the world or rather on the sky. You can admire them from the car park but it's really worth going for a walk.
With the little courage we have left, we go to the foot of the arches. Better still, we find ourselves inside. Better to trust Mother Nature when you find yourself with tons of stones above your head!
We wait to observe the sunset which will not take long to come. A very good memory.
What a day! A day that will motivate us to continue our exploration of the surroundings of Moab the next morning by going to Canyonlands National Park.
3. Visiting Canyonlands National Park near Moab
To get to Canyonlands National Park from Moab, you first need to take Highway 128 (where you will see Castle Valley, Red Cliffs and Fisher Towers) and then Scenic Highway 279 with its petroglyphs. Route 279 is already the route we took on our second day of exploringUtah in off-road mode in a Land Rover. So happy to be back here! And what's nice is thatwe follow the Colorado River for quite a few miles to get to Canyonlands National Park. Quite pleasant!
The park is divided into 3 parts separated by 2 rivers: the Green river and the Colorado river. We will focus on the northern part of the park, which is the best known but also the easiest to explore by car and on foot during the day. The name of this easy to visit area is "Island in the sky".
After passing the visitors' centre, there are many places to explore in Canyonlands Park. Here are the main ones first on video.
This is the 4th episode of our series shot in the American West. Feel free to join us on YouTube to see all the episodes.
3.1 Mesa Arch
This park, and this spot in particular, which is the most famous in the park, is often compared to the Grand Canyon. It is easy to see why when you reach the Mesa Arch.
The view through the arch into the canyon is just amazing. You feel really small in front of the immensity of the landscapes which face you.
To reach the Mesa Arch from the car park, we take a small interpretation trail in a loop which allows us to understand that we should never leave the marked out paths because a microbial life not to be crushed is very present at the ground level, contrary to what we could think if we stay on appearances. And yes, the Utah desert is alive and well and the ecosystem is fragile. For example, the ground is covered with tiny cacti that are often invisible to the naked eye. It is therefore important to avoid crushing them, as their presence also helps to hold back the sand that covers most of the ground, especially in very windy conditions.
3.2 Green River Overlook
The Green River Overlook is an exceptional viewpoint on the canyon dug by the river.
It feels like flying in front of a seemingly endless view.Very easy to access, the site is located a few meters from the road that we take again without too much delay, beautiful images full of eyes.
3.3 Crater overlooks
A few miles further on, we park at the bottom of a crater. After 10 minutes of climbing, we stop at the first viewpoint which is located at 500 m but you can continue on 800 m more and you will discover a second panorama. A bit lazy on this one. You can't stop!
A 13.3 km loop, the Syncline Loop, is also possible but you really need time to do it.
The crater is thought to be the result of theimpact of a huge meteorite that hit the earth with tremendous force thousands of years ago to form this unique landscape. A must-see!
3.4. Buck Canyon Overlook
The canyon was carved out by the Colorado River.
The depth of the Colorado flows 1 km below. It is best not to be afraid of heights when approaching the rim. The view is very impressive during the whole walk but we reassure you, no difficult passage on the horizon. We enjoy it, we enjoy it!
3.5. Grand View Point Overlook
This hike will lead us to the end of the plateau. At the end, a double view awaits us on the 2 rivers: the Colorado river and its tributary the Green river. A short and easy hike which allows us to enjoy breathtaking views, especially on the canyon dug by the Colorado river.
The precipice is never far away with the Colorado flowing 1 km below. It is best not to be afraid of heights when approaching the edge. The trail itself is not difficult and does not require you to walk to the edge. Let's just say that the view is open!
4. Other activities around Moab, Utah
Of course, we haven't had time to test all the possible activities in Moab and in the American state of Utah. However, here are some suggestions for activities that might complement or enhance your stay in the area.
You can fly over Arches National Park. The flight takes 30 minutes and costs 90€/pers. You fly over Delicate Arch and many other arches that the pilot will be happy to point out to you. You can also opt for a 1 hour flight over Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. If you book your flights in advance via these links, you will be guaranteed a window seat.
Other trip ideas:
Arches National Park 4 hour sunset tour from Moab with a 1 hour hike included. (€88/pers)
Mountain bike tour in the canyons of Moab. 4 different routes will be offered to you once you arrive (4h - 105 €/pers)
4×4 Safari in the "Hell's Revenge". Strong sensations guaranteed in complete safety. 2 or 4 hours tour only from February to November. (89€/pers)
5. Where to eat in Moab?
We tested 3 places in Moab: low budget, medium budget and high budget.
5.1. The Moab diner - Low budget - family friendly
Opened in the 1960s under the name of Poor Boy Drive-Inn, this American restaurant located at 189 South Main Street plunges us into the universe of the TV series that lulled our youth. At the beginning, the idea was to be able to offer burgers for 0.29 cents! Prices have risen since then and so has the concept, especially with the development in the 1970s of a large selection of frozen desserts. It was in 1993 that Geoff and Teri Thomas bought the Moab diner to also offer breakfasts and therefore hearty lunches and dinners.
We recommend the salads and the excellent cheeseburgers. Cheap and with table service, which is not necessarily common in restaurants for small budgets.
Open Monday to Thursday from 6 am to 9 pm and Friday to Saturday from 6 am to 10 pm. Closed on Sunday.
5.2. Desert Bistro - Medium Budget
We dined at Desert Bistro during our 3-day off-road course with Land Rover. Located in the city centre at S 100 W 36, the establishment opened in 2012 and offers indoor and outdoor dining with mouth-watering dishes and wines that will tickle your palate. The menu is complete with appetizers, salads and main courses which tend to revolve around meat. Everything is good! The service is also very pleasant.
Budget: Salads around 10-15 $ and dishes between 25 and 50 $.
Opens at 5pm every night of the week. Reservations are highly recommended either on their website or by phone at 435 259 0756.
5.3. At the Red Cliffs - High Budget
It was during our driving course with Landrover around Moab that we tested the food at the Red Cliffs but not as part of the usual service. So no comment on the service or the food served in the restaurant but everything we ate was good.
Come also for the idyllic setting as it is situated in a meander of scenic route 128. A great spot for sunset too. We tell you more about it in our article about our 3 days off-road driving course near Moab because we slept there too and the immersion is guaranteed.
6. Where to stay in Moab?
You can sleep in different types of accommodation in Moab: in a tent or in a camper van, most often on the banks of the Colorado River but not only, in a motel or a hotel. It all depends on your wishes and your budget. We tested 2 accommodations, a motel in the centre of Moab and a high end hotel which is located 20 minutes drive from the city centre.
The rule to remember is that the further away you are from the national parks around Moab, the more you can save on rates. You should also be aware that hotel prices are much higher on weekends. Between a Thursday and a Friday, it is common for the price of a room in a simple motel to double or more. So be careful when making your reservations as prices can fluctuate greatly.
6.1. Sleeping at the Days Inn by Wyndham
A double room with a king size bed at the Days Inn by Wyndham Moab in late October - early November 2018 was listed at $69 ex. tax/night (+14.65% tax) on weekdays and $179 ex. tax (+14.65% tax) on weekends.
Ok, it's in a good location and the room is relatively quiet as you can't hear the traffic on the main road to the stopover village. But well, the neighbours can be heard like in all motels and the breakfast is not exceptional compared to the other motels and hotels we tested during this road trip in the American west. We therefore recommend this address but be careful with the reservation period.
Days Inn Moab : Book on Booking
426 North Main street in Moab
6.2. Sleeping at the Red Cliffs near Moab
If you're looking for a more comfortable place to stay, we recommend the Red Cliffs.
Having tested it, the site is already very bucolic. Situated on the banks of the Colorado River, it's hard to find a better place to sleep in Moab. Reserved for high budgets but it's worth a look on Booking to find any special offers. The site is well worth a visit. More information in this blog post about Moab where we had been 1 week before.
If you didn't find what you were looking for in our 2 places to stay in Moab, don't hesitate to have a look here where you'll find some good deals. Having booked at the last moment our motel nights in particular, we advise you to avoid playing this game too much, especially in high season, as the establishments are limited and very quickly full in Moab. Prices tend to go up quickly.
If you are looking for more affordable motels, you should go to Monticello, for example, which is a 2-hour drive from Moab on the Monument Valley Road. We stayed one night at the Rodeway Inn & Suites Monticello for $56, which is located along Highway 191. Canyonlands is 77 km away.
Address of the Rodeway Inn & Suites Monticello: 649 North Main Street in Monticello.
Rates and reservations at booking.
To conclude this stay in Moab,
This stay in Moab and Utah will remain one of the most memorable moments of our road trip in the American West. So, it's true, it's not the encounters with the locals but the landscapes and their incomparable beauty that charmed us during this stage. We didn't think we would get so attached to this region of the United States but the reality is there. We were won over. So we hope that you too, just through our pictures, stories and videos, will feel like visiting Moab and Utah.
Next step: Monument Valley
Previous step: Estes Park in the Rockies
Road trip in the American West: Itinerary and tips