Moab & Arches
THE AMERICAS · NATIONAL PARK · DESERT
Moab is a small desert town wedged between two national parks, with the Colorado River running past and slickrock in every direction. Arches has the postcard stone; Canyonlands has the scale that makes you go quiet. In between there's mountain biking, rafting and more 4x4 track than you could drive in a month.
The plan
Delicate Arch at sunset
A three-mile round trip up bare rock to the arch on the licence plates. Go late, carry a headtorch for the walk down.
Island in the Sky, Canyonlands
Mesa Arch at sunrise, then Grand View Point — 300m of cliff below you and the Colorado somewhere further down again.
Raft the Colorado
Half-day float or full-day whitewater through Westwater. Outfitters line Main Street.
Slickrock or Klondike Bluffs by bike
Slickrock is the legendary hard one; Klondike and Navajo Rocks are the ones you'll actually enjoy.
Dead Horse Point at dusk
Thirty minutes from town for the gooseneck bend everyone photographs, and a dark-sky park after.
Book before you fly
Arches timed entry
Required most of the year from early morning to late afternoon, booked on recreation.gov three months ahead plus a next-day release at 7pm.
Fiery Furnace
Permit or ranger-led only, and it sells out the day it opens.
Rafting & 4x4 tours
Half-day Colorado floats book a day ahead; Hell's Revenge jeep tours a few days.
Getting there
Fly Salt Lake City (SLC)
Four hours by car, a Delta hub, and the cheapest reliable way in. Pick up a car at the airport.
Fly Grand Junction (GJT) or Moab (CNY)
Grand Junction is under two hours with more flights; Canyonlands Field is fifteen minutes out with a handful of daily SkyWest hops.
Getting around
You need a car. Both parks are spread out, Arches now runs timed-entry reservations in high season, and there is no public transport.
When to go
Best time to go
April to May and September to October. Perfect rock temperature, and Arches timed entry is easier at the shoulders.
Cheapest months
December to February — quiet, cheap, and cold enough that you'll want the snow photos.
Priciest & busiest
Late May and Jeep Safari week around Easter, when the whole town books out months ahead.
If you've got one day
Morning
Island in the Sky, Canyonlands
Late morning
Raft the Colorado
Lunch
Milt's Stop & Eat
Afternoon
Slickrock or Klondike Bluffs by bike
Sunset
Delicate Arch at sunset
Evening
Dinner at Desert Bistro, then Dead Horse Point at dusk
If you've got a week
Day 1
Arrive, settle in around Sorrel River Ranch, and take it slowly — Milt's Stop & Eat for dinner.
Day 2
Delicate Arch at sunset.
Day 3
Island in the Sky, Canyonlands. Dinner at Desert Bistro.
Day 4
Day trip — Canyonlands Needles District.
Day 5
Raft the Colorado. Josie Wyatt's Grille at some point.
Day 6
Slickrock or Klondike Bluffs by bike.
Day 7
Dead Horse Point at dusk. Finish with Moab Brewery.
Staying longer?
Nearby & day trips
Canyonlands Needles District
Ninety minutes south, a different half of the same park and far emptier than Island in the Sky.
Capitol Reef
Two and a half hours west, orchards and cliffs, and the least-visited of Utah's five parks.
Five hours west if you're driving the Mighty Five loop.
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