A Weekend Guide to Moab

Last updated on July 5th, 2020 at 11:58 pm

Living in Denver all my life, you would think that I would have made a visit to Moab by now – only a five and a half hour drive. This year I went for the first time and even though it was just a weekend, I had a great time!

If you haven’t been to Moab yet, I highly recommend visiting. It is in an ideal location where you can visit many incredible sites. If you are road tripping through Utah you can also catch many other national parks.

Getting to moab

From Denver, just hop on I-70 and take it through Utah until you hit US-191, which takes you straight to Moab. Make sure you stop for gas in Grand Junction, as there aren’t many gas stations before you get to US-191.

The closest major airport is Salt Lake City, which is about a 4 and a half hour drive to Moab, but there is also a small airport in Moab as well as one in Grand Junction (which is about an hour and a half drive).

Where to stay

For budget lodging, The Lazy Lizard Hostel was a great option, only 30 bucks a night for a private room and $15 a night to stay in the dorms. It’s a hostel, so the rooms are small, but they were clean and I didn’t have any encounters with scary insects, so I approve.

There is also many options for camping in Moab, which would have been my first choice. However since this was my first solo trip, I decided against it. The campsites I was interested in were Devils Garden Campground in Arches National Park, Willowflat Campground in Canyonlands, and Dead Horse Point State Park Campgrounds. Devils Garden and Dead Horse Point take reservations during the busy season, but Willowflat does not. All of these are on State or National Park lands, which means they would be in scenic areas. There are many other camping options in Moab as well that are not on park land.

Since Moab is very touristy, there are many hotel and Airbnb options as well, just make sure that you book early if you are going anytime in March through October.

Things to see

I recommend spending time in Arches, Canyonlands, and Dead Horse Point State Park if you are staying in Moab because they are all within an hour of each other.

Arches National Park

In Arches National Park, I started with the Park Avenue Trail, which is a short and easy trail that will prepare you for the rugged red formations that you will see throughout the park. I then drove through the park, stopping at many of the scenic pull-offs.

For a great sunset hike, try the Delicate Arch Trail. Note that this is probably one of the busiest times to visit the arch. People were really good about taking turns for pictures, however, so this is not a big deal. I have heard that sunrise is a little less crowded, but it could be difficult to do this hike in the dark. If you are determined, try doing the trail once during the day to familiarize yourself or bring a headlamp.

Balanced rock is also a great place to catch pictures of the sunset and it is right off the road, so no hiking required!

To get into Arches National Park, it is $30 per vehicle. I purchased the America the Beautiful pass, which allows entrance to all of the National Parks for one year.

Canyonlands National Park

Mesa Arch is one of the most popular places to watch the sunrise near Moab. It was packed when I went, but really beautiful. It was easily my favorite view from this trip.

The Grand View trail is also beautiful and will give you more of a chance to take in those sweeping canyon views.

Like Arches, Canyonlands also has many tempting pull-offs along the drive. You could easily spend hours just stopping at all of them.

Canyonlands has a $30 entrance fee.

Dead Horse Point State Park

Dead Horse Point is in between Moab and Canyonlands so there is no reason not to stop and gawk at this gorgeous view.

I drove to Dead Horse Point and explored the East and West Rim Trails but there are several other overlooks to hike.

It is a 20 dollar fee to get into this park and it is not included in the America the Beautiful pass.

Mill Creek Trail

This was one of my favorite things I did the whole weekend and it was completely free. The Mill Creek Trail is a great way to cool off in the Moab heat. The trail starts just outside of a neighborhood and is 7.5 miles in total, but about 1.5 miles in there is an awesome swimming hole.

I even saw people walking in the creek instead of on the trail.

This is a highly trafficked trail and the swimming hole gets really crowded in the late afternoon. People also cliff jump here, but I don’t recommend that since the water is not deep at all.

If you climb up behind the cliffs there are more small swimming holes.

Swimming shoes are a good thing to have on this trip, although I didn’t have any. Also, beware of poison ivy along the trail.

What to eat

I didn’t eat out a lot because I was exploring the parks and just grabbed snacks. For dinner, I enjoyed Fiesta Mexicana, where I had a good steak burrito and margarita.

I also tried Moab Brewery, but the waiter was horrible and my burger was incredibly dry. If you’ve had a better experience here, I would love to hear your opinion in the comments!

Moab Garage Company is a good place to grab some ice cream made with liquid nitrogen or coffee. They also have a secret Biergarten in the back!

What to pack

Moab gets really hot during the day, but can be cold at night. If you plan on visiting Mill Creek Trail, bring clothes you don’t mind getting wet and a swimsuit (paid links below).

• Headlamp or flashlight
• Capri style leggings
• Shorts
• Tennis shoes or hiking boots
• Tank tops or t-shirts
• Socks and underwear
• Hats, preferably with a chinstrap
• Rain jacket and light jacket
• Sunscreen
• Bugspray
• First aid kit
• GPS, compass or National Park Map (given upon entry)
• Lots of Water
• Daypack (I use the detachable 10 Lfrom this one)
• Snacks
• Toiletries
• Swimsuit
• Towel

If you’re staying at The Lazy Lizard:

• Hairdryer
• Extra blankets
• Bathroom bag
• Shower shoes or flip flops

Don’t forget your camera and camera gear! I brought these things:

• Nikon D3500
• Lightweight tripod
• Camera remote
• Wide angle lens
• Camera cleaning kit
• Extra batteries and battery charger
• Waterproof action camera

Have you been to Moab? What were your favorite activities?

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