Travel to Moab. A travel guide on where to eat, stay, and explore.

Travel to Moab. A Travel guide on where to eat, stay, and explore.

Hiking in Utah

If you travel to Moab, you probably plan to explore the National Parks, but I’m here to give you so much more than that! The National Parks are great, but Moab also has some dog friendly hikes, along with a great state park! The town is also so fun to explore after a day hiking. Moab is a 6 hour drive from Denver, CO. It’s crazy to me how the scenery can go from green lush to dessert vibes in just a few hours.

Arches National Park. Amazon Sports Bra.

Hiking

  • Arches National Park: Obviously if you travel to Moab this Park is at the top of everyone’s list. Here are my recommendations on when you’re at the park. I suggest going early to beat the crowds. I know people who have waited in line hours to get into the park! Currently you do not need a reservation, but you still need to pay the entrance fee. Dogs not permitted.
    • Delicate arch – 3 mile hike out and back. It is a bit of incline. You can stop and see the petroglyphs near the start of the trail just after you cross the bridge. We went at sunrise to beat the crowds.
    • Double arches– 0.5 miles – parade of elephants
    • Sand Dune Arch Trail – 0.3 miles
    • Landscape Arch – 1.9 miles
    • Devils garden– One of the longest hikes in the park at 7.9miles

  • Canyonlands National Park: This park is further of a drive right at a little under an hour from Moab. It has a totally different vibe from Arches National Park. It’s split into two sections, Island in the sky (top) and Needles (bottom). We only had enough time to do Island in the sky so if you have to choose only one I’d suggest that. Currently you do not need a reservation, but you still need to pay the entrance fee. Dogs not permitted.
    • Mesa Arch Trail- 0.7 miles and it is BEAUTIFUL for sunrise. It does get crowded though and the parking lot does fill up so go early.
    • Grand View point trail and Grand view Point overlook

Sunrise Mesa Hike in Canyonsland

  • Dead Horse Point State Park: This state park is only a 15-20min drive from Canyonsland National Park. We were able to escape a lot of the National Park crowds when we came here. No reservation is needed, but there is an entrance fee. Dog Friendly!
    • Dead Horse Rim Loop Trail- 5.0 mile loop, but if you’re running low on time try the Dead Horse Point State Park short loop.

  • Corona and Bowtie Arch Trail: The trailhead is a short drive from Moab and is FREE since it is not within the parks. It is a 2.4 mile hike that is dog friendly and was actually my favorite to do in Moab! There is a steeper section where you climb a ladder, and use a cable so it may be difficult for your dog in that section. Professor Mary was another hike I found to do in Moab, but we did not have enough time do go on it.Dog friendly hike in Moab Corona and Bowtie Arch Hike in Moab

Where to stay when you travel to Moab

We stayed at Archway Inn which was right in between Arches National Park and the town. There are also so many hotels walking distance to the town too. Camping is also a great option, but when we went the first week of June it was already 100+ degrees outside each day so we needed air conditioning and to cool off poolside! Hence why we woke up at 4:30am to start hiking to finish by 11:30am. The fall and spring are perfect times to visit Moab.

Where to Eat/Drink when you travel to Moab

When you travel to Moab you may just envision a lot of exploring, but don’t forget about the food and drinks.

  •  Quesadilla Mobila- There is a food truck park in Moab with so many options, but there is one truck on the corner that is the most popular which serves up delicious quesadillas.
  • The Spoke on Center- The atmosphere was fun, but the mood was just OK. I would go for a drink and an appetizer (the mac and cheese bites), then head somewhere else for dinner. They also serve ice cream as there is a shop connected to it.
  • Spitfire BBQ- It was quick and yummy. I got the Bowl which was filled with pulled pork and slaw. They also served drinks, and had a great patio.
  • Sunset Grill- Now this is where you will want to have dinner and drinks during sunset because the views are incredible. They do offer bus shuttles that can pick you up at your hotel. It isn’t a difficult drive, but there is limited parking so that’s where the shuttles come into play. I’d suggest getting there right at 5:00pm when they open because the wait was insanely long when we went.
  • Moab Garage Company– We went here for lunch after hiking, we had salads and sandwiches. They also have breakfast options like a breakfast burrito.
  • Moab Brewery– Only go for the beer then have dinner elsewhere.
  • Jailhouse Cafe and Doughbird are breakfast options, but I did not try them!

Where to eat in Moab

I hope this guide helps when you travel to Moab next! If you’re looking for a change of scenery from the dessert while on vacation, Telluride, Colorado is only a 2 hour drive from Moab and it’s honestly the most beautiful place in Colorado. Check out my Telluride Travel guide here!

 

Stay Fearless,

Michelle Foster