Top places to visit in Moab, Utah.

Welcome loves! Hope you are doing well. I am so excited you’re going to Moab, Utah or making plans to go. It’s seriously an amazing place with so much to do. I hope this list of places I’ve visited helps you plan your trip. Here are some quick deets.

I highly recommend you get the National Park Annual Pass if you’re going to be visiting a lot of National Parks during the year. It cost $80 and it’s good for any National Park in the U.S. Each park will charge you around $30 per vehicle. So, if you visit the two National Parks in Moab, you will already be spending $60! It adds up so might as well spend $20 more to buy the pass for the year. Just some advice I thought you would like. :)

The best time to visit Moab is in early spring, late fall. April through May are excellent times to visit because the weather is 60 to 90 degrees. However, I’ve also been there when it’s cold. If you don’t mind a chilly breeze it’s actually a great time to visit too because you wont be amongst large crowds. Just make sure you dress warm.

Alright let’s get to it! Oh, by the way, please remember the hiking etiquette when you’re on the trails. Let’s take care of mother earth and be kind to people.

1. DELICATE ARCH, ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

Miles: 3 miles roundtrip (4.8km) | 2-3 hrs

Location: 38°44'07.9"N 109°31'14.4"W

Elevation gain: 480 Feet

Level: Easy to moderate

Kid friendly? Yes

Dog-friendly? No

One of my favorite hikes in Utah! I highly recommend waking up early to see the sunrise at the arch, it will make you incandescently happy. The trail itself was not hard, with only a short incline it’s perfect for a family hike. It has no shade and some exposure to heights but nothing too bad.

2. THE WINDOWS LOOP, ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

Miles: 1.2 miles roundtrip (1.9 km) | 30 min-1 hr

Location: 38°41'15.6"N 109°32'12.5"W

Elevation gain: 154 Feet

Level: Easy

Kid friendly? Yes

Dog-friendly? No

This loop has so much to offer! Here you will find the famous Double Arch, the Turret Arch and the North and South Windows all in the same vicinity. It’s a great place to spend an hour or so walking around and enjoying the general splendor. It also has great climbing for kids and if you have the same adventurous spirit, for you as well.

3. SAND DUNE ARCH TRAIL, ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

Miles: 0.3 miles roundtrip (0.48 km) | 30 min-1 hr

Location: 38°45'54.0"N 109°35'00.0"W

Elevation gain: 108 Feet

Level: Easy

Kid friendly? Yes

Dog-friendly? No

This arch is pretty exceptional. It’s to the right of Broken Arch trail, another arch you can visit that’s only about a mile away. This sandy trail leads you to a secluded arch amongst high walls of sandstone. It’s an easy hike to explore, so it’s great for kids. Don’t forget to visit!

4. MESA ARCH, CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Miles: 0.7 miles roundtrip (0.8 km) | 30-40 min

Location: 38°23'21.7"N 109°52'04.8"W

Elevation gain: 85 Feet

Level: Easy

Kid friendly? Yes

Dog-friendly? No

Mesa Arch is an amazing place to visit. It’s an arch overlooking a majestic canyon. The views are spectacular and hike was very short and easy. Please be careful because it’s on a very high cliff, so make sure you don’t take photos too close. It’s known to be one of the best sunrise hikes to take amazing photos. So, if you’re into photography, I highly recommend this for sunrise.

5. UPHEAVAL DOME, CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK

Miles: 1.8 miles to the first lookout (2.9 km) | 1 hr

Location: 38°25'35.4"N 109°55'33.5"W

Elevation gain: 301 Feet

Level: Easy to Moderate

Kid friendly? Yes

Dog-friendly? No

Upheaval dome trail leads you to a geological formation crater. It’s theories consist of an erupted volcano or because of it’s crater-like width, a meteor that hit the earth causing a big splash of all types of minerals. I like to believe it was a meteor, but it’s a mystery. You can see all the colors and the monstrosity of its size on the first view point. Great hike to take your kids.

6. LOWER ONION CREEK CAMPGROUND

Location: 38°44'15.6"N 109°21'25.9"W

Kid friendly? Yes

Fee? No

If you’re looking for a place to relax and enjoy an afternoon cooling off from the blazing sun in the summer, I recommend going for a swim in the Colorado River. There you will be in the midst of red rock formations. We went with my family and we had a grand time! I do recommend that you test the waters, the river may be dangerous with high currents so make sure you have a life vest or stay in the shallow. We went in mid-July and the currents weren’t strong.

7. DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK SUNSET PANORAMA

Miles: 1 mile loop (1.6 km)

Location: 38°28'11.4"N 109°44'21.8"W

Elevation gain: 367 Feet

Level: Easy

Kid friendly? Yes

Dog-friendly? Yes, leashed

Fee? $20 per vehicle

Oh my goodness, this view is to die for. Honestly one of the best sunsets I’ve ever seen with my very own eyes. It’s only about 20 minutes away from Canyonlands National Park entrance. What we did was go explore Canyonlands during the day and drove to Dead Horse Point State Park for sunset. Just know that this is THE spot to go for sunset, so be prepared because there’s a high chance it will be packed with people. It’s extremely majestic so also get ready to be amazed.

I really hope you get the chance to visit all these beautiful spots. They are definitely my favs! To be completely honest, my husband and I managed to do all this in one day. I know, pretty determined right? We woke up for sunrise to hike Delicate Arch and took our time to see the rest and ended the day at Dead Horse Point to say goodbye to our fun and adventurous day. If you have the time, I highly recommend you put all of these in your list. Thanks for reading my blog and hope you have a blast!

Love you all!