A Month in Moab

After 20+ hours of driving, we made it to Moab! Once we arrived, we unpacked, got settled and took a stroll in our new neighborhood. If you’re planning to stay for an extended period of time in Moab, you must stay at The Plateau House! It was the perfect amount of space for two people, located about 2 miles from Main Street, and only a 10 minute drive to Arches National Park + plenty other surrounding hikes. We couldn’t have picked a better place to stay for our 6 weeks here.

There’s tons of things to do and sights to see in Moab! Below, I listed some great spots to hike along with some alternative activities the whole family can enjoy.

HIKING

Hiking was the main reason we decided to do this extended stay. We both enjoy being outdoors in nature + exploring new things. Listed below is every hike we did while in Moab. NOTE: I did not include any national parks. For more information on that, check the bottom of the page.

CORONA ARCH TRAIL + BOW TIE ARCH
Trail: moderate, 3 miles roundtrip, out & back
Trailhead: Along the Potash Road, which follows the north side of the Colorado River west from HWY 191. It has a clearly marked sign with a parking area and is about 10 miles down Potash Road. The entire trail is marked (either with signs or a green marking on the ground to follow).

We kicked off our first hike in Moab with Corona Arch! I’ll be honest here, I struggled with this hike. 3 miles roundtrip in 103 degree weather (2:30pm) being surrounded by huge rock formations in the middle of the desert was absolutely NO joke! We pounded through 5 water bottles and probably could have used a couple more. Thank god the clouds occasionally blocked the hot, radiant sun. On a positive note, it was so cool! What’s awesome about this trail is that you get to see two arches, Corona Arch + Bow Tie Arch.

NOTE: It’s rated moderate due to slight climbing. There is a short stretch of Moki steps you need to climb with a chain rope for assistance. Also, there’s a 5 step ladder that assists you over a rock.

GRANDSTAFF CANYON TRAIL TO MORNING GLORY BRIDGE
Trail: 5 miles roundtrip, out & back
Trailhead: Located in Lion’s Park, 3 miles from HWY 191 on U-128. It also has a clearly marked sign and parking area.

This hike guides you through a beautiful, narrow canyon which eventually leads you to a natural bridge. I read a couple reviews on All Trails and many stated that the path is hard to find at times which couldn’t be more accurate. I wish there were a couple more signs than there were, however, the ‘side paths’ eventually do lead you to the main one if you take an accidental detour. My piece of advice, if you come to a creek/stream that you think is a dead end, it actually is the the trail 90% of the time. I would estimate that we crossed 5-6 during the entirety of the hike.

MILL CREEK CANYON (NORTH FORK) TRAIL
Trail: 3.6 miles roundtrip, out & back
Trailhead: 1415 Powerhouse Ln, Moab, UT 84532. It also has a clearly marked sign and parking area.

Looking for something to do with the family or on a casual Tuesday night? Look no further because this hike is it! This hike guides you through 3 streams to eventually reach a beautiful waterfall! Before you ask…yes, you’re allowed to swim in it! The waterfall was the perfect escape from the southern Utah heat. There was shade provided from the walls of a cave yet still allowed plenty of sunshine to peak through. After seeing the waterfall from below, you can hike to the top portion and overlook the waterfall from above as well.

OTHER MOAB TRAILS

FISHER TOWERS

Trail: 4.4 miles roundtrip, out & back

This moderate trail is full of beautiful scenery. Gaining about 870 feet of elevation, I recommend doing this hike in the evening so the sun isn’t so harsh. The trail takes you around different towers providing you various views of these incredible rock formations.

JEEP ARCH TRAIL

Trail::

3.6 miles roundtrip, loop.

About 0.2 miles past the Corona Arch Trailhead, there’s a gravel pull off on the right and that’s where you park for this hike. To start, you must walk through a short tunnel and once you’re through you’ll then see the trailhead sign on your left. This moderate trail was straight until eventually coming to a T with a sign that said “Loop”. Either route will take you to Jeep Arch. NOTE: You must climb up/into and through the arch in order to continue the loop. If you don’t, this trail will not be a loop and will take the trail back the way you came.

FUNNEL ARCH TRAIL

Trail: 0.5 miles roundtrip, out & back.

If you Google “Funnel Arch Trail” it will take you to the correct location, however, there’s no trailhead sign nor a marked pathway. Luckily when we hiked this trail, there were two locals who knew the route to take to see the arch. NOTE: 80% of this trail was rock climbing and there was even one section that had rope assistance due to how narrow it got. If you’re looking for a straight, marked path, this won’t be your cup of tea. However, we LOVED this hike due to the rock climbing portions.

LONGBOW ARCH VIA POISION SPIDER TRAILHEAD

Trail::

2.2 miles roundtrip, out & back

This moderate trail was extremely exposed to the sun so it’s best to hike in the early morning or evening. NOTE: A majority of this hike is trekking through semi-deep sand so hiking boots are strongly recommended.

MOAB ACTIVITIES

If hiking isn’t really your thing, Moab’s full of plenty other activities to participate in! Whether you’re visiting with friends, family, or maybe even a couples trip, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

• Great eats!

  • Quesadilla Mobilla - the most popular restaurant in Moab is a food truck and you’ll see why because their quesadillas are incredible!

  • Zax Restaurant - a local favorite with great rooftop seating.

  • The Broken Oar - a family-friendly restaurant with a good variety of cuisine.

  • Milt’s - Delicious burgers, fries + shakes! Has a drive-in feel to it.

  • Blue Pig - awesome BBQ joint!

• Even sweeter treats!

  • Crystal’s Cakes & Cone’s

  • Emmet’s Fresh Squeezed Lemonade

• UTV Ride - perfect for a family outing or a date night, this activity is full of adrenaline, speed, and fun! Sunset cruise is a must.

• Ken’s Lake - grab some floaties + hit the water for the day!

• Spanish Valley Winery - a small vineyard with tons of charm! Tastings are $15/person, must be 21+ obviously. We promise, the views are just as amazing as the wine!

• Moab Adventures has it all - whitewater rafting, rock climbing, zip lining, etc.

• La Sal Mountains National Forest

WE LOVED MOAB! If you’re interested in visiting the desert, book your next trip here!

For National Park details near Moab, check out my articles on Arches and Canyonlands.

If you’re ready to hike them all, check out my articles on Capitol Reef National Park + Goblin Valley State Park .

Zion National Park + Bryce Canyon National Park articles are coming soon.