19 Adventurous Things To Do In Moab, Utah

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There is no where more exciting and adventurous as Moab in Utah. It’s famous for its red rock landscape and phenomenal natural wonders. If you’re an outdoor lover, you’ll find there are plenty of adventurous things to do in Moab to satisfy any explorer’s cravings.

We spent two weeks traveling around Moab, exploring its three awesome national parks, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef, and seeing what more this desert state has to offer.

We were so oblivious to anything outside the national parks, but after our own little exploration, we’ve learned that there is more to see and do in Moab – and downtown Moab is pretty cool.

If you’re not sure what to do in Moab, keep reading to see what we got up to!

Adventurous Things To Do In Moab

1. Arches National Park

You do not want to miss visiting Arches National Park. It is one of the most popular national parks in the USA for a reason!

This national park is famous for its 2,000+ stone arches, made from massive rock pinnacles and balanced rocks which were formed naturally by rain water.

Some of the larger arches in the park are estimated to be anywhere from 286-320 million years old!

It is also right on Moab’s doorstep and has lots of family-friendly hiking trails, making it so easy to explore.

I recommend at least two full days in Arches NP so you can experience the depth of her arch beauty.

Some of our favorite hiking trails in Arches National Park are:

• Delicate Arch Hiking Trail
• Landscape Arch Trail
• The Windows and Turret Arch

2. Explore Canyonlands National Park [Needles and Islands in the Sky]

Canyonlands National Park is divided into three sections: Islands in the Sky, The Needles District, and the Maze.

The first two are most accessible to every day travelers. The Maze is for 4WD experienced explorers only.

There is over a three hour drive between Islands in the Sky and the Needles District, so we recommend splitting this park in two, and explore them both over two days – one for each section.

If you are short on time, we recommend the Islands in the Sky section for its ease and canyon views.

Top things to do in Canyonland NP

• Mesa Arch Hike (great at sunrise)
• Drive the Shafer Trail
• Slickrock Trail in the Needles

3. Watch a Sunset at Dead Horse State Park

So this is one of my favorite experiences in the USA, not just in Utah or Moab.

Dead Horse Point is one of the most photographed scenic vistas in the USA. The overlook towers 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, providing a breathtaking panorama of Canyonlands’ sculpted pinnacles and buttes.

Dead Horse State Park is often overlooked for Canyonlands next door, but do not miss it!

As it is next door to Canyonlands, we recommend timing your visit there for sunset when you have finished.

Pack a picnic and find a spot on the edge of the mesa and enjoy the magic of the setting sun lighting up the spectacular horseshoe bend in the Colorado River as it carves out the surrounding canyonlands.

When Craig and I visited in 2006 it was only us and two other people there. This time there were more people but still crowds were pretty low.

It’s very similar to Horseshoe Bend in Arizona, but it’s less busy, so I enjoyed this attraction so much more.

4. Hike to Corona Arch

The Corona Arch hike was one of my favorite hikes in Moab. Thankfully, we only knew about it as our friends had done it before and took us there.

This is a great hike to do with kids as it’s relatively easy, and with ladders to climb, slickrocks to maneuver, a few cables, caves to explore, and cairns to build – they’ll be thoroughly entertained.

It was just as spectacular and fun as any hike in Arches National Park, and you will have way fewer people joining you!

I think late afternoon is probably the best time hike Corona Arch as the sun is in a good position for lighting up its many colors.

The 3-mile round trip hike starts in the parking lot across from the Colorado River and goes up a short hill, across the railroad tracks and then up into the canyon.

See if you can spot Corona Arch in the distance. It’s quite camouflaged until you walk more around the corner and the space behind the arch opens up so you can actually see the arch rather than have it blend with the rocks behind it from the other perspective.

Just past the ladder and along the large bench, be sure to look up at Bowtie Arch, the pothole-type arch located high on the cliff above the trail.

Corona Arch, with an opening of 140 by 105 feet, is also known as Little Rainbow because of its resemblance to Rainbow Bridge at Lake Powell.

Corona Arch is gigantic.

You will appreciate the perspective as you sit under the arch and enjoy a few snacks and the stunning views out to the surrounding desert landscape.

Be sure to get photos of you under the arch so you can see the scale of just how big this arch is.

5. Drive the Shafer Trail

To get a closer look at Horseshoe Bend, be sure to drive the Shafer Trail from the top of Islands in the Sky in Canyonlands, down to the middle canyon floor, around the edge of the rim past Horseshoe Bend, and back out to the Colorado River, which eventually takes you back into downtown Moab.

It is an adventurous and picturesque scenic drive.

You will definitely want a little bit of courage and an adventurous spirit to tackle those switchback coming down from Islands in the Sky.

Be assured, they look worse than what they are. Drive with caution.

It is so peaceful down on the canyon floor that I recommend you go down to experience that perspective.

If you want to complete the trail into Moab, you will need a 4WD.

Check with the Canyonlands Island in the Sky visitor center to be sure of current conditions. It can get pretty bumpy down there and the road can sometimes be covered in water. It will bring you back onto the Potash-Lower Colorado River Scenic Byway, which is spectacular. (see below)

6. Drive the LA Sal Mountains

A drive through the La Sal Mountains will give you a good perspective of the diversity of the Moab region.

20 miles south of Moab are the Lal Sal Mountains, part of the Manti-LA Sal National Forest and our views every day from our campsite.

With their snow covered peaks (in winter) and dramatic moon rises and colorful sunsets they are truly spectacular and worth exploring further.

It offers a different Moab experience with its pine and aspen forests. You’ll find plenty of hiking and mountain bike trails as well as trout fishing in its beautiful lakes and streams.

The La Sal Mountain Loop Road Scenic Byway begins six miles south of Moab winding up through the La Sal mountains and ending at the Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway.

The 60-mile loop drive finishes in Moab. You could spend all day exploring this area. It offers spectacular and diverse scenery with the forests at its height and expansive views over the red rocky landscape typical of Moab.

7. Drive the Moab Scenic Byways

The Moab area has three State Scenic Byways and we recommended spending a few hours enjoying the beauty of them.

You can easily incorporate all three with the hiking and national/state parks we have included in this list.

Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway (U-128) 44 miles

Allow about 2-hours for this spectacular drive alongside the Colorado River.

After the first 13-miles beside the river through a narrow gorge, the gorge widens through the Castle and Professor Valleys which have been the locations for Western films, including the popular Rio Grande.

We only went us far as the stunning Fisher Towers (see below for the hike we did there.)

The views of the red sandstone cliffs along this drive are stunning. It’s a classic, rugged Western landscape.

Potash-Lower Colorado River Scenic Byway (U-279) (17 miles)

Another beautiful scenic drive we stumbled upon on our drive out to Corona Arch.

If you do the Shaffer Trail, you will incorporate the Potash Road on the way back.

On this Scenic Byway in Moab you will have picturesque views of the Colorado River as well as ancient rock art, petroglyphs, and dinosaur tracks you can stop off to look at.

I loved stopping to watch the lines of rock climbers scrambling up the sheer pink and orange rock walls here. You can’t miss them, they start right on the edge of the road.

Sunset will be most rewarding time with the soft light illuminating the reddish-orange sandstone cliffs.

Deadhorse Point Mesa Scenic Byway (U-313) 35 miles

This scenic drive is easy to incorporate with a visit to Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse State Park as it is the road that takes you to both!

Hairpin turns you through the red rock canyon will take you up to the plateau, which makes easy scenery viewing.

See above for more on the views at Dead Horse State Park, one of my favorite in the US.

8. Go Rock Crawling and on Jeep Adventures

Moab has to have the highest concentration of Jeeps in the world – well at least when we visited during the popular Jeep Week.

If you are a mad Jeeper you want to be in Moab for Jeep Week. We waited until that madness was over before we hired some jeeps and joined a convoy of 13 families to go off-roading.

We were with the Fulltime Families group and were lucky to have some expert Jeepers volunteer to take us on some awesome off road trails around Moab and spot us as we crawled over rocks.

Yes. Crawled over them. With Jeep wheels moving out sideways in all directions and us lying way back in the car for what felt like vertical crawls up.

It was intense and something we didn’t realized we’d be doing until we got to the first rock.

Thankfully our guide believed in us and taught us how to do it, pushing our comfort zones to a new level of adventure.

Even after the first couple or rocks, Kalyra managed to control her freak outs and enjoy the experience. Until the very last, steepest rock when both girls nearly tore my hand off with their grips and their cries asked for no more.

It was a day filled with many screams, squeals, and much laughter. And we thought our Broken Arrow pink jeep tour in Sedona was scary!

And after the thrilling rock faces, we got to zip around the sand dunes – another Moab suprise and outdoor adventure laying in wait.

Travel is about breaking out of your comfort zones to grow into a better version of yourself. This jeeping adventure definitely taught us to let go, have faith and enjoy the ride.

Even though it defies all logic that a car can actually drive up a near vertical wall, there is a car that can make it happen. Break down your perceptions of what is possible.

Video: Rock Crawling and Jeep Offroading, Moab

9. Bike Ride Along the Colorado River

Are you looking for a gentle, tranquil and a beautiful experience in Moab?

Jump on your bike and go for a ride along the Colorado River just outside of town. It’s flat and only about 4 miles return.

Start at the Colorado River Bridge, north of Moab on the U-128 scenic byway and head east.

You will follow the Colorado River and wind past the border of Arches National Park as well so the scenery is spectacular.

You will pass a campsite amongst the cotton trees on the edge of the river and eventually come to the end of the bike path.

But, if you want to keep going along the scenic drive, you will have to bike on the road – this is not something we recommend as that can be a busy road with trucks, RV and jeeps whizzing by. Do that in your car instead. (see below)

From the bridge you can also head north to take the Moab Canyon Pathway, which is a 2 mile smooth blacktop path that meanders through the red rock canyon to the entrance of Arches National Park. It’s also great for walkers.

10. Go Mountain Biking in Utah

For those mountain bikers looking for a little more adventure with their bike exploration, there are plenty of biking trails in Moab!

This is America’s Adventure City so you will find any kind of adventure style you can think of.

Some of the most popular biking trails in Moab are:

• Intrepid Trail System at Dead Horse Point State Park is great for beginners.
• Sand Flats Recreation Area just east of Moab challenges even the best mountain bike riders
• Gemini Bridges Trail of the most scenic of the trails in the Moab area
• Slick Rock Bike Trail offers more challenging mountain biking trails

11. Paddle Board / Kayak / Raft the Colorado River

We did get the chance to kayak the Colorado River on our last trip because we visited during the colder months of April, but I loved watching the group of stand up paddle boarders cruising down the Colorado River. It looked so peaceful!

I have also heard that a rafting trip on the Colorado River in the Moab area is a bucket list experience! In fact, rafting the Colorado River anywhere is a bucket list for many (but ultimately through the Grand Canyon). Check out this rafting tour from Moab.

We also saw people whizzing by in a jet boat with arms held high and yelps at full pitch. Looked like a lot of fun. You can see jet boat tours here.

12. Hike to Fishers Tower

I thoroughly enjoyed the first of our hikes in Moab, which is located along the Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway (U-128).

The Fisher Towers are photogenic rock formations eroded into interesting shapes. Rock climbers love to scale the and hikers will be blown away by the peaked views.

Dark red sandstone has been carved into spires, minarets, soaring fins, gargoyles and strange rock formations here.

It is stunning! We had an eerie dark sky which made it all the more colorful and ominous. It’s quite an open trail so best to avoid it during the heat of the day.

It’s a 5.2 mile round trip trail that does through canyons, beneath sheer vertical cliffs and through the towers. We didn’t make it as far as the towers, but were more than satisfied with the dramatic scenery and outdoor adventure.

The Fisher Towers were filmed in the opening scene of Austin Powers in Goldmember and many other movies, TV commercial and ads have been shot here.

Just getting here along the scenic U-128 Scenic Byway is a worthy adventure (see above.)

13. Backyard Theater Bluegrass

Bluegrass in Moab? Who’d have thought.

Although, this was a rather sedate experience, compared to bluegrass in North Carolina for which the state claims to own, the bluegrass in Moab was still an experience worthy doing. And it was free.

It’s held weekly during the season at the tiny Moab Backyard Theater.

We didn’t stay the entire time as the kids were getting a little crazy playing in the grass out the front, and because this was rather a quiet bluegrass experience, you could hear them too much.

If it was bluegrass anywhere else they would have been drowned out by the singing, dancing, and wahooing.

14. Day trip to Capitol Reef National Park

Capitol Reef National Park is approximately a 2-hour drive from Moab and easily visitable on a day trip, though we recommend staying at least 3 days if you can.

Many people skip this national park altogether, which is a BIG mistake. It sits beside Bryce Canyon as our favorite national park in Utah, and very high on our top USA national parks list.

The colors and rock formations are extraordinary in this park and it is filled with incredible hikes and scenic drives.

And the drive here along Scenic Highway 24 is spectacular. I liked it as much as, if not more, than the infamous nearby Scenic Highway 12.

15. Day trip to Goblin Valley State Park

Goblin Valley State Park is also only 90-minutes from Moab and a small park to explore so definitely doable for a day trip from Moab.

Although we recommend combining it with a visit to Capitol Reef National Park. It’s on the way and there are plenty of camping and boondocking spots in the area.

Our free campsite nestled into the orange cliffs of the nearby of Little Wild Horse Canyon and was absolutely stunning.

Goblin Valley Utah is an exquisite area of goblins, dwarves and mushrooms carved out of the sandstone rocks by the wind. It’s a playground for kids offering endless imaginative fun and games of hide and seek and tag.

16. Shop at the Moab Rock Shop

Moab is famous for its iconic rocky landscape, and you might be tempted to take one of those iconic rocks home with you.

Don’t just pick up a stone from the ground though, head to the Moab Rock Shop and shop for fossils, rocks and minerals from the town’s very own “Dinosaur Man.”

The Rock Shop owner, Lin Ottinger, has become a bit of a local celebrity, and is known for discovering FOUR dinosaur species, including the Iguanodon Ottingeri, which was the first Iguanodon found in the US and named after the shop owner.

So don’t just pick out a few rocks, be sure to chat to the owner to learn more about the fossils and Jurrasic history of the area.

17. Visit Moab Giants Dinosaur Park & Tracks Museum

Speaking of dinosaurs, Moab Giants Dinosaur Park & Tracks Museum is the place to go to learn all about Moab’s Jurassic period.

It’s a fun and interactive museum designed for kids. It has a Dino Playground where kids can dig for dinosaur bones, a Paleo Camp, 5D virtual aquarium, and a Dinosaur Trail, where they can walk amongst life-size dinosaurs!

As well as this, there are many displays of fossils and dinosaur tracks to ignite their curiosity.

18. Hike to Morning Glory Natural Bridge, Grandstaff Canyon

Another faimly-friendly hike to do near Moab is the Morning Glory Natural Bridge hike in Grandstaff Canyon.

This 6.9 km out and back trail takes you to see an impressive arch called Morning Glory, which is famous for being the sixth longest natural rock bridge in the USA.

The hike is moderately difficult, with a few creek crossings and some rock scramblings, but adventurous kids can do it.

Bring plenty of water as there is little shade on this trail.

19. Explore downtown Moab

Moab itself is a pretty cool town. Most people use it as a base to explore the surrounding national parks and landscapes, but don’t be too quick to rush away from town!

Downtown is tiny, it’s really made up of one Main Street lined with food trucks, a few quirky gift shops, and tour operator shops. It also has a lot of coffee shops and the cafe culture seems to be growing year after year.

It’s also where the Moab Museum is located, and the Backyard Theater (mentioned earlier). Be sure to pop into Canyonlands Trading Post to pick up some souvenirs!

Where To Stay in Moab, Utah

There are many options of places to stay in Moab, but I recommend you stay in downtown Moab to experience the nightlife.

Many hotels come with parking, which makes them an easy base for exploring Moab and its surrounding national parks and attractions.

Some popular hotels are:

For Boondockers

If you have an RV and prefer boondocking, we stayed at two boondocking places in Willow Springs and at the Airport. Boondocking is highly regulated in Moab, so you need to know where you can go before you rock up.

The Airport boondocking place has now been closed it down permanently, but you can find open boondocking places on campendium.

The Maverick Gas Stations have free dumping and potable water. Note – it gets very busy. Avoid hours up to 11am as you may have a good wait.

Car Rental Moab

Be sure to check rental conditions as to what roads you can take the rental cars on.

4WD would be the best car to rent in Moab with all the off-road driving options on offer! Check rental options here.

Video: Things to Do in Moab Playlist

You can watch the videos of our adventures in Moab in the following playlist.

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