Forum Discussion

ferrelldebbie's avatar
Jan 07, 2017

Shuttle service from campgrounds in Moab?

Do some of the RV campgrounds/resorts offer shuttles to Arches and Canyonlands NP? Hate to drive the camper to the NP each day. Is the parking bad at those NP?
  • Both parks are huge. You need a vehicle to get around. A shuttle to the gate would not be of much use.

    Parking at the most popular stops, in Arches particularly, can be problematic at the busiest times of day at the busier times of the year. In October 2007, I found a few stops where there was no parking for anything larger than a motorcycle at mid-day, but there was plenty of space early morning and approaching sunset.
  • Not aware of any shuttles from any campgrounds. Would be impractical as the parks are huge and cannot be seen on foot alone.

    We were there last September and October and Arches was the only park (around Moab) that was crowded. Easy to drive into IF you get an early start as suggested. Canyonlands and Dead Horse were not crowded - by Utah standards that is. Both of those a vehicle is mandatory. Make sure you make side trips to the lookouts on the north and south in Canyonlands - breathtaking and so worth the extra driving.

    Bryce and Zion you can use the park shuttles and leave you car behind. Almost necessary as they are really crowded with cars and tour busses. Monument valley you can take a guided tour by one of the companies. We drove that dirt road ourselves and it was probably the worst road I have ever been on in my life. I don't understand why it was so bad.

    Do you own research, some you need a car and some you certainly want to leave it behind and use their transportation.
  • I don't recall the resorts having any shuttles and the parks are much more spread out than Zion and not as concentrated as Bryce, so they don't have shuttles. Arches is much more popular than Canyonlands and There can be parking probkems. We went early in the morning and right at sunset and didn't have any parking problems. Plus avoided the heat of the day.

    Canyonlands north and dead horse point so are the most visited there. But, about 20-30 miles south of Moab is Needles Overlook its an amazing view of Canyonlands with a 270 degree view from one point.

    Also I'll cast a vote for Canyonlands Resort downtown Moab from your other post. Very nice and easy access to downtown without having to have a car. Enjoy your trip!
  • Like others have said maybe doing it early morning in a RV would work. The first time we visited there we tried it in a 27' motorhome and found the spaces in the parking lots for busses and RVs were taken up with the overflow of cars. Ended up just driving through. Last time there we had our CR-V toad with us and had a great time. Plan on renting a car or jeep. Dick
  • We took our first trip to Moab this past early October. At that time, sightseeing the parks (Arches, Canyonlands, Dead Horse) was do-able, but parking was tight. Sometimes it meant a pretty long hike from the spot back to the main viewing/trail head area. I found it hard finding a spot for the F150. Would never think about it with anything bigger. The NPS should look at a shuttle system like Zion, but with budgets the way they are, it probably won't happen. There didn't seem to be any private shuttle operators. As noted you could probably hire a guide ($$$$), but the best option might be a car/jeep rental.
  • No shuttle service. One can hire a guide service who will tote you around the parks, but that won't be cheap. Both parks have multiple parking areas from which to do short strolls to longer hikes. As noted, rent a car or a jeep if you need to get around for the day. Probably easier than finding a parking spot for a large RV, esp. in Arches. If you rent a jeep, after touring Island in the Sky at Canyonlands, you can drop down Shafer Trail and head back to Moab along the river.

    PM me if you have other questions. We spend quite a bit of time in the Moab area every year. I camped there a total of five weeks last year.
  • Each national park has a terrific web site. Check them out for things to do, camping, roads and for Arches the summer of 2017 you can read all about the construction.

    I'd recommend you get a very early start - like 6 or 7 am to drive the park. It would be an awesome time and won't be as crowded.

    I don't recall any shuttles but you might Google for a tour operator in Moab.

    You'll see many rental RVs on the roads but parking in the turnouts will not be fun..... go early.

    https://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm