We spend a lot of time in Moab. I first visited there in the 60’s and have been going back ever since. I probably camped in the area over 300 days in just the last 10 years. So I thought maybe I’d put together a thread sharing some of the insights we’ve gained in that time. I’m sure this will be long, but hopefully there’s information in here that will help those planning a trip to this gem of an area.Moab is one of the more popular topics that gets posted on RV.net. In the future, when someone posts a question about Moab, feel free to link back to this page.ResourcesBelow are some websites with good information beyond what I’m offering here. The BLM website used to have lots of good information but in the last year it has been totally revamped so there is now minimal information on BLM lands. I’ve tried to cover some of that information here.Arches NP NPS website with the latest info, including closures and links to reservation systemCanyonlands NP NPS website with lot of information Dead Horse Point SPUtah state park website with links to reservationsManti - La Sal NF NFS website with info and links on campgrounds and hiking trails in the La Sal MountainsDiscover Moab An informative and very well done website for all things Moab. Activities, accommodations, attractions. Check out the brochure section for more ideas of things to do.American Southwest Page down for links to sections on the National Parks, the NF, Dead Horse Point, and specific places like Fisher Towers and Potash Road.

When to goNaturally for many, when to go is determined by when they can go, taking into consideration school and/or work schedules. Spring is of course the popular time of the year to go. You’ll find lots of people especially around school breaks. We always avoid the week before Easter as that is when the Jeep Safari takes place. So busy it’s a chore just to get groceries or gasoline. You’ve been warned! Late in April is a very popular car show. On Saturday night, people line both sides of Main Street to watch a collection of rat rods, vintage classics, and 50’s street machines drive up and down the street for hours. People bring lawn chairs and even picnics. Pretty interesting but brings a lot of people to town.Summer can get quite hot (ok, maybe not hot by AZ standards), so plan your outdoor activities in the coolers parts of the day like morning and evening. Some hikes, like Grandstaff Canyon and Fiery Furnace are down between the fins to there’s some shade in the hotter parts of the day. Or take the LaSal Loop Road and enjoy the cooler temps around the LaSal Mountains. Take a raft trip. The pool in Moab has an outdoor section where one can cool off during the day. In the afternoon, hike up Mill Creek to the waterfall, staying left at the junction. Brave souls will jump from the cliff into the pond, but just wading or sitting in the water is a great place to cool off in the summer. Warning: parking can be tough as this is a popular getaway. Fall is somewhat less busy than Spring but still popular. We avoid the week of the Utah Education Associate convention in mid-October that takes place in SLC as virtually all the school districts in the state are off for that Thursday and Friday. Many parents take their kids out of school for the whole week. Not quite as bad as Jeep Safari week in the Spring, but pretty crowded.Winter would seem like the ideal time to visit and it can be. But sometimes temperature inversions set in and Moab will be 10 or 20 degrees colder than we are here in Glenwood Springs. One can often find warmer temps by going up to Island in the Sky in Canyonlands, but down by the river it can be very cold.

Getting thereThere’s really only three ways in, from the north, the south, or the northeast. Two routes seem to get a lot of questions here on RV.net. How is UT 128 along the river and what about getting from Salt Lake City or Provo to Moab?From the north, US 191 connects with I-70, providing access from CO to the east and Utah and points west in the other direction. In the afternoon, especially on Friday and Saturday, lines going into Moab on US 191 can back up nearly to the turnoff for Arches. At worst, it’s taken me an hour to get into town from the back of the line. A traffic jam in the middle of the deserts of Utah!For connecting to the Salt Lake City or Provo areas, the route utilizing US 191, US 6, US 89 is fine for all types of RV’s. This route is quite busy and many semi’s use this route daily. There are dedicated passing lanes along this route but much is just a two lane road, so we drive with our lights on at all hours.US 191 to the south is one way to get to places like Durango, and Mesa Verde via US 491 or on down to the Grand Canyon. UT 191 does intersect UT 46/CO 90 which is a route that skirts the southern end of the La Sal Mountains and goes to Telluride and Ouray. Good two lane road, but there is a section dropping down into the Dolores River Valley that has several 20 MPH hairpin curves, so watch your speed.Another route into Moab from the NE is via UT 128 along the Colorado River. This highway parallels the Colorado River for over 30 miles. A gorgeous drive on a two lane road that can get narrow in places. Important to stay in ones lane going around corners and over some of the rises. Coming from CO, this is a shorter route distance-wise, but we’ve found it to take about the same time as the I-70 to US 191 route. Before the road gets into the canyon, it has undulations in some places that made the cats heave, so we’ve avoided for some time. Once you get past Grandstaff Campground (about the last three miles of the road), you may encounter a lot of bicyclists on the road heading west. There is a popular mountain bike trail that dumps onto the road there and while there is a dedicated bike lane along much of this stretch, there are still portions where the cyclists are on the road. Be especially aware in the evenings in the fall, as some of them haven’t appreciated how long the Whole Enchilada mountain bike trail can take and how early it can get dark. Some RV drivers will find it makes more sense to take the US 191 route and drive the river road as a day trip out of Moab. From our experience camping along the river, big rigs are far more rare than those who come in on US 191.

What to doMoab is a busy place for a reason. The variety of activities is amazing. People travel from all over the world to visit the national parks, but plenty of people also come to mountain bike, hike, 4x4, ride ATV’s, raft, climb – the list goes on.What you decide to do is dependent on your interest and how much time you have. A drive through of Arches NP will take you half a day. If you want to hike some of the trails, you can easily spend several days to hit the highlights.HikingArches NP is a great park to hike in. Some of the hikes are really just short walks from the car to a view point. Others can take the better part of a day. Among the longer ones, we like going to Devil’s Garden, hiking out to Double O arch and returning via the Primitive Loop. Many do the hike out to Delicate Arch in the evening to catch the sunset. Bring a flashlight or headlamp for the return trip. The short hikes around the Windows section can all be done from one parking spot. Easier that way anyway, as parking can be at a premium. Get a spot – hang on to it. The hike to Broken Arch and Sand Dune Arch is a great way to spend a couple of hours if you’re camped at the Devil’s Garden CG.Canyonlands NP isn’t so blessed with good hikes. Mesa Arch and Grandview Point are two of our favorite out there. Neck Springs is interesting if you have a little more time. Trails that go down to the White Rim like Gooseberry or Murphy Hogback are ones that should only be attempted by stronger hikers as there is significant elevation loss down to the rim which one must hike back up at the end of the day. Lots of water is a must on those hikes.For hiking ideas on all the BLM lands, check out Discover Moab hiking information where they have descriptions and some nice maps. One good thing about BLM trails is that dogs are allowed in most places. They also list a few trails that are good to do on hot days. Grandstaff, Hunter Canyon, and Hidden Valley all have reasonable amounts of shade for those hot afternoons. Fisher Tower Trail is an interesting hike because of the pathway. Hot in the sun however. I just hiked this trail again this fall and forgot how amazing it is. There may not be any arches, but this trail is on par with most NPS trails in Utah for the experience. This isn't a trail to stroll on, as there are some places where I had to use a hand to balance. Dogs are OK for the first 1.5 miles. Then there's a six rung ladder to negotiate. If you can carry your dog down a ladder, then no problem. I met a couple with a German Shepherd that they had carried down the ladder, but they were half my age. Don't think I could have done it. But if you like to explore, this is a trail not to be missed! Brochure On really hot days, consider a hike in the La Sal Mountains. Hiking among the aspens will make the heat of Moab seem a world away.

What to do continuedScenic DrivesI won’t include the roads through Arches NP and Island in the Sky /Canyonlands NP as I figure you’ll drive those roads if you are visiting those parks. I’ve already mentioned UT 128 up the Colorado River as far as Dewey Bridge. A turnoff from this road takes you south through Castle Valley and up to the La Sal Mountains. The La Sal Loop Road will eventually drop you back onto US 191 south of Moab. This loop can take the better part of a day if you stop to explore, have a picnic and take pictures.Driving downstream on UT 279 on the north side of the river is a nice way to spend an evening. You’ll pass Wall Street about five miles along this road where you may see lots of climbers heading up the rocks right beside the road. Just beyond there is a nice panel of petroglyphs. Definitely worth getting out of your vehicle to view. Watch for traffic. Further along you’ll pass Corona Arch and then Jughandle Arch. There are more petroglyphs above the Jughandle Arch parking lot. (For more information on rock art in the Moab area, check out this brochure) One may also drive this road by coming down off the Island in the Sky via Shafer Trail or Long Canyon roads (see below)Even if you don’t camp down there, if you’re in Moab for more than a few days, a trip down to the Needles District of Canyonlands NP is a nice little jaunt. Stop at Newspaper Rock State Historical Monument on UT 211, the road into the Needles. Lots of rock art on this panel. There’s an outhouse there if you need one before you get to Canyonlands.4x4 RoadsWe really don’t do much four wheeling as we use our mountain bikes to get around. We’ve been on some of the4x4 roads and a good many of them require modified (non-stock) equipment. If you rent a jeep for a day of exploration, the rental companies will have suggestions on where to go (and where you’re not allowed to go with their equipment).One of the better listings of 4x4 trails in the area is by Red Rock 4-Wheelers. Check out their website for descriptions, maps, and photos.If you do Elephant Hill down in the Needles District of Canyonlands NP, do the short hike to the Joint Trail. It is cool in there even in the summer, so a place to picnic if you so choose. The hike out to the Confluence Overlook is also nice. We’ve seen it when the Green River was running red and the Colorado River was running green! :hThere are some trails they don’t list. Maybe they’re too easy for them to even consider. ;) In Canyonlands, the White Rim Trail can be done in a day. Drop in at Shafer Trail and head clockwise around the Island in the Sky. You can see parts of this trail when you are at some of the viewpoints on the Island. Murphy Hogback is the biggest challenge, but most four wheel drive vehicles with decent clearance can make this trip. A smaller vehicle like a Subaru Outback might be challenged by Murphy Hogback however. Many smaller sport UTES aren’t really 4x4 but rather all-wheel drive. I’d be a little cautious about taking one of them. I doubt I’d take our RAV4 on the White Rim.Another, easier option is to drop down Shafer Trail and take a left on Potash Road about five miles down. This will take you back to Moab via UT 279 on the north side of the Colorado River. You’ll go past the evaporation ponds at Potash and past the place where the closing scene of “Thelma and Louise” was filmed (no, it wasn’t the Grand Canyon!). I did this route in a brand new 1981 Honda Accord (the small versions back then) and my girlfriend at the time only had to get out and push once! One can also drop down off the Island on Long Canyon Road which takes off from UT 313 just before Dead Horse Point SP. This also joins UT 279 but upstream from Potash, so it’s a much quicker way back to Moab. Generally traversable in a high clearance 2WD vehicle, but rains and spring runoff can leave large rocks in the road in the bottom of the canyon.

What to do continuedMountain BikingWhat can I say? This is why we spend so much time in Moab. We love the trails there. We meet people from all over the world who have gone to Moab to mountain bike in the same way people go to Aspen or Vail to ski. Hundreds of miles of singletrack have been put in during the last 10 years. The Discover Moab Mountain Biking Page has trail descriptions and lots of great maps. Use those maps in combination with my descriptions below. I think they also have an app for your phone, but we use Trailforks.com and MTBproject.com apps. I will discuss our favorites in some of the mountain biking areas they list. Remember, we now refer to our mountain biking adventures as the “Geriatric Tour” so those who are younger and with more daring might find some of our suggestions a little tame. For that reason, I’m not going to talk about the Whole Enchilada, Amasa Back, Slickrock, Porcupine Rim, etc., as they are now above our pay grade. Besides, if you’re that good, you know how to find information anyway.For lots of good information, photos and descriptions, check out Utah Mountain Biking. KlonzoOne of our favorites areas to ride when we first get to Moab. The dirt road out there can be busy with all the boondockers along the way and the road can be rutted after a rain, but most vehicles can make the trip. If you take kids or newcomers to the sport, park up the upper lot and take Midway south to the trails around Carousel. I’ve seen kids 3 or 4 years old out there riding.We like the trails north of the road better. We’ll take Borderline up, do a loop on Wahoo, the go back up to Gravitron (Allison walks a couple of places here), then back on Vertigo with various loops on Cross Canyon, Secret Passage then over to Dunestone and Boondocks before going back to the car. Or we’ll take Zoltar over to Redhot. I’ll sometimes take Roller Coaster but Allison will bail onto Midway over to the really easy trails around Carousel. Top Spin is best counterclockwise from The Edge.Bar M/Brand TrailsThese trails are located about 8 miles north of Moab right off US 191. There are pit toilets, a bike tool pedestal, and a parking lot big enough to turn around the largest rig. We often ride here on our way out of town as we already have the trailer packed and hooked up.For a reasonable easy yet fun loop, we ride EZ to Rusty Spur to Sidewinder. Some great flowy downhill on Sidewinder until we bail on the next to last exit to the paved trail, where we ride back up to Lazy and back to the parking lot. Or we’ll add a Bar B loop. North 40 is slightly more technical and fun counterclockwise. Klondike BluffsIn the old days (you remember, the last century) one would ride the jeep trail up to the Klondike Bluffs trailhead, park, and hike the last bit to the bluffs. Now there are miles of singletrack and we never go to the bluffs anymore.It’s still a good climb, whether it’s up Baby Steps (we like south with the singletracks) or Mega Steps. UFO south to north and down Little Salty is a fun loop. Dinoflow is a nice route in either direction., although Jurassic is easier. Up Mega Steps and down Alaska/Nome/Homer gets you pretty far away from most riders. Great views off the ridge line on Mega Steps and Alaska. Often where we have lunch.If you have new riders, drive to the Klondike North trailhead about 23 miles north of town. Jasper, Midline, and Agate are all very easy, wide trails where kids of all ages can get a feel of what mountain biking is about. Very little shade there, so very hot in the summer. Also a good parking area to access the northern trails of Klondike Bluffs. There are a couple of pit toilets out there, something not available at the main parking area to the south.HorsethiefNear the Horsethief BLM CG, they have put in a number of different trails, so if you camp there, you can ride right from your campsite. Right adjacent to the CG are a couple of kid friendly trails, Rowdy and Wrangler. Rodeo is a longer (8+mile) loop new in 2017 that gets one away from the crowds. Some technical areas, but overall pretty ridable.A variety of loops can be put together using the short trails on the other side of the highway. Mustang, Whirlwind, etc. can be combined with 7 Up and Getaway for hours of fun. Navajo RocksThese trails lie on both sides of UT 313 and have gotten more popular every year. Park at the lot at MP 15.5 and ride out either Ramblin’ or Big Mesa . The eastern loop rides better clockwise, the western one counter clockwise, so we use Middle Earth as a connector and ride a figure 8.Intrepid trails at Dead Horse Point SPAnother set of fun trails where one can ride right from the campsite. Raven Roll and Intrepid are very beginner friendly. The loop out Pyramid to Big Chief and back on Raven Roll means some fun flowy downhill on return. Or continue across the highway on Crossroads and do loops with Whiptail, Twisted Tree, and Prickly Pair.Loop RidesLooking for a little longer ride? Here are some loops we do. Some take the better part of a day for us older folk.For a loop through part of Arched, park somewhere in or near the entrance to Arches. Ride up the paved trail to the Brand Trails. Take Lazy or EZ to North 40 and follow that to the dirt road where you can catch Bar M singletrack along the canyon rim. Follow the signs for Zephyr to the Klonzo area, where you’ll catch Midway over to the Willow Springs Road. This jeep trail goes into Arches and meets the paved road near Balanced Rock (this is the original road into Arches as when Edward Abbey worked there in the 50’s). From Balanced Rock, turn right on the paved road and head back to your vehicle.To do the Mag 7 trails when I’m alone and don’t shuttle, I’ll park in the Brand Trails parking lot and head north on the paved bike path. At UT 313, head up toward Canyonlands for 4.1 miles. On the outside of the second big switchback, look for some subtle cairns heading out across the slickrock. This is the start of the 7 Up trail. Ride that up for 9+ miles to the start of Bull Run and take the Mag 7 route down. At Goldbar, work your way back to the Gemini Bridges road and begin the long slog up and over the divide until you’re back to the highway and back to the vehicle. I like to combine the Navajo Rocks and Horsethief trail system into a big loop. Park at the middle Navajo Rocks parking lot and ride across the road to Middle Earth. At Coney Island, take a left and go ¼ mile to a trail dropping to the right which will take you to 7 Up. Ride 7 Up to the Horsethief trail system and pick your favorite route up to the highway. Cross the road and catch Chisholm back to Big Lonely and Big Mesa and back to the car. You can include a loop of Rodeo if you need more miles.

A Primer on Moab | Good Sam Community

4runnerguy
Explorer
Apr 08, 2022
dodge guy wrote:
How far can I go on some of the trails with a 16 Ram 1500 with 2” of lift? Not looking for aggressive off roaring. Just to get back to see some of the less seen sites!
Of course a lot depends on your previous 4x4 experience. You can look at this web page and concentrate on trails rated 2 or 2+ to start. You might look at some of the trails rated 3. Search for videos on them and see what sorts of obstacles that you will encounter and decide if you can do them.

For a starter course, try Shafer Trail off of Island in the Sky in Canyonlands and head back to Moab on the Potash Road. This really isn't much of a 4x4 road and it has been improved a lot in the last few decades. But it gets you right into the scenery.

On the other side of the river is Chicken Corners. A little more difficult than Shafer Trail but still not very technical. Rated a 2, it's considered by many to be an intro to Moab four wheeling.

Another relatively easy trail is Gemini Bridges. It takes off from UT 313 about 13 miles from the junction with US 191. There's a pretty small sign at the turnoff but usually lots of cars parked there, as it is the start of a heavily used mountain bike trail. About 5 1/2 miles down the road is a side road to the trail head for a short walk to view the bridges. Back at the truck, you can continue on down the Gemini Bridges road. It does get rougher but still doable with care. You'll come out on US 191 right across from the Brand Trails parking lot.

These trails will give you an idea of what's out there, but you'll still rarely find much solitude. Moab is just crazy busy.

If your appetite is whetted by these trails, you can always rent a jeep to try something a little more difficult. You have a pretty big rig and if it's a crew cab/quad cab it has a long wheelbase which makes it much easier to bottom out.
dodge_guy
Explorer II
Apr 07, 2022
Thanks. I will save for reading tonite.
I have plans for eventually going to the area.

With that said. How far can I go on some of the trails with a 16 Ram 1500 with 2” of lift? Not looking for aggressive off roaring. Just to get back to see some of the less seen sites!
4runnerguy
Explorer
Apr 07, 2022
Just to bring this up to date. Construction is finished on the north end of town, but it can still be quite a slow trek south on US 191 into down, esp. on Friday afternoons. But most days do get busy as everyone returns to Moab from their daily adventures.

If you are visiting Arches, make sure you you get your reservations on recreation.gov three months out from when you want to go in. Reservations are released in one month blocks three months from the first of the month that you want to visit.

https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10088426
4runnerguy
Explorer
Oct 28, 2020
riltri wrote:
4runnerguy...not doubting what you saw but we are currently in Moab @ OK RV Park....been here 3 days. We did get to Arches around 8 a.m. both days and sailed right thru. Coming out between 2 & 4 there was a line of about 8 autos but it looked like the normal backup when people pay to get in. The road construction is a pain but it didn't take us more than 15-20 minutes (3 times) to get from where the construction begins then into town where the construction ends.

Snow is predicted for Monday and temps are dropping, so I'm guessing that the traffic volume will start dying down a little.
15 to 20 minutes has been pretty common in the spring and fall for several years now. I guessing visitation had dropped quite a bit then. Lucky for you. People we know in Moab said that the construction was creating the worst traffic mess they had ever seen, even in town. Three different couples we know went out there the week before we did and ended up cutting their trip short because of the traffic. (Unfortunately our paths didn't cross before we headed out!).

Winter visitation is less than spring and fall, so things might be OK for a few months. But what happens in March when everyone starts heading back out? :( :E
riltri
Explorer
Oct 24, 2020
4runnerguy...not doubting what you saw but we are currently in Moab @ OK RV Park....been here 3 days. We did get to Arches around 8 a.m. both days and sailed right thru. Coming out between 2 & 4 there was a line of about 8 autos but it looked like the normal backup when people pay to get in. The road construction is a pain but it didn't take us more than 15-20 minutes (3 times) to get from where the construction begins then into town where the construction ends.

Snow is predicted for Monday and temps are dropping, so I'm guessing that the traffic volume will start dying down a little.
CFerguson
Explorer
Oct 23, 2020
Glad this thread has been brought back! Fantastic resource. Thanks 4runnerguy!
4runnerguy
Explorer
Oct 23, 2020
Just a heads up for those planning to visit Moab from now through May of 2021. There is a major construction project on US 191 on the north end of Moab. Traffic gets backed up southbound heading into town in the afternoon. We were just there last week. Even on Monday and Tuesday, I spent 45 minutes just getting to the bridge over the Colorado River (UT 128). I talked to one family who came into Moab on Wednesday evening. At around 6:00 p.m., they hit the backup about where UT 313 (which goes up to Dead Horse Point SP/Island in the Sky) hits US 191. Took them THREE hours to get to Moab. Yeah, getting to town well after dark wasn't in their plans.

I talked to several groups who said they are never going back to Moab.

And another thing to be aware of. Arches National Park is now monitoring how many vehicles are in the park and will close the entrance until people start leaving. If the park is full, you will drive in on the entrance road, pass right through the fee stations, and be turned around at the roundabout and sent back out. We saw this every day we were there. Seems like sometime in the late afternoon they started letting cars back in. I guess it's a sensible solution as parking at trailheads was getting difficult to come by.
twodownzero
Explorer
Jan 10, 2020
timandsusan wrote:
WOW! Great info! We travel thru and stay a few days in Moab virtually every summer/fall heading to SLC for the visit with Gkids. We enjoyed several of the interesting areas that were mentioned. Yes, Moab is Unique! But maybe to much of a good thing happened last summer--we paid $71/night for 1 night at KOA. Not really worth it for us since we have been many times to the area. I would recommend the local golf course is very playable. I read that either Utah or the Moab tourist group promoted visits to Moab last year--guess what???It worked! Expect crowds.

I stayed in Moab for 5 days last October. I never paid a dime for camping. Once I unhitched and threw the mountain bikes on board, I found even more campsites that were even closer to the things I wanted to do! I imagine in August/September when it's warmer, it might be a little tighter, but I find it hard to believe that $71 a night to camp had to happen with all the land around Moab. It was 15 minutes to town from where I stayed, too.

This is a GREAT thread and I'm so glad somebody bumped it. I'd be one of those cranky younger mountain bikers who rode the Whole Enchilada the last time I was there. I'm looking forward to doing Mag 7 and some of the other trails the next time I go there. Moab is so much fun.
Belgique
Explorer
Jan 10, 2020
This should be made a sticky here. Great info.
timandsusan
Explorer
Jan 10, 2020
WOW! Great info! We travel thru and stay a few days in Moab virtually every summer/fall heading to SLC for the visit with Gkids. We enjoyed several of the interesting areas that were mentioned. Yes, Moab is Unique! But maybe to much of a good thing happened last summer--we paid $71/night for 1 night at KOA. Not really worth it for us since we have been many times to the area. I would recommend the local golf course is very playable. I read that either Utah or the Moab tourist group promoted visits to Moab last year--guess what???It worked! Expect crowds.

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