A Primer on Moab
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...
Forum Discussion
Getting there
There’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.
There’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.
