Moab, Utah, as well as the surrounding area in Southeast Utah, is paradise for outdoor adventure junkies. The area offers an abundance of hiking, mountain biking and 4WD trails and is home to Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Bears Ears National Monument, Natural Bridges National Monument, Valley of the Gods, Gooseneck State Park, Monument Valley on the AZ border, and much more.

About Our Trip

My wife and I had visited Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in Southwest Utah and loved it, so we’ve been anxious to see this side of Utah. We planned on going in the first week of November, but after breaking my ankle in October, we had to postpone the trip until the last week of March.

Below is the 7 day itinerary that we followed. Read on for more details about our trip and things to do in Southeast Utah.

Day 1 – Arches
Day 2 – Canyonlands
Day 3 – Corona Arch, Arches for Sunset
Day 4 – Bears Ears, Natural Bridges, Valley of the Gods
Day 5 – Gooseneck State Park, Monument Valley
Day 6 – La Sal Loop, Fisher Towers
Day 7 – Canyonlands, Arches for Sunset

Nights 1 thru 4 – Moab
Night 5 – Bluff
Night 6 – Monument Valley
Night 7 & 8 – Moab

On the map I pinned points of interest in the area we traveled, as well as other places in UT & AZ if you want to cover a larger area and see all of Utah’s “Mighty 5” national parks. We considered doing a larger loop but instead focused on spending all of our time in the Southeast region. We will see the other amazing places like Grand Staircase Escalante and Capitol Reef National Park on our next trip to Utah.

When To Go

We went in the last week of March and the nice thing about going then is that we got to see the amazing contrast of red rocks and snowy mountain peaks in the distance.  The temperature was mild during the day, between 50 and 70, and would drop into the 30s at night. 

I think the temperature would be equally pleasant in October or November.  Visiting in winter would be nice for photography, though uncomfortably cold, and visiting in the summer would be way too hot for me to enjoy being outdoors, so I think that spring or fall is the best time to go.  One caveat, every year during the week of Easter is the Jeep Jamboree when Moab gets absolutely packed so you may want to avoid that week unless youre going for that event.  

Getting To Moab

Moab is a haul from major airports like Salt Lake City (4 hours), Las Vegas (7 hours), Pheonix (7 hours), Albuquerque (6 hours) or Denver (6 hours), but if you don’t mind an extra stop, you can fly directly to Moab’s tiny Canyonlands Airport (CNY) from Denver on United Airlines. That’s what we did and the price was about the same as it would be flying into Salt Lake City. You can pick up your rental car at the airport in Moab and start exploring! Another option is flying into Grand Junction in Colorado, which is under 2 hours from Moab and I bet it’s a scenic drive.

Where to Stay in Moab

We stayed at the Marriott Springhill Suites, just outside Arches National Park and 5 minutes from downtown Moab. Fairfield Inn & Suites is located on the same property and shares the gorgeous pool that we were too tired to ever experience. Both hotels are new, clean and offer free breakfast. I recommend staying there or consider the hotels in downtown Moab as well so that you have the convenience of walking to shops and restaurants. There are also lots of camping options available around Moab if that’s your thing. 

When traveling south to Monument Valley, we stayed at the Desert Rose Resort in Bluff and The View Hotel in Monument Valley and both places were very nice.

Things To Do

Around Moab

There’s a lot more to Moab than just its national parks. There are numerous hiking, biking and 4WD trails in and around Moab that are free to enjoy.  There’s also paddling on the river, zip lining, etc.  Adventure awaits!

Our favorite hike on this trip was to Corona Arch in Moab. The parking lot for the trail head is accessed from the paved section of Potash Road. It’s a relatively easy hike, except for the section where you use a rope to climb up a steep rock and climb up a ladder. That section may make the hike unsuitable for grandma, or those with dogs, but I thought it was easy and it made the hike more fun. The arch itself is huge. Corona Arch is smilar to Delicate Arch but less busy and more peaceful.

We also did part of the Fisher Towers Trail, which has beautiful scenery.  Even if you’re not going to do the hike, the drive along the Colorado River on scenic Route 128 past Castle Valley is wonderful. Stop at Canyon Creek Winery for a BBQ lunch and/or wine tastings.

There are many, many other trails that we found in/around Moab.  Grandstaff Canyon Trail is one that people like a lot. Also check out the Behind the Rocks area. I’ll definitely check out more of Moab’s trails the next time I visit.

Oh, and what to do when you’re not doing epic adventures?  There’s plenty of shopping in downtown Moab and lots of very good restaurants.  Our favorite was Arches Thai.  Check out the food trucks too!  Moab does get busy though, so you may want to get to those restaurants before you’re starving.

Arches National Park

Arches had the most crowds of anywhere we visited but it was still amazing, especially in late afternoon to sunset when the sun is lower and shines on the rocks, making them glow, and the snow capped La Sal mountains are clearest in the distance.

I suggest visiting Canyonlands Island In The Sky (45 min away) in the morning and early afternoon then going to Arches in late afternoon or after dinner for the best light and least crowds, meaning no wait at the gate, more parking available and a quieter and more relaxing experience.

 

The most impressive and therefore the most popular arch in the park is “Delicate Arch”, the one you see on Utah license plates. Getting there isn’t easy … It’s not a long hike, only 3 miles round trip, but there’s a steep incline on slickrock with the sun beating down on your back. It was grueling, even in March. You don’t see the arch until the very end and then WOW, there it is! You won’t be alone … There was a line of people waiting to get their pictures taken under the arch for the entire two hours that we were there prior to sunset, but it’s still a MUST SEE.

Another popular hike is Devil’s Garden, which features the largest concentration of arches in the park, including Landscape Arch, the longest arch, but not as photogenic as many of the others in the park.

Many of the most impressive sights require minimal hiking or no hiking at all and can be seen just off the loop drive. We especially liked Park Avenue, Balanced Rock, Skyline Arch and The Windows.

While you could visit Arches in a day because it’s not a very large park, we actually went 4 times during our trip to photograph the light in different locations each evening.  

 

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands is made up of 3 regions:
– Island in the Sky (45 min from Moab)
– The Needles (2 hours from Moab)
– The Maze / Horseshoe Canyon (very remote)

Island in the Sky

Like Arches, you can see a lot of beautiful sights at Canyonlands Island in the Sky with just a short walk from your car to the view points.  There are of course several easy to moderate hikes as well.  

Mesa Arch is a nice easy walk from the parking lot. The relatively small arch is located right on the cliff and you can look down into the canyon through the arch. It was pretty hazy on the day we went and very crowded. Photographers love this spot at sunrise. A little over rated if you ask me.

Looking at my pictures, it’s difficult to distinguish from which overlook the pictures were taken.  Grand View Point was my favorite, I think, and there’s a 1.8 mile RT hike you can do from there.  The views from Green River Overlook and Orange Cliffs Overlook are similar to Grand View, just from a different location on the park road.  The view from Buck Canyon Overlook is looking east toward the Colorado River, not west toward the Green River.  

The Schafer Trail Overlook is really cool. (Driving on it is even cooler!)  Look down into the canyon and you’ll see the jeeps carefully making their way up the switch backs.

The view points are nice but to really get the most out of Canyonlands, go 4WD off-roading!  Notice those roads deep in the canyon in my pictures?  There are so many 4WD trails at both Island in the Sky and The Needles. If you’re not ready to drive on your own, take a tour like we did. We started on Potash Road, then made our way up the Schafer Trail into Canyonlands. The highlight of that 4WD tour was standing at the point where they filmed Thelma and Louise driving off the cliff. We were the only ones there because it’s only accessible with a high clearance vehicle.  I would love to do the White Rim Road next time.  This is how you really experience Canyonlands!

 

Dead Horse State Park

While on the way from Moab to Canyonlands Island in the Sky, you can take a left and make your way to Dead Horse State Park and its iconic gooseneck, not to be confused with horseshoe bend in Page, AZ. This state park is separate from the national park and requires a $20 admission which covers 3 days.

There are several hiking trails as well as a campground here but the main attraction is the horseshoe bend.  They say that photography is best here at sunrise or sunset.  I actually think it’s best in the early afternoon on a clear day. We tried sunset one evening and it was hazy with lots of shadows.  The rock didn’t glow like it did at Arches.  We tried it again the next afternoon and there was more light in the canyon but it was still difficult to photograph. All of the photos you’ll see are from the same angle because you can only walk so far along the edge.  It’s impossible to photograph the entire bend without a drone and drones are prohibited.

 

 

The Needles

South of Island in the Sky is The Needles but you can’t get there from Island in the Sky because they’re separated by a deep canyon. You’ll have to go back to Moab, then drive south from there, then take a right and follow the road for about 45 minutes to reach The Needles. So, if you’re going to visit this section, devote an entire day to it. We planned on visiting The Needles on our drive from Moab to Bluff and planned to hike the 11.6 mile Chesler Park loop, but we were tired and out of shape, so left this one for next time. I’ve heard that Druid Arch is another excellent hike from the same trailhead. There are also lots of intense 4WD “roads” in The Needles, like there are in and around Island of the Sky, but I don’t recommend attempting unless you have 4WD off-road experience.

Although we chickened out on the Chesler Park hike, we did drive part of the way into The Needles to check out the petroglyphs at “Newspaper Rock”.  The first carvings at the Newspaper Rock site were made around 2,000 years ago, left by people from the Archaic, Anasazi, Fremont, Navajo, Anglo, and Pueblo cultures.  In Navajo, the rock is called “Tse’ Hone'” which translates to a rock that tells a story.^[Wikipedia]

Bears Ears Area

The area in and around Bears Ears National Monument, which is between and west of Blanding and Mexican Hat, is vast and remote. When driving from Moab to Monument Valley (2.5 hour drive), instead of driving on the highway from Blanding to Mexican Hat (50 min), there’s a 3 hour scenic detour/loop through part of Bears Ears National Monument, then to Natural Bridges National Monument, then down the Moki Dugway, then through Valley of the Gods and Gooseneck State Park before returning to the highway near Mexican Hat. You’ll want to devote an entire day to this area to allow time for hiking and sight seeing and stay in either Mexican Hat or Bluff. Here are some of the places to visit on this loop.

House on Fire, Mule Canyon

The most popular destination is  the 2 mile hike to the House on Fire ruins in Mule Canyon, 30 minutes outside of Blanding.  It’s rated as a moderate hike with a couple of small creek crossings.  We left this hike for the next time we visit the area because we weren’t there at the right time.  In order for the rocks to glow like in the picture, you want to be there at around 11:00am.

Natural Bridges National Monument

30 minutes from Mule Canyon you’ll reach Natural Bridges National Monument.  Along the way, you’ll see the buttes of Bears Ears on your right and there are several dirt roads you can take to explore that remote area.  We didn’t have the time, stamina or blue clear skies to enjoy the 9 mile loop hike through all 3 natural bridges in the canyon and instead we just drove along the loop and saw the bridges from the viewpoints. 

I recommend getting off the loop drive and doing at least one of the hikes.  The views from above the canyon on the loop drive are underwhelming because there is no contrast between the bridges and the surrounding landscape.  However, the pictures I’ve seen from the ground looking up at the bridges against a blue sky are beautiful.  If the full 9 mile loop sounds too ambitious there is also the 5.6 mile Sipapu Bridge to Kachina Bridge Loop.

Moki Dugway

The hour drive from Natural Bridges to Moki Dugway was flat and boring.  Along the way there’s the 16 mile Kane Gulch Trail (yikes!) or the 2.3 mile Road Canyon via Fallen Roof Ruin Trail (looks cool, next time!).  The drive paid off when we reached Moki Dugway, a switchback road carved into the face of the cliff edge of Cedar Mesa.  The 3 mile drive looks scarier than it is, especially if you’re driving in the direction we went, going down on the inside of the road.  The views below of Valley of the Gods and Monument Valley in the distance are breath taking and any car can handle it.

Valley of the Gods

Immediately after descending the Moki Dugway, a left will take you on a dirt road detour through the incredible Valley of the Gods.  This is a mini Monument Valley where you’ll navigate past amazing rock formations on a moderately rough dirt road.  I think most cars could handle it but I recommend a high clearance vehicle like an SUV.  Valley of the Gods is located on BLM land.  It’s free to visit and open for hiking and camping or just driving through it and taking hundreds of pictures like we did.  Even if you’re not driving the loop I’m describing here, you can access Valley of the Gods right off of the highway on your way from Moab to Monument Valley.

Gooseneck State Park

The last stop on the detour before returning to the highway is Gooseneck State Park.  Many of the pictures are of only one of the horseshoes because they are so giant but it’s actually a double horseshoe.  Just park and gawk at the sight or hike on a trail down the canyon.  I highly recommend stopping here on your way from Moab to Monument Valley.  It’s only 7 minutes off the highway.

Monument Valley

Monument Valley has been on our bucket list and it did not disappoint!  After having some hazy overcast days in Moab, the weather was perfect here with blue skies and puffy white clouds.   It costs $20 to enter the park where you can drive the loop road, take a tour, eat at the restaurant, and stay at The View Hotel attached to the visitor center.

I had heard so many mixed things about the condition of the loop road and how it will destroy your rental car …  It was fine!  We were in an SUV but I saw plenty of sedans getting by just fine.  You’ll see most of the best sights from the loop road (don’t miss John Ford point!) and you can access an extended part of the loop if you take a tour. 

If you decide to take a tour, I don’t recommend taking one in an open air vehicle because the strong winds can throw red dirt everywhere.  I asked the people at the hotel if it was usually so windy and they said yes, especially in the spring and summer.

The best time to photograph Monument Valley is in the afternoon until sunset when the sun illuminating the famous mittens.  The classic view of the mittens is taken right from the visitor center. 

We were there at a special time of year when the West Mitten cast its shadow directly on the East Mitten during sunset.  How cool is that?!  This happens every year in the last week of March and in the middle of September.

La Sal Mountain Loop

After spending the night at The View Hotel in Monument Valley, we drove back to Moab to spend our last couple of days seeing the sights we didn’t make it to during our first 5 days there, or the sights we wanted to see again.  On the way, we took another scenic detour, the La Sal Mountain Loop, from south of Moab up into the snowy La Sal Mountains and down into Castle Valley and Fisher Towers east of Moab.  This was amazing!  It was so cool to drive from desert landscape up into snowy mountains.  Late March and into April is the perfect time to do it.  Even in the summer when there isn’t any snow I bet it’s nice to escape the heat.  The drive was paved and easy with just one section of steep switch backs as you descend to Castle Valley.

Trip Alternatives

If we were there for 3 more days, we would’ve done my version of the grand tour of Utah’s canyon country.  After visiting Monument Valley, we would drive 2 hours west to visit Horseshoe Bend & Slots Canyons in Page, AZ and spend the night there.  I originally planned to include Page in this road trip but saved it for another trip.  When we go, we’ll visit the slot canyons mid-day when sunlight is best, then visit Horseshoe Bend at sunset and again the next morning for sunrise without the crazy crowds.

The second extra day, we would drive up Cottonwood Canyon Rd into Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and visit some of the arches and slot canyons in that area.  I didn’t find a many great accommodations in the area but we would stay somewhere around Escalante.  (We’ve already been to both Bryce Canyon once and Zion twice, but if we hadn’t we would take a wider loop and visit both before continuing through Escalante)   

The third extra day, we would do the hike to the beautiful Calf Creek Falls between Escalante and Boulder, then continue on scenic route 12 to Capitol Reef National Park where we would spend the night and then return to Moab to complete an epic 10 day road trip through Utah’s canyon country.  If we had 12 days, we would spend more time at Capitol Reef, and visit Goblin Valley State Park and Horsehoe Canyon in Canyonlands on our back to Moab.  

I hope this inspired you to visit this beautiful part of the country and helped you plan your visit.  Please post any comments or questions below.