The Ultimate Guide to Moab, Utah; A Girls’ Trip
Moab is a tiny little town in the southeast section of Utah. It truly does feel like it is in the middle of nowhere and proved to be the perfect escape for our girls’ trip. This place has everything you could possibly want in an outdoor adventure- from hiking to biking to off-roading and rock climbing. Follow along for the ultimate guide to Moab.
My parents are full time nomads in their motorcoach and had a planned trip to meet up with some of their other nomad friends. This sounded like an excellent opportunity to see another spot of the world that I had not yet experienced.
My girlfriend Elle was a willing sidekick on this adventure. We hiked, we ate and drank, we went off-roading, and we came home as different women.
If you are looking for great ideas to explore this breathtaking landscape, then this ultimate guide is for you!
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Where to stay:
There are plenty of options for lodging in this small town. Anything from Inns to hotels to Airbnb homes. When searching for our stay, cost, complimentary breakfast, and proximity to the parks was priority. Because we knew we would be out exploring for the majority of each day, having accommodations that were fancy was not a requirement.
We stayed at Inca Inn Moab and it was as basic of a room as you could imagine. There were 2 queen beds, an adequate bathroom with a shower only, and breakfast- which was what we needed to start each day early before the crowds. We paid $100 per night for this stay.
Here are some other places to stay around Moab:
What to pack:
You will need adequate outdoor gear for this trip.
- Hiking shoes/boots, wool socks
- Layers
- Backpack
- Water- camelback is preferred
- Sunscreen, sunglasses, cap
Weather:
Our trip was in the second half of October and it was perfect! Very crisp, if not cold, in the mornings but warmed up so beautifully as the day went on. If you go in the summer, it can get very hot. Winters come with snow and some very cold temps so be sure to check the weather leading up to your departure date so that you can pack accordingly.
Day 1: Arrival
We arrived in CNY, easily one of the smallest airports I’ve ever been in, in the early afternoon. After picking up the rental car, we made the drive into town to check-in to the Inn. After unpacking and getting settled, we met my parents and their nomad group for the most beautiful dinner at Sunset Grille. The views were superb, and the wine was flowing.
Day 2: Off Roading and Arches National Park
The day started off quite early with breakfast at the Inn, then off to tackle Hell’s Revenge with some RZR rentals. When I tell you that the off-roading was scary but SO MUCH FUN, neither of those can be understated. I am so thankful that we were with a group that had experience in the park and where you can or cannot drive. I would highly suggest getting a tour guide to follow if you have never been. The steep grade in climbs and descents blew my mind. As the driver, I was white knuckling it for the first hour but once I got my bearings, this was what ended up being the highlight of this ultimate guide to Moab.
After the first half of the RZR excursion, we went back into town to gas up. Elle and I did not want to continue with the second half as it was out in the open and more of a dusty desert landscape. Our hearts were set on finding a lovely patio to have a very late lunch and some drinks. Then, we made our way into Arches National Park.
One of my favorite apps for National Park drives is GuideAlong. You can purchase individual tours or some package deals for multiple parks. We used this app for a narrated guide of both Arches and Canyonland. I highly suggest this add on for ANY park visit as the cost is low, the information provided is totally worth it and helps to complete the ultimate guide to Moab experience.
This visit into the park was mostly in the car. We did pull over and take a few short walks to vistas but we wanted to preserve energy, knowing that the next day was where the good stuff happened.
Day 3: Arches National Park & Devil’s Garden
Another early morning breakfast at the hotel. The weather was quite chilly that morning so we had extra layers as the first hike began at 8am. There are ENDLESS amounts of hiking options in these parks. Everything from ¼ mile boardwalk paths to 6, 15, 30 mile treks. There are overnight backpacking type hikes as well. But this is way outside of my level of hiking!
This day’s main hike was a 3 mile out and back route to the most notable arch in the park- Delicate Arch. The trail is easy to lose track of since everything is red rock. Luckily there were a decent amount of people around so it was easy to guess where to go next as you could see those before you. All I remember was thinking- man I sure hope this isn’t a situation of the blind leading the blind! All Trails is an excellent app to have if you enjoy hiking. You can download the map while you are still with service and GPS takes over from there when you are inside of the parks with limited cell capabilities.
Lunch was packed with snacks and extra items from the breakfast buffet. And we needed it too, for the next hike was another 3.5 miles through Devil’s Garden. This hike was challenging and absolutely requires All Trails as it is NOT clearly marked and would be easy to get off trail. The level of joy that climbing in and around rocks, boulders, and arches brings you, cannot be dismissed. It makes you feel like a kid again!
Dinner was at the motorcoach campground with the group of nomads. They prepared chili for the group and after a long day of hiking, we were thankful for the provided meal.
Day 4: Canyonland National Park
Not quite as early of a start on day 4, but we were still entering the park before the gate was manned. This park provides a completely different look than Arches. Much less about the boulders and arches that the wind has carved, but instead a landscape created with water.
Our first stop was the hike to Mesa Arch. This really was a view to behold. The way the sun cast shadows across the canyon truly is remarkable. We moved on to Grandview Point which is a very flat hike with expansive views of the canyon.
Last hike of the day was Aztec Butte Trail which consisted of steep ascents, slippery rocks and unclear paths. The pay off? Unbelievable 360 views and granaries built into alcoves. These granaries were once used by indigenous people to store food and medicine. No ultimate guide to Moab is complete without this hike.
We finished up the day having dinner with my parents back at their motorcoach and watching the sun go down, casting a warm glow over the red rock that surrounds this part of the world.
Day 5: Last minute exploration and departure
We didn’t set an alarm that day and took our time getting breakfast. After packing up our bags and loading them into the car, we stopped off to say bye to my parents and the group of nomads. Our flight was set for 6pm so we had a few hours to explore.
We drove to the Thompson Springs area to check out some historic buildings- motel and schoolhouse. Next stop was Sego Canyon Petroglyphs where we had a 2 hour adventure just exploring the surrounding area all to ourselves. There wasn’t another soul in sight as we took in what are arguably the best petroglyphs in Moab.
This was the perfect end cap to the ultimate guide to Moab. There is still so much that I want to see and explore here. Moab really is an outdoor lover’s paradise. Waking up early to see the sunrise is worth it every time.
Have you been to Moab? What would you add to this list?
If you love hiking, check out my blog for this epic hike to Delta Lake in the Grand Tetons.
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Sounds amazing! Great tip about paying for the GuideAlong Map! Will definitely keep that in mind.