Things to do in  Moab

The Colorado River winds through red-rock canyons and desert landscapes, offering some of the Southwest’s best opportunities for outdoor adventures. Kayak through calm waters, soak in riverside hot springs, or take a rafting trip through dramatic scenery and past geological wonders. Whether visiting from Las Vegas or venturing deeper into canyon country, the Colorado River delivers a refreshing change of pace, surrounded by spectacular natural scenes.

Hiking trails, scenic drives, horseback rides, and overlooks take in the eroded red-rock wonderland of Arches National Park in southeastern Utah, which contains more than 2,000 natural stone arches. Geological marvels abound—here, you will find hundreds of soaring pinnacles, the iconic Delicate Arch, and Landscape Arch, one of the largest natural arches in the world at 290 feet (88 meters) across.

Experience one of nature’s roller coaster rides, Hell’s Revenge Trail. Set in a desert canyon outside of Moab, the off-roading track crawls over slick rocks, along cliff faces, and up and down near-vertical terrain. Between rock-crawling adventures, stop to take in views stretching from Arches National Park to La Sal Mountains.

The swooping view of the Colorado River from Dead Horse Point is iconic, but there’s much more to this desert park than a single overlook. A network of trails here ranges from intermediate mountain biking to wheelchair-accessible pavement, with scenic overlooks, shade shelters, and interpretive signs throughout.

Deep craters, towering rock spires, white cliffs, and majestic buttes dominate the sprawling landscape of Canyonlands National Park, the largest of Utah’s national parks. Scenic driving routes, viewpoints, and hundreds of miles of hiking trails offer countless ways to explore the spectacular desert landscape here, whether you’re seeking backcountry adventure or hitting the road for the ultimate Utah road trip.

Made of red-orange Navajo sandstone, Corona Arch (also known as Little Rainbow Bridge) is a spectacular rock formation near Moab, Utah. Just getting to Corona is an adventure. The 3-mile (4.8-kilometer) round-trip Corona Arch Trail crosses open slickrock with the aid of fixed cables and carved stone steps.

These rosy fingers of sandstone jut skyward from the Utah desert, drawing crowds of photographers, hikers, and expert rock climbers. The Colorado River rushes through scenic Castle Valley, where the spires are located, and the Fisher Tower section of the river is a popular destination for white-water rafting.

Ancient people in the Utah desert produced rock art for thousands of years, painting or inscribing images into the boulders and cliffs. A handful of important rock art sites are located along Highway 279, a Utah Scenic Byway outside of Moab. With easy site access and a gorgeous setting, this is a great place to start exploring rock art.

One of Utah’s most popular state parks, this scenic spot would be a national park in any other state. A sea of sandstone “goblins” often likened to Mars, Goblin Valley State Park is the desert at its most curious, with wild rock formations, tall spires and pinnacles, and a sky so dark the Milky Way still glows. When you’re here, come ready to marvel.

The tiny city of Green River, Utah, is a base camp for big adventures. Outfitters here bring boaters through the soaring canyons and rapids of its eponymous river, while desert trails for hiking, biking, and four-wheeling abound in nearby parks. Starting in midsummer, local farms produce crisp melons, which explains the town’s giant watermelon statue.

Just south of Moab is Utah’s second-highest mountain range, a wonderland for hiking, biking, off-roading, and fishing. Trout streams thread past peaks topping out at 12,721 feet (3,877 meters) with big views of the red desert below. Throughout the mountain range, you’ll find more than 300 miles (483 kilometers) of trails leading to aspen groves, pine forests, and lakes.

Walk past the fossilized remains of dinosaurs at this short path west of Arches National Park, where you’ll find evidence of allosaurus, stegosaurus, camarasaurus, and camptosaurus. Trail-side signs here describe the dinosaurs that once roamed this region, and how their bones and footprints came to be frozen into the Utah sandstone.

Two of Utah’s mightiest rivers—the Green River and the Colorado River—converge just above this scenic gorge, which cuts through Canyonlands National Park. Gorgeous red rock formations soar from water that’s often brown with sediment, and the river churns through a mix of flat water and rapids that go from Class III to Class V.

Rapids churn through this 17-mile (27-hectare) stretch of the Colorado River in Utah, drawing adventurous travelers keen to paddle Class III–IV waves with names like Funnel Falls and Sock-it-to-me. The scenery is just as dramatic, featuring red sandstone and black rock cliffs that soar to 1,200 feet (366 meters) from the water's edge.

The Sand Flats Recreation Area is a swathe of protected public land in the middle of the Colorado Plateau in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest. The recreation era is home to no-frills camping sites, hiking trails, and daredevil mountain bike and 4-wheel-drive trails. While the protected area is easily accessible from Moab, it feels miles away from civilization.