Moab Things to Do

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Some wonderful hiking trails, all not very long and some very easy to walk from the car. A good mix with some primitive trails and well maintained trails. Entry into the park is only $10 and good for a week. There are over 2000 arches in the entire park.

The visitor center is very informative and a few years back was renovated it was nice that they did not increase the entry fee after the renovation (unlike Bryce). The drive to Devils Garden and the end of the park is not to be missed.

Camping is available but sites are at a premium and need to be reserved online before hand. There could be some available same day but need to check in with the rangers at the visitor center.

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From the parking lot, walk the trail that leads to the slab with the dinosaur tracks. Work your way up to the cliff above. Along that wall and on a few fallen slabs are some very nice Petroglyphs.

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Just north of Moab driving out on route 191, look for Potash Road just after the Colorado River. Turn left on Potash and about one mile down the road you will see cliffs right to the edge of the road. There may be some rock climbers there as well.

Many cars stop here. There are many to be seen. There is a pull off across the road. Be careful.

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There are dinosaur tracks and fossils all over Moab. One of the easiest to access is the few tracks on a slab at the Poison Spider access off of Potash Road. They are visible from the parking area but the short steep hike up is worth it. You can stand right at the base of the slab and be eye to foot print!

The white color in the tracks is from people putting plaster in the track to make a cast. This is now against the law because not only is it unattractive, plaster seeps into the porous sandstone and when the cast is removed, it can take away part of the track.

This park is the #1 reason tourists flock to Moab. Please see my Arches travel pages for lots of cool stuff to see and do.

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/8da3d/d7611/

This is the other National Park within spittin' distance (or at least part of it is), and one I prefer to Arches due to a lot fewer bodies to contend with, and slightly cooler temps. This park covers an enormous amount of ground with the closest and most-visited unit being Island in the Sky - about 32 miles from Moab. Needles, about 75 miles south, offers terrific hiking but not much for the casual visitor, and remote Horseshoe Canyon unit is 100 miles (32 of dirt road) and a 7-mile RT trek to the most valuable pictograph panels in the country. In between are countless primitive backcountry acres and slots for experienced backpackers and technical canyoneers.

Scenic-drivers, day-hikers, campers, bikers, distance-trekkers. shutterbugs: there's something here for everyone so see my Canyonlands pages for more information.

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This is a 5-star, must-do for hikers!! We did it on an overcast morning that we'd hoped would clear off but no go; due to grey clouds and flat lighting, my photos are just dismal compared to how incredible this trail really is. Nature's gothic cathedral of soaring sandstone towers - the highest, Titan, topping out at 900 feet - glow fiery red at sunset and I'd hoped to catch them against a deep blue autumn sky...rats. But we still loved ever minute.

The trail is 4.4 miles RT with 670-ft elevation gain and drops down into a couple of ravines, across a few washes, along some narrow (but not scary) ledges, and ascends the bases of three, spire-studded rock fins. You eventually emerge onto a long, high ledge with killer vistas of the Colorado River Basin.

Overcast skies, while annoying, turned out to be the least of our complications: we hit the top just in time to see dark clouds and lighting sweeping our direction. What with high, open spots being really lousy places to be in a thunderstorm - not to mention those gullies/washes to cross - we scrambled off our perch and made tracks for safe ground. The good news? Made it to the car minutes before the clouds opened and chalked up another good reason for a return trip to Moab. DO THIS ONE!

Note: Vault toilets but no water at the trailhead so bring plenty along. The route is largely exposed and scorching in summer; morning climbs will be cooler. Do not do this one with rain in the forecast. The towers are also a hot spot for rock climbers.

Extra note: Citibank shot a commercial here very shortly after our trip. The first brief shots were done at Dead Horse St. Park but the remainder is a pinnacle of Fisher Towers called Corkscrew Summit of Ancient Art. The woman on top is world-reknown traditional climber Katie Brown, and her companion is Alex Honnold; probably the best solo free climber on the planet. Yes, the climb was real and the tilted rock she's standing on is not solidly anchored: it moves. Yikes. You can see the commercial here.

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Splore runs adaptive whitewater rafting programs out of Moab, Utah for people with disabilities and special needs. Their trips are FANTASTIC! The staff is awesome, they make great food and best of all, they are just amazing when it comes to taking care of people, no matter their ability level. Seriously, if you want to get out and go on a rafting trip in beautiful, southern Utah, check out www.splore.org.