Moab Transportation

Moab has a tiny airport, 16 miles out of town, with scheduled service via Vegas and Denver but flights are very limited as are car rental options once you're on the ground. We've used Grand Junction Regional (120 miles from Moab) for both of our trips to this area as it's serviced by more carriers and car rental agencies.

Scheduled shuttles are also available from both airports: see next tip.

A car is almost a necessity to explore the Moab region in depth BUT there are a few ways around that. Multiple shuttle options can be booked between Moab and Grand Junction, Green River, Salt Lake City and a few other spots, and they'll also haul you and your gear to-and-from trailheads and river launches:

Click here for shuttle information

Bikers can rent a set of wheels for their stay, and Jeeps and 4-wheelers are available as well. Daily bus tours cover the national parks and special explorations for adventure travelers. For details on vehicle rental, tours and other forms of transport, see the "Transportation" tab in the link below.

Porcupine Shuttle is great for those wanting to shuttle for mountain biking down the Kokopelli Trail and the Porcupine Rim Trail. Reservations are required usually the day before and cost is $20 for you and your mountain bike. The leave from the Poison Spider Bike shop, 497 N. Main st., Moab.

The slickrock in Moab is a popular tourist attraction. There are two main ways to traverse this terrain, by bike and by hummer. The trails on the red rock are clearly marked. You ca explore this terrain on foot, but I don't recommend it. You are very exposed to the elements without a lot of ground cover in this area and it's a rather large area to be exploring. If you have a 4 wheel drive you can take your own vehicle for a drive up here, but I don't recommend it unless you're very familiar with the area. Without the proper equipment or knowledge it's easy to roll your car into a crevice or get stuck in a hole, and if that happens you're financially responsible for the removal of your vehicle. After the heat of the summer passes you'll see lots of mountain bikers out here exploring the desert environment. It's got a beauty all it's own. For first timers I suggest taking an organized Hummer Tour offered by several companies in town.

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If you plan on renting a Jeep in Moab, please follow this advice...

Know why you want to rent a Jeep and ask if you are prohibited from going anywhere.

If it's for sightseeing on the gravel trails, then you can rent from a place like Canyonlands Jeep Rentals. Their Jeeps are high quality but they have a list of prohibited trails that you can't take their Jeeps on. If you do, they will highly scrutinize it for damage and seem like they would charge you a ton for any scratches or bumps.

I am in to Jeepin' and wish I would have rented from a place like Outlaw Tours. I met Jim from there and he was very nice and has awesomely built Jeeps that he will guide you thru the popular (harder) trails in. You still get to drive!

I almost feel like I didn't get the experience I wanted due to my rental from Canyonlands, but I got to see some great scenery and I will definitely go back and rent the kind of Jeep that I'm in to.

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Great Lakes Aviation flies from Denver, Colorado direct to Moab, Utah.
Froniter and United code share with Great Lakes Aviation. Book straight through to Moab with one of them, so delays (if a delay occurs) that cause missed connections is covered.

There are only two flight times daily in and out of Moab; it will take some planning.

The Canyonlands Field is 20 minutes out of town. It is strongly recommended to reserve a shuttle or rental car to meet you upon arrival. It will make for a more seamless experience.

If you are mountain biking, there are shuttles departing daily to trail heads out of the various bike rental shops. If you elect to sightsee, the tour companies driving into Arches or Canyonlands National Park, or boating into Canyonlands or rafting/canoeing the Colorado or Green Rivers will provide complimentary hotel pickups. The pick up locations are limited to town, the north most reach being Moab Valley RV and the south most reach KOA Campground.

For those of you coming to Moab via Salt Lake City by car plan on about a three and half hour scenic drive through the heartland of Utah Valley. Its a very easy and safe drive with the exception of the hour long route through Spanish Fork Canyon. Be sure to plan your drive through the canyon during daylight hours as there are a lot of deer that cross the roads and people drive way to fast on the narrow roads. From Salt Lake City you take I-15 South until you get to the Spanish Fork/Price exit and go left and from there you enter Spanish Fork Canyon for 53 miles. Once out of the Canyon you follow Route 6 through Price until you get to Green River and Route 70. Follow Route 70 for about 30 miles and you will come to the Crescent Junction exit and Route 191, go right for another 30 or so miles and you will come to the turn off for Arches National Park, Moab is just another 4 miles up the road from there.

Within 75 miles of Moab you can explore three areas of National Parks. Since no public transportation is offered in these parks, you will need a vehicle to access these regions.

If you don't have what you need for some outdoor activities--i.e. four wheel drive, watercraft, bicycle, etc., check out the different tours and rental shops in Moab. There are also scenic flights over a variety of destinations. Use the web site www.moab-utah.com for help in finding these businesses.