The Best Things to Do in Moab, Utah

1. Go Rafting for the Day on the Colorado River

The most popular thing to do in Moab, Utah is river rafting on the Colorado River through the world-famous scenery of Castle Valley. There are plenty of choices from morning rafting trips, mid-day rafting trips, and even a full day of rafting with an exclusive hot BBQ lunch in the shaded lunch pavilion at the Red Cliffs Lodge. There are also other options for rafting available in Moab, Utah.

Rafting in Moab

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2. ​Experience a Sunset Evening Hummer Safari

One of the best things to do during a summer evening in Moab is a Sunset Hummer Safari on the Hell's Revenge Trail. Everything in Moab turns a deeper shade of red, pink, or orange as the sun sets in the west. As you watch this kaleidoscope of colors fall upon the slickrock, you’ll be sitting comfortably in a rock-steady Hummer, driven by expert guides, over some of the most unique terrain on planet Earth. Hell's Revenge Trail is perhaps the most world-famous 4x4 trail, and certainly one of the most popular things to do in Moab.

Hummer Safaris

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3. Go Deep With a Half Day of Canyoneering

Hiking is an incredibly popular thing to do in Moab, so why not throw a few hidden grottoes, arches, and rare creekside trails into your morning or afternoon hike? Many people hike up Grandstaff Canyon for a little shade and some rare desert greenery along a babbling stream, but then hike back to the trailhead at the bottom. When canyoneering in Moab you’ll begin at the top edge of Grandstaff Canyon and you'll harness up with experienced canyoneering guides and ropes that let you rappel into Ephedra’s Grotto, and then over the massive, but hidden Morning Glory Arch. That puts you at the top end of the gorgeous Grandstaff Canyon. Now that’s an entrance for a hike in Moab!

Canyoneering in Moab

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4. ​Tour Arches National Park

You can’t make a trip to Moab, Utah, and not see Arches National Park. Many of the park’s iconic features are easily explored just off the highway with a morning or evening guided van tour, or a drive on your own. Some advantages to a guided van tour include taking your hands off the wheel, allowing your eyes to scan the odd horizon-line within the park. Your guide will explain what your eyes are seeing, and direct you to some of the very best places for photos like Balanced Rock, Turret Arch, Double-O arch, and more. Exploring a little deeper on your own to the world-famous Delicate Arch is a very rewarding experience but be aware that It requires a little planning and preparation beyond the casual National Park stroll.

Arches National Park Tours

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5. Ride the Moab Zip Line

Zipline tours are always a lot of fun no matter where you are, but where else can you soar like a raven from sandstone ledges, domes and fins across a wide-open desert rimmed by snow-capped mountains? That’s Moab! Even better, this super fun thing to do in Moab is easily accessible on the northern end of Main Street where a rowdy 4x4 ride up the mountainside takes you above the town of Moab and on the rim of a whole different landscape, just hidden from town. These tours happen almost all day long so you can plan it around many of the other things to do in Moab that we’ve already mentioned.

Moab Zipline

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6. Hike to Fisher Towers

What could be a National Park or monument anywhere else, these titanic towers rise nearly a thousand feet above the desert floor, yet blend in almost imperceptibly from certain viewpoints among Castle Valley below. Rock Climbing is a very popular thing to do in Moab, and the Fisher Towers offer expert climbers a challenging and rewarding view. Beginner climbs are recommended elsewhere in Moab. Just hiking the undulating trail at the base of the towers is awe-inspiring; no need for ropes to get an amazing view here! The way the place glows at sunset, and the silhouette of prominent rock castles in the valley below will really make you feel like you’ve been someplace worthy of being called “The West”. There is little shade in the afternoon and evening, so take care to bring water on the trail with you. Click here for driving directions to the Fisher Towers trailhead.

Best Hikes in Moab

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7. Drive to the Overlook at Dead Horse Point

Soaking up the vast view at this easily accessible overlook in the morning or evening sunlight is most definitely one of the best things to do in Moab, Utah. Even in the flat glare of mid-day, this State Park will inspire you. The goosenecks of the Colorado River flow hundreds of feet below as it approaches the deeper labyrinth of gorges in Canyonlands National Park, including Cataract Canyon. If you’re looking for a fun thing to do in this area, you might consider a guided mountain biking tour on the easy-to-moderate trails that traverse the rim of the Dead Horse Point area. The tour includes multiple jaw-dropping scenic overlooks.

Driving to Dead Horse Point

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8. Drive a Rental Jeep to Somewhere Remote

Driving a Jeep in Moab just feels right. Cars will get you around just fine, but something about those oversized knobby Yokohama tires, the satellite radio, and the cooler packed with ice in the back that makes you feel like exploring. Moab is an off-road explorer’s paradise. The landscape surrounding Moab has an unusual amount of dirt roads that go everywhere while not going anywhere in particular - but there are A LOT of scenic viewpoints along the way! These “off-road” roads that go nowhere are everywhere in Moab thanks to the early Uranium mining boom of the 1950’s and ‘60’s.

Some recommendations:

• Take it Easy - Most of the very best scenic vista trails scattered around Moab do not require amazing rock-crawling skills nor overbuilt OHV side-by side machines. Jeeps are the perfect balance of comfort ON the highways, while being perfectly suited to 80% of the off-road 4x4ing you’ll need to do to get someplace remote. Jeep rentals are also far more comfortable for a day with cover from dust, wind, and weather.
• Take a Picnic - The cooler filled with ice in the back of your Canyonlands Jeep Rental knows you’ll be exploring all day. It’s ready for an order of lunch from Sweet Cravings before you head out of town.
• Take Pictures of Your Jeep like you’re driving through a commercial - You’ve seen the commercials, and now you’re living it. Take the winding switchbacks of the Shafer Trail that climbs the cliffside up to Dead Horse Point, or the Gemini Bridges Trail back to the Highway, or splash up and down Onion Creek near the Fisher Towers

Rent a Jeep

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9. Hike to Delicate Arch or Landscape Arch

There are so many rock features to explore in Moab, both inside and outside of National Parks that you may be wondering why it would be worth hiking up to 3 miles from the parking lot to see yet another. It’s a good point, being that so many incredible features and overlooks require nothing more than a “window shopping” stroll. But in the case of Delicate Arch and/or Landscape Arch, you may want to plan half a day into your vacation for hiking. Prepare properly with shoes, jackets, adequate water, and a good camera. Even a bad camera will take an incredible photo of Delicate Arch. It’s got a drop-dead gorgeous stance, backdrop, and angle to the sun that makes it so iconic for license plates, Olympic Torch parades, and countless postcards. It’s such a good visual landscape it makes you wonder if it ought to be called “Landscape Arch”.

The real Landscape Arch is an easier hike, but much more difficult to size up in a camera frame, and with such a fragile, slender and, well… delicate profile it seems to defy gravity. It ought to have the name “Delicate” but we didn’t assign the names! Visually, and in person these two arches that require a bit of hiking are well worth the effort.

Learn About Arches National Park

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10. Learn to Rock Climb

El Capitan and Yosemite Valley are not the only iconic areas famous among rock climbers. The crack climbs in famed Indian Creek (a tributary to Canyonlands National Park) are among the world’s most sought-after routes. A summit on one of the Fisher Towers like the Titan, or Castleton Tower is a featured moment celebrated in numerous TV commercials or gear catalogs.

But if you are just a newbie, and want a fantastic and friendly introduction to rock climbing (on natural rock faces) then we’ve got a tour (and guides, and equipment) for you!

Iconic Rock Climbing in Moab

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11. Plan Your Next Trip to Moab to Include a Multi-Day Rafting Trip

By now you should have realized that there are A LOT of “Things To Do in Moab”. It’s hard to fit Moab into any typical vacation span. But we haven’t really even talked about more than a 30-mile radius around Moab yet!

If you’re really committed to getting “off the beaten path” in Moab, then you need to consider one of several overnight or “expedition-level” rafting trips. These are multi-day rafting adventures that fly you out to (or back from) remote dirt airstrips that are as remote as any Alaskan Bush Plane would venture. Imagine floating nearly 100 miles over the course of 4 or 5 days and returning back to Moab for whatever else you want to add to your Moab bucket list. After experiencing these “expedition-level” rafting adventures you will be a different person. You’ll suddenly know a whole bunch more about Moab, and more importantly, about yourself!

Plan a Multi-day Rafting Trip

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​ 12. Mesa Arch & Grandview Point in Canyonlands National Park

If you’re at Dead Horse Point it’s hard to not suggest you also go see Mesa Arch just beyond the Canyonlands National Park boundary - only minutes from Dead Horse Point State Park. Mesa Arch offers the same dramatic jaw-dropping view as Dead Horse Point, but from another angle looking more east, and framing the scene with a massive arch. Photographers flock to this easily accessible overlook for the iconic photo of the early light glowing under the arch, but if you happen by on a Sunday afternoon and you seem to be all alone you might feel a sense of reverence that might make you feel like removing your shoes. But you probably shouldn’t do that until you find a place to sit first.

If you are prepared to make a Sunday drive of it, you should consider driving south along Grandview Point Road to its namesake point at the end of the road. It’s quite Grand indeed. When you ponder what’s around the corner, down there in those depths, you should also ponder another very fun way to explore that wilderness of stone you see before you. Here’s a hint.

Explore Canyonlands National Park

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13. Hike to Corona Arch

Corona Arch is about a mile and a half from the trailhead on Highway 279. The hike requires moderate effort, but is an astounding reward to those looking for something that seems like it ought to be in Arches National Park, but happily isn’t. They say Corona Arch is named for resembling the arc of a solar flare. It also resembles a somewhat smaller version of Rainbow Bridge near Lake Powell so it is sometimes called Little Rainbow Bridge. Nearby Bowtie arch dresses the place up, but you’ll only notice it if you look up along the rim of the cliff.

More great Moab Hikes

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14. ​Shop and Eat in Downtown Moab

Moab’s downtown is unique. Plan some time between your adventures to stroll up and down Main Street and observe the charming bustle. You’ll be sure to find a memorable souvenir at one of the many shops, like “Moab Made”, “Moab Momento” or “Arches Trading Post. Find a tee shirt or last-minute outdoor gear at places like “Gear Trader”, Moab Adventure Center, or the T-Shirt Shop.

Locally-owned shops and restaurants dominate the downtown scene in Moab, which makes it easy to catch a world of flavor with distinctly Moab flair. Moab, Utah has attracted folks from all over the world to come and set up shop, or stake a claim at the food truck court, or sizzle up a great meal from their part of the world and serve it up Moab-style for the tourists. Many longtime locals have been adding their flavors to Moab’s menu for decades. Nowhere else will you find Dewey’s, Moab Brewery, Sweet Cravings, The Broken Oar, or Milt’s Stop and Eat. Zak’s Pizza, The Blu Pig BBQ and Antica Forma Pizza also come to mind. Don’t forget Miguel’s Baja Grill for dinner, or The Love Muffin for breakfast.

Shopping in Moab

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​15. Eat at Historic Sunset Grill (and learn about Moab’s mining history)

Besides having one of the most commanding views over the town of Moab, the Sunset Grille is three tablespoons restaurant and a few shovels full of historic Moab mining museum. The large home-turned-eatery was once the opulent 1953 mansion of the Uranium Boom’s poster boy, Charlie Steen. Charlie’s “Mi Vida” mine made more than a billion dollars over the next 30 years in a place south of town where the government geologists had already declared as absent of the radioactive rock. Steen could hardly have been happier to prove the G-men wrong. See more of our favorite places to eat in Moab.

Sunset Grill in Moab

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