Southern Utah is dotted with some of the United States’ best National Parks and a weekend in Moab is a great way to explore these parks and the adventures they present. Moab is considered by many to be the gateway of Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. It is also an adventure lovers dream with many high adventure activities to take part in, such as off-roading, rock climbing and boating.
Moab Weekend Highlights
- Delicate Arch
- Double Arch
- Windows Arch
- Campfires
- Mesa Arch
- Picnicking
- Canyonlands vistas
- Landscape Arch
- Wildlife
- Devil’s Garden loop
When to Go?
As with most desert locations, Moab, Arches and Canyonlands are best visited in the Spring and Fall. During these seasons you’ll experience warm but not overwhelming temperatures (60-80º Fahrenheit).
You can also visit in summer like we did. However, temperatures were miserably hot (100º+ Fahrenheit). The mornings were very nice but hiking in the middle of the day wasn’t pleasant and we found that we got tired very quickly in the heat so we skipped many hikes we would have otherwise done. In conclusion, you can visit during the summer but we wouldn’t recommend it or we would recommend going at a slower pace.
Winter can be very cold and unpredictable. It makes planning your trip and getting the most of your journey difficult and we wouldn’t recommend it for a first time visit.
Where to Stay in Moab?
Something about Moab just screams camping to us. We love camping and this weekend itinerary full of adventurous outdoor activities pairs well with camping. There are a lot of campgrounds in Moab offering tent, electric and RV sites. We stayed at Canyonlands RV Resort and Campground and enjoyed our tent stay. Camping gives you the opportunity to end your day full of hikes with s’mores around the campfire. Rates are seasonal so staying during the off season could help reduce cost.
However, there are also several great hotels in the area as well. The advantage to the hotel would be air-conditioning which would be a great idea if visiting in the summer. You also may want to splurge for a hotel if you want to enjoy a long private shower at the end of your busy day of hiking. Hotels in the area will cost around $100-200/night for low level accommodations.
You could also stay in several amazing AirBnB locations in or near Moab. AirBnBs in the area are generally cheaper than a hotel and offer the same benefits. If you’ve never stayed in an AirBnB before, click this link to get a coupon for your first booking.
We would highly recommend making a reservation regardless of where you want to stay. We wanted to camp and didn’t have a reservation. It took us several stops before we found a campsite with a vacancy.
A Weekend in Moab Itinerary
If you’re spending two days in Moab, there is so much to see and do. From the sweeping red rock canyons, to the desert landscapes to the towering rock formations there are so many things to see. Combine this with the fact that Moab offers so many adventure experiences and you may have a hard time deciding what to do. However, with only a weekend, we have the perfect itinerary for someone who wants to see as much as possible and still have some money in the bank at the end of the day.
When spending a weekend in Moab on a budget, it’s easy to decide what to do. You have two days and there are two amazing National Parks: one for each day. We recommend spending your first day in Arches National Park and taking the many iconic hikes it offers. The second day, you can spend in Canyonlands National Park which provides ample opportunity for taking in the scenery without extensive hiking (unless you’re into that thing). This way, you’ll spend all your energy on the first day and take in a scenic drive on the second.
Arriving in Moab
Arrive for your weekend in Moab on Friday night in order to get the most out of your weekend. The best airport to get you close without breaking the bank is the Salt Lake City Airport. You’ll then drive about 4 hours south to Moab. You could also fly into Denver or Las Vegas and drive a bit farther. Moab does have several airports but flying into those will cost a premium.
Day 1 of Your Weekend in Moab – Arches National Park
We recommend spending you first day in Moab in Arches National Park. When buying a National Parks Pass, you can buy a Southern Utah parks pass ($55) which will get you entrance to both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks for one year. If you plan on visiting more parks, you can also buy the America the Beautiful annual National Parks Pass ($80). We highly recommend this pass as you never know when you’ll want to visit another park! You can buy your pass ahead of time online. Or you can visit the Visitor’s Center.
As with all National Parks, we always recommend stopping at the Visitor Center.
Start your morning hiking to Delicate Arch. This is one of the most iconic things to do in the park.
Since Delicate Arch is about half way into Arches National Park, we recommend driving the rest of the way in to the park and stopping along the way. Some things to see in the morning are Skyline Arch, the Fiery Furnace and the Salt Valley Overlooks.
You’ll likely be very hungry for lunch at this point and also deep in the park. We recommend packing a picnic lunch and enjoying it in the park.
Afternoon
Your next stop should be the Devils Garden area. Park here and do a bit of hiking to view several arches.
Start heading back out of the park and make your way to the Windows section of Arches.
You’re now done hiking for the day. Continue to head towards the exit of the park. Make sure to stop at all the viewpoints on the way out of the park.
End the first day of your weekend in Moab by having a hearty dinner. We love cooking over the fire so we got creative in the campground but there are plenty of filling restaurants in Moab to choose from if you’re too tired to cook.
Day 2 of Your Weekend in Moab – Canyonlands National Park
Morning – Needles District
On the second day of your weekend in Moab, start your morning at The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. Canyonlands National Park has two main entrances that do not connect via road. So to see both areas, you’ll have to enter and exit the park twice.
After exploring the Needles section of the park, make your way back in to Moab for lunch. The drive between the two districts of the park takes about two hours and goes straight through Moab.
Afternoon – Island in the Sky District
After lunch, head to the Island in the Sky area of Canyonlands. The Island in the Sky District is full of fun things to see and do. If you are short on time, this is the best part of the park to visit.
The top things to do here are visiting Upheaval Dome, visiting Whale Rock, stopping and the main overlooks and visiting Mesa Arch.
You’ve now completed an intense weekend in Moab Utah! Stay one more night in Moab or make your way home that evening.
Want to Adjust the Itinerary?
If you have less time, don’t visit Canyonlands. Canyonlands is amazing but it is very spread out. On the other hand, Arches will give you many more sights and less travel time. So if you have less time, you should focus on Arches.
If you have more time, you could do longer and more challenging hikes if interested. Moab also has some amazing opportunities for unique adventures. So for those with adventurous spirits, more time, and more money, enjoying rock climbing, river rafting or ATVing would be a great way to spend an extra day.
What to Pack for a Weekend in Moab?
Whatever time of year you visit, make sure you have the proper gear for each person to carry at least 1 gallon of water with them each day. We filled gallon jugs with water at our campground and poured them in to our hydration backpacks throughout the day. We each drank 2 gallons a day. If you don’t choose to take a hydration backpack with you, make sure you are taking a large enough water bottle for each hike you take. A normal size disposable water bottle will not be enough water for a single person for many of the hikes.
Make sure you pack comfortable clothes that are breathable. The desert sun is hot and some of these hikes are long so make sure you have clothes that you will be comfortable in. Also, make sure you pack the proper shoes. Athletic shoes are great for this trip. Hiking style sandals would also be good for people who like their feet to breath.
As you’ll be in the sun for a majority of the day, make sure you pack plenty of sunscreen and remember to reapply throughout the day. Sunglass and a hat are also great items to bring. For those with more sensitive skin, longer moisture wicking long sleeve clothing would also be appropriate.
If you plan on following this itinerary and spending a majority of your time in the National Parks, it is a good idea to pack food. Leaving the park for lunch takes a lot of time out of your day. We packed PB&J sandwiches along with lots of non-perishable snacks, such as nuts and granola bars. This allowed us to keep our food in the car without worrying about spoilage. We were also able to eat regularly throughout the day which we recommend as you’ll most likely be working up an appetite because of all the hiking in the heat.
