A haven for rock climbers, cyclists, hikers and off-roading enthusiasts, Moab truly is a mecca for all things outdoorsy, and with a jaw-dropping backdrop around every corner too!
Starting off with where to eat and stay, most of the big-chain hotels offer cooked breakfast in their room prices, including our hotel, Homewood Suites by Hilton. With all of the essentials – free parking, coin-operated washer dryer, tea/coffee station, spacious rooms and central location, we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, made even better by being across the road from Doughbird (the local doughnut, chicken and coffee shop). Other notable restaurants include La Sal House, Sabaku Sushi (both offering happy hour food specials from 5-6pm), and Moab Brewery.
We chose Moab as a base to explore Arches National Park (10 minutes to the visitor centre), Dead Horse Point State Park (40 minutes to the VC) and Canyonlands National Park – both the Island in the Sky (40 minutes to the VC) and the Needles (1.5 hours to the VC) districts. For an in-depth overview of these parks, click on the links above.
A must-do trail in the area is the one to Corona Arch, which begins along highway 279, also known as Moab’s Wall Street. The 20-minute drive out to the trailhead curves alongside the Colorado River, with rock climbers spotted camping beneath the towering sandstone walls on the other side. The trail begins at a sizeable carpark and is a 3 mile round trip, taking 2 hours. What I love about this hike is the varied landscape, from train tracks and ladders and chains, to slick rock and route finding via cairns and green markings.
Follow the well marked trail until you reach the registry box and walk straight ahead towards the STOP sign. The trail continues across the tracks where the barbed wire fence is, and not to the right where lies a false trail. We ended up on the wrong path which led to a small overlook (that I’m not mad about!), but the correct trail will take you over slick rock towards Bowtie Arch and Corona Arch.
Following the green markings to your right, you will reach steeper sections requiring light scrambling with the help of chains and a ladder. From there, you can spot both arches and explore to your hearts content, getting up close and personal or admiring them from afar. Tip: try to get there around sunrise or early morning if you are interested in photographing Corona Arch. The light gets too harsh towards midday.
If you’re looking to get away from the crowds at Arches National Park, Corona Arch offers equally impressive terrain and its trailhead is closer to Moab with no entrance fee. We passed only one person on our way towards the arches at 8.30am, and a handful of couples and locals walking their dogs on the way out.
If cycling is more your cup of tea, there are plenty of road and mountain bike trails in the area. With most roads bordered by towering sandstone cliffs, the scenery is out of this world! If you are headed into Arches National Park from Moab, an afternoon cycle will avoid the steady stream of cars that enter from morning to midday. Bring a windbreaker for the return downhill trip, as it gets bitterly cold as the sun sets in November, and of course, plenty of water 💪🏻
This blog post rounds up the Utah series, until the next time we go of course! Check out the three Utah videos on my YouTube channel, starting with this one from 2017 😉
Nice job Lilian Pang!
I see your videos in the Chanel Queen Deep on YouTube.