With Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Dead Horse Point State Park in the vicinity, Moab is a place where you can get a lot of bang for your buck. You can easily spend more days here, especially if you want to visit the most remote sections of Canyonlands. But 3 days will be plenty to explore, especially if you’re comfortable with 5 to 10 miles of hiking per day. You can mix and match the days as you see fit. Keep in mind that Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point will be at a slightly higher elevation than Arches, so the weather there will be cooler.

How to Get There

The closest major airport is Salt Lake City, about 3.5 hours away. You can also fly into Canyonlands Regional Airport in Moab or in Grand Junction, CO, about 2 hours away.

Where to Stay

Lodging in Moab is plentiful, although prices have gone up with post-pandemic inflation and the area’s growing popularity. I stayed at the Sleep Inn and Suites. I enjoyed the outdoor hot tub and the grocery stores with a Starbucks inside right across the street.

When to Visit

Spring and Fall are the best times to visit for moderate temperatures and manageable crowds. Summer will be hot and crowded, while winter will allow for solitude but some trails may be challenging if there is precipitation. I visited at the end of April. Our first day, which we spend in Canyonlands, was off to a chilly start in the 40s but we were in the 70s and low 80s during the day the rest of the time.

Day 1 – Dead Horse Point State Park & Arches Preview

I recommend this as your focus on day 1 because the 5-mile Dead Horse Rim Loop through the park has no elevation gain and it makes for a great hike to get used to the altitude. The views will be a preview of what you can see in Canyonlands.

In the afternoon, you can add on some of the plentiful easy hikes/roadside arches in Arches National Park. We did Balanced Rock, Double Arch and the Windows section, as well as some of the overlooks.

Day 2 – Arches National Park

Start as early as you can to hike to the most iconic arch in the park, Delicate Arch. If you’re the adventurous type, I recommend getting a permit for the Fiery Furnace hike. If not, you can check out the Devil’s Garden trail and try to make it to Double O Arch, which is also a hike that’s on the adventurous side. If that’s too much, go at least to Landscape arch.

Day 3 – Canyonlands National Park

Start early again so you can catch sunrise at Mesa Arch. For a moderate hike in the park, head to Lathrop trail and go as far into the canyon as you want (we did a little over 2 miles each way). Finish off two short but popular hikes, Grand View and Upheaval Dome.

Other Things to Note

Arches requires timed entry reservations to enter the park from April till October. Reserve those as soon as you have your dates, or plan to enter the park before 7 am or after 4 pm.

You can easily combine your time in Moab with the other Utah national parks. Check out my 6-day Bryce and Zion itinerary or my long weekend in Capitol Reef. Moab is also temptingly close to Colorado’s Western Slope, which makes Black Canyon of the Gunnison national park and the famed Million Dollar Highway within reach. You could even continue on to Mesa Verde national park and fly out of Durango.