Moab, Utah
Anyone who’s been to Moab, Utah knows what an eclectic little town it is with no shortage of things to do, places to see, food to eat, and people to connect with. Not sure if it’s just our East Coast experience that has made this trip out here feel like a journey to Mars but we both agreed, Moab was a great first stop on the journey. While we began with the intention of hitting multiple national parks and rolling through, we fell in love with Moab and decided to stay for a couple of weeks and enjoy the town. That being said, we decided to come up with an extensive (but not exhaustive) list of things we did, water refill stations, camping spots, etc. for anyone else who might be coming out here to do the same thing we did. My appreciation is immense for people who have taken the time to write up posts that can make the trip a little more seamless, which is why I am writing one in the hopes it may make someone else’s trip a little more seamless. Take time to explore, hike, climb, and camp and let us help direct you to some of the essentials necessary for spending time out in the desert.
One of the beautiful things about Utah is it has the most BLM (bureau of land management) which is public land and can be camped on free of charge, although be prepared to have a bathroom situation figured out because most of them don’t have bathrooms, although there are exceptions! (But if you need showers, bathrooms, etc this might not be the blog post for you.)
First things first, water refill stations – water is essential to have on any camping trip but especially in the desert. It is dry and can either be scorching hot or freezing cold. We came out in October and could not have been happier with the weather, although we did just make it after the initial snow which we were told doesn’t usually happen until November. It was 60 degrees during the day and 30/40s at night but the temperature definitely drops when the sun goes down.
Water refill station: Gearheads Outdoor Store. Anytime we needed to refill or before we left to surrounding areas such as Canyonlands we refilled here. Not only do they have free water fill ups (small or large containers) but they also have any gear for camping, hiking, or outdoors activities you could think of needing. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and there is no shortage of supplies, water, etc here.
Secondly, and also very important, is camping! Arches, Moab, and Canyonlands in general have a tone of camping – whether you’re looking for free of charge or looking for hook-ups, Utah has it. We went to a popular campsite about 10 minutes outside of Moab called Willow Springs Trail and we’re very pleased and stayed here for almost a week. It was busy enough that you never felt alone, but not so busy that it felt crowded. They also had porta johns because it is a popular campsite (super plus!). Also, all along U.S. Highway 191 there are BLM campsites so just keep your eyes open and you will find one. Some of them are labeled, others are not but typically you will see other cars and rigs set up so follow the signs!
Campsites: Willow Springs Trail
Ok, now everybody’s favorite – hiking trails, viewpoints and vistas! Not only is there an abundance of campsites but there is an abundance of trails, climbs, and viewpoints to see, so I’m just naming a few and know there are so, so many. Delicate arch trail is the infamous and most well known hike from Arches National Park – a moderately strenuous hike but completely worth the view. Go up an hour or two before sunset and stay until it goes down. Make sure to take water for all trails, sunglasses or a hat, and a headlamp if you plan on coming back down after dark.
Hiking Trails, Viewpoints, Vistas: Delicate Arch Trail, Broken Arch Loop, Landscape Arch trail, Sand Dune Arch Trail, Double Arch, Double O Arch. Viewpoints are all along the Arches Scenic Drive – you can’t miss them.
Delicate arch Trail: 3 miles, takes about 2 hours. Worth staying for the sunset!
Broken arch loop: 2 miles, takes about an hour depending on pace.
Landscape arch trail: 1.6 miles, takes about 45-50 minutes.
Sand Dune arch trail: .3 miles. It is a ‘short hike to a secluded arch among fins of rock.’ Shady spot with sand, good for families.
Double Arch: .5 miles, takes 20 minutes.
Double O arch: 4.5 miles, takes about 2.5 hours. This one starts by going through Landscape arch trail. *disclaimer: we didn’t actually finish this one because it got very dark and we we’re not sure if we were on the trail or not so we decided to turn back.
Breakfast & Wifi: Moab Coffee Roasters, Red Rocks Café and Bakery, The library (wifi only but also in front of a very nice park to workout in)
And of course, if you’re looking to go out for a drink, bars: Woody’s Tavern – if you want to go out like a local in Moab, Woody’s is the local bar to check out on a Friday night.
If you plan on visiting Moab (and surrounding areas) and have any questions, feel free to reach out or if you’ve been before share your experience! Moab is a beautiful town and definitely worth a visit. Happy exploring!!
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