When I told people that I was heading to Utah for a four day weekend, they would ask if I was traveling there to convert to Mormonism. With a puzzled look on my face I would respond, “um…..NO.” Yes, 60% of Utahns are affiliated with the religion, but it’s not what it should be highly known for. Utah is a outdoor playground for those who are looking for adventure. From hiking, mountain biking, camping, and canoeing–Utah has it all. You can easily spend up to two weeks exploring the entire state of Utah. However, if you’re planning to just Moab, it is manageable with a three day weekend and I’m going to tell you how.
-Your 3-day Weekend Moab, Utah Itinerary-
Friday Morning — Fly into Salt Lake City and visit one of the following landmarks for a couple hours before checking into your hotel in Moab, Utah
- Goblin Valley State Park — 4 hours from Salt Lake City and 2 hours away from Moab
- Canyonlands National Park — 4 hours from Salt Lake City and 40 mins from Moab
- Diamond Fork Hot Springs (this is the stop we decided on!) — 1 hour and 15 minutes from Salt Lake City and 3 hours from Moab
Saturday — Make sure to grab some sandwiches, snacks and water the night before to prepare for a fun-filled and active day!
- Early morning hike (or if you’re ambitious, a sunrise hike!) to Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. It’s 3 miles round trip. Allow up to 3 hours for the hike.
- Afternoon hike in Devil’s Garden Trail. The loop is 7 miles long and can take up to 6 hours. Manage your time so you can make it to your next stop.
- Watch the sunrise at Dead Horse State Park. It’s a 2o minute drive from Arches National Park entrance.
Sunday — Make sure to stop by one more landmark before heading back to Salt Lake City Airport, which is 4 hours away.
- Try stopping by a few more arches in Arches National Park before going to Salt Lake City. There’s plenty that are a short 1 mile hike (Park Avenue, Windows Loop, Double Arch, Broken Arch Loop).
- Drop by Canyonlands! It’s filled with trails as well and only 40 minutes away from Moab.
To get to Moab by plane, you have two options: you can fly into Las Vegas and drive 6 hours to Moab or fly into Salt Lake City and drive 4 hours to Moab. I opted to fly into Salt Lake City and made stops at the Bonneville Salt Flats, Park City and Diamond Fork Hot Springs on the way to Moab.
Moab is a small town that is surrounded by mountainous red rocks. It’s a far cry from a metropolitan city, but that’s the beauty of it. It’s a simple city that provides the basic necessities. There’s the local grocery store, a strip of restaurants, and a few souvenir shops.
On our first night in Moab, we checked into Moab Rustic Inn. Don’t expect anything extravagant at this hotel. For $50 a night, it provided everything we needed: beds, bathroom and a small kitchenette. Plus, you go to Moab to explore all day so it would be sad to waste money on posh accommodations that you wouldn’t be taking full advantage of. The hotel was also perfectly situated right off Main Street where a lot of restaurants, bars and shops are located. Moab Diner, which is a local favorite, is located just 2 blocks away.
The following morning we woke up bright and early to check out Arches National Park. With 2,000 arches spread across the park, Aches National Park is known to hold the world’s largest collection of natural sandstone arches. It’s quite an attraction and the main reason why many travelers head to Moab. To prep for this all day affair, we went to Love Muffin Cafe to stock up on sandwiches. It’s located on N. Main Street, and on the way to the park main entrance. My sister ordered the Vesuvio and I ordered the Chipotle Turkey. Both were extremely delicious. I would highly recommend making a pit stop at this cafe in the morning.
Out of the 2,000 arches to choose from, we made Delicate Arch our first destination. Delicate Arch is the most popular arch in the park. And after hiking 3 miles to the arch, I could see why. It’s granduer is like no other. It stands 46 feet tall and is perched on a slab of flat red rock, leaving you thinking “how the f*k did it get there?!” The 3 mile hike to Delicate Arch can be rigorous for someone who is nonathletic. The trail includes inclines and rocky paths. Shoes with friction, like hiking boots, are needed to prevent from slipping.
-SHOP MY HIKING ESSENTIALS-
Another hike we went on was the Devil’s Garden Trail. It’s a 7 mile loop that leads to 9 different arches. Two of which are by far among my favorites and worth checking out. Devil’s Garden is the hardest trail in the park. It can take up to 6 hours to complete the trail. Beyond the hike to Landscape Arch, which is half a mile out, the trail turns into a primitive trail. The Primitive Trail is a rigorous trail that takes you up and down boulders, and even had me crawling on a boulder on all fours! The trail is not thoroughly marked, but there are some “trail” signs that leads you to certain directions. Keep your eyes open for those. Also, there are piles of rocks placed along the trail to mark the path. We only made it as far to Double O Arch, which is 4.2 miles round trip. We wanted to make it to Dead Horse State Point in time for sunset.
Dead Horse State Park is an immaculate canyon which the Colorado River Flows through. The view point, which you can drive right up to, is 2,000 feet above elevation and gives you the most picturesque panoramic view of the canyon. Be there during Golden Hour until the sun sets into the horizon. You’ll see the changing colors contrast with the warmth of the red rocks. I’d recommend grabbing a 6-pack, find a cliff to perch, sit back, and enjoy the show.
The following morning we made another stop in Arches National Park before leaving Moab for good. We made a stop to check out Double Arch and Window Arch, which are located right next to each other. Unlike the other arches which required a hike, the arches are a brisk walk from the parking lot.
Overall, I think we managed to do a lot during our two days in Moab. Because there are so many arches and trails to explore, you can easily spend an entire week in Moab. However, if you are short on time like we were, the landmarks that I mentioned should not be missed.
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