Southwest Trip: Moab
Best place for early morning and late night hikes — Welcome to Moab, Utah
This post is a continuation of my overview post on my recent Southwest trip. If you’ve just come to visit, start there before reading onward.
Here’s a reminder of my itinerary:
- Sedona, AZ
- Page, AZ
- Escalante, UT
- Moab, UT
This post will cover, in detail, all things done in Moab.
Moab
Initially I was bummed to find myself looking at a 3.5 hour drive from Escalante to Moab but luckily, it was a fantastic drive which allowed me to pass through Capital Reef National Park.
Capital Reef is so underrated. It competes against its more well known sibling parks like Arches, Bryce, and Zion. I was blown away by the diverse set of environments and landscapes that the park offered and would certainly come back for a hike or two.
Timed Entry
Speaking of National Parks, one thing readers should note is that there are two main National Parks in Moab: Canyonlands and Arches. Since this spring 2022, visitors need to purchase a timed entry to Arches. During my initial planning for this trip (about one month prior), I had purchased a 4pm timed entry to the park. I figured it would give me plenty of time to drive from Escalante to Moab without stressing out and taking in any additional sites along the way.
Hikes
Dead Horse Point State Park Loop Trail: Upon arriving to Moab, I immediately visited this state park. You have to pay the $10 fee to get in — even with an annual National Park Pass. Which was fine by me since I had scheduled more moderate hikes in Arches for later that evening. The views are amazing and pathways well maintained. It was nice to get out the car after the drive and take a leisurely stroll through this park.
Delicate Arch Trail: A 3.2 mile out and back located in Arches National Park. As I mentioned earlier in this post, I took a later afternoon entry into the park. It’s true what folks say, you’ll want to come either very early or later in the evening to visit Arches. With the intense sun and lack of shade — it’s sound advice to visit during weaker sun hours. 4 pm was just tolerable enough with plenty of water, a good hat, and sunscreen. This particular hike has you slowly ascending up the side of a flat rocky hillside. Again, there is no shade along the way.
Windows Loop and Turret Arch Trail: A 1.2 mile loop which I wouldn’t exactly call a hike but rather a stroll on a nicely maintained pathway. Going later in the evening was great. Less people around and better lighting overall. I especially enjoyed overhearing an older gentleman respond to his overly excited wife: “Yep, those are some rocks Martha”.
Double Arch Trail: A 0.6 mile out and back — again, not really a hike but more of a way point to see. By the time I got there, it was nearly sunset. Folks were still around and actively climbing underneath the double arches but most us photographers hung back patiently to watch the sun go down and for the skies to change with the evening light. (Photographers are always looking up 👆👀 — chasing good light.)
Balanced Rock Loop Trail: Another waypoint worth visiting for the interesting “balanced” rock formation. If you ever find yourself catching a colorful sunset, stick around a bit longer for twilight. No, I’m not talking about sparkling vampires, I’m referring to the soft glowing light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, caused by the refraction and scattering of the sun’s rays from the atmosphere. Dusk, dawn, and golden hours are often more known — greatly romanticized. But it’s at twilight were magical things occur with the light and I’m very lucky to have caught these colors at Balanced Rock.
Mesa Arch Trail: A 0.7 loop which leads to the famous bow-curved arch in Canyonlands National Park. I woke early, drove through open cattle ranges, and walked in the dark to wait for an early sunrise at this viewpoint. Unfortunately cloudy overcast skies did not allow the sun to peak through and reflect upon the arch but I’m still glad to have gone and experienced it.
Green River Overlook: Since I was already in Canyonlands, I took the 5 minute additional drive to check out this view point. A bit hazy but some epic vistas to behold.
Accommodations
I stayed at Under Canvas — Moab during my one-night stay. Perhaps surprising to some but given the choice of a bed and hot shower, I will always opt for that over sleeping on the ground. Having never truly glamped before, I was glad to try the experience with Under Canvas. Points for the in-tent shower and fireplace, minus for the extremely large spiders hanging out on the side of the tent near my bed. 🙀
My trip through Moab was fairly short — just a mere 24 hours! Had I more time, I would have done some additional hiking in Capital Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands. The environment and scenery in this area is just so surreal and ever-changing. I’m sure the City of Moab is also cool to see but, as I once heard on the trail, those are some rocks Martha.
