Hey there! You must be planning a fun trip to Moab. You might have already started planning and realized that there is so much to do it’s a little overwhelming.

My husband’s family moved to Moab right before he started High School and lived there for at least ten  years, so he knows all the best nooks and crannies. He has so much fun showing the kids all of his favorite haunts every time we visit.

I’ll spare you all the photos of the house he lived in, his high school and where he used to catch crawdads. Instead I’ve compiled a list of our top 10 favorite things to do as a family.

 

1. Sunrise Hike to delicate arch. Be sure to take snacks so your kids won’t be ornery. The very best thing about hiking this early in the morning is that there is no line to get into the park. That is a seriously big deal because the lines get very long later in the morning and through the afternoon!

If you’re going to take a sunrise hike, be sure to pack breakfast and some snacks!

 

2. All the other arches, hikes and balanced rock. The road through Arches National Park is a big loop, so if you just stay on it and drive the length of it, stopping at the marked parking lots, you’ll see everything you want to.

3. Rock Climb. Moab sandstone, called slickrock, is a lot of fun to climb and rappel, especially in slot canyons and chimneys.

4. Discover Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs just 23 miles north of Moab at mile marker 149.  If you’re heading south from I-70, pass mile-marker 149 and look for the turnoff that crosses the tracks to the east. Two miles down this dirt road, you’ll find the trailhead for the trackway. There is a bathroom, a parking area and you’ll probably see lots of campers. It’s very primitive camping, with no amenities, just in case you were wondering.

Within just a small area (probably less than 30 square feet) you can see three different types of dinosaur tracks, very plainly. It’s pretty amazing! We also love the petroglyphs along the old potash road.

5. Raft the Colorado river. The daily stretch is full of fun, playful class I and II rapids you’ll experience in a 16-foot paddle boat. The river company you choose will provide transportation, a guide in each boat, and lunch on some of the longer stretches. They’ll just pull over at a sandy beach and set up a buffet right there on the beach.

The braver and more experienced can try their hand in a smaller kayak, called a ducky. Kendel and Drew took a ducky (and the boys paddled around in it for fun while we were stopped for lunch) and the rest of us piled in the paddle boat.

6. Fisher towers and Corona arch hikes.

7. Take a scenic drive out through Spanish Valley and visit some more petroglyphs and Hole ‘n the Rock, where in the 1930’s a family lived in a home they carved out of the side of a cliff. It’s kind of interesting if you have extra time.

8. Canyonlands National Park looks similar to arches (with fewer arches and more humongous vistas) We generally prefer Arches and spend the majority of our time there. Here are a few of the spectacular vistas.

9. Be sure to refill your water bottle at matrimony springs. Not only is the water cold and delicious, but an old legend has it that whoever drinks from the springs is ‘wed’ to Moab and must return. Anyway, it’s a fun tradition. The spring is located on the right side of Hwy 128, just off Hwy 191.

10.  Get a fun VRBO rental. Make sure it has all your kids’ favorite cable channels and has a nice pool and BBQ. It’s not a vacation for the kids if there’s not a pool. During the summer, it’s best to hike in the mornings and evenings and relax in the pool or watch movies during the hottest parts of the afternoon.

 

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Have a great time! What are your favorite places to visit in Moab?