A Perfect Base for Adventure
We spent a week in the middle of May 2024 around Moab, Utah. During this time we explored two national parks, drove the La Sal mountain loop, toured around town, and hiked one of our top U.S. hikes to date. We stayed at The Gathering Place RV Park. This spot worked out well for a base camp, especially on short notice. It was a bit tight for us in our 40 footer and could be a little noisy since there were many ATVers working on their vehicles while we were there. Other than that it was clean with FHU, had a small laundry area with restrooms, outdoor restrooms and showers, and a covered communal area.
For our first full day in Moab, we got our first taste of arches by hiking the 2 mile hike to Corona Arch. It's located just south of town where the Colorado River bends. There's one spot where ladders are used to climb up boulders but otherwise is an easy hike. You'll pass a lot of people on this one and there are crowds at the arch itself. We were lucky to arrive at a time where it wasn't too busy and got a shot of it without people around.
After the hike we made our way to town, passing mountain climbers just feet from the side of the road. Moab is a cool town. Most of the town is down the main strip and you'll find all the typical tourist shops, restaurants, and even a food truck area. There are a variety of lunch and dessert trucks here and it has a nice vibe. We ate lunch at Trailhead Public House and Eatery The food was ok and the seating area was small but it has a nice classic feel inside. We did use the laundry services in town and they were pretty solid compared to many on our travels. There were plenty of machines, it was clean, and I'm not sure if I saw even one machine out of order!
The next day we got up early and headed to Arches National Park. We didn't have a timed entry reservation and easily got in around 6AM. If you do plan to visit Arches between 7AM and 4PM you will need a reservation to enter which can be found here. We drove straight to Devil's Garden Trailhead to get a head start on what is an extremely popular and busy trail. When we started just before 7 there were a few groups of hikers around other than us. On our way back to the car we passed hundreds of people down this same stretch. You can read more about our Devil's Garden hike here.
After this hike we decided to do a much smaller hike at the Delicate Arch Viewpoint Trail. Now this isn't the one that goes right up to the arch but it does offer some nice views at the viewpoint. I continued on past this to the edge of the cliff separating us from the side with the arch to take a few photos.
You can see some interesting green rocks off this trail which were created by volcanic ash debris that settled in water long ago. We made a few pitstops on our way back to observe more impressive rock formations in the park.
We took the next day off then made our way to the Island in the Sky at Canyonlands National Park. This is the busiest part of Canyonlands but does have some cool spots to check out. First, we took the short hike to Upheaval Dome. This is a huge dome of salt inside a crater two miles wide. Scientists aren't sure if it was caused by meteor impact or formed slowly to erosion. If you decide to see this then we'd recommend turning around after the first lookout which is much better. Save the time you'd spend hiking to the second lookout for other attractions in the park.
Next we walked the Grand View Point path along a ridge with vast views of the canyons below and beyond. It truly is amazing how far you can see from up here. Then we hiked the roughly two miles to White Rim Overlook which may be the poster view of the entire park. You look down into a massive canyon that appears as if it's deteriorating in front of your eyes!
Don't forget to look out west as well to see the La Sal mountains off in the distance. I'm a sucker for a view of the desert with green, snowy mountains off in the distance behind it.
Before finishing our trip to Isle of the Sky, we packed in one more short mile hike to the Aztec Butte Granary. These mud-sealed structures were built into cliffs by indigenous people hundreds of years ago. They were used for trapping eagles, storing items, and conducting ceremonies.
Our Moab trip continued with a drive through the La Sal Mountain Loop. These mountains are located just outside the desert. It was nice to see green again in this grassy, mountainous landscape. This scenic trip offers plenty of views, including massive rocky structures along the Colorado River. It's worth taking some time to soak all of this in and stop along one of the many pull offs to enjoy the nature around you.
The last, and best part of our week was spent hiking in The Needles in lower Canyonlands National Park. Check out our full post on Druid Arch here. There are also two attractions along the way to The Needles that you may be interested in checking out. We stopped at a pull off on I-191 on our way to The Needles to get a glimpse of Wilson Arch.
Just down the road from the arch is the roadside attraction of Hole 'N The Rock. We were too late to see this heading back but it is there for those of you looking to get a bit extra in.
Moab is a really cool town in between the desert and mountains. With plenty of hiking and outdoor adventures, there's plenty to keep you busy. Throw in two amazing National Parks nearby and this area is easily one of our favorites in the U.S.
