We're spring 4 nights in Moab in late June on our way up to Montana and just wanted to see if y'all had any recommendations on things to not miss. We'll have our 11 and 8 year old daughters with us.

It will likely be very hot in June, so plan for early morning or early evening for any hiking activities. Rafting the river is a great way to cool off one day. It is pretty low key rafting. We used Moab Adventure Center for a 1/2 day trip in 2021 and enjoyed it. You can ride in the big raft with the guide or you can do 2 person inflatable kayaks paddling along with the raft. We did the kayak and had several folks jealous when they realized they could have had that option. Sitting on the side of the raft without back support is apparently only comfortable for a while. Much easier to lean back and rest in the kayak. Even with a half day trip, they start a little later in the morning and they feed you a lunch along the way.

As far as what to see or do, Arches and Canyonlands are the two obvious draws as far as NPs go. Check online because I think Arches has gone to an entry permit system. If it is hot, plan to get into the park right after sunrise if you want to find parking at the popular trailheads. Delicate Arch is an iconic location to hike to, but if the kids aren't up to a moderately strenuous walk, there is a much shorter overlook that will get you a view of the arch without having to hike all the way up to it. One of our favorite things we did in Arches was to grab dinner and then head into the park at sunset and do some twilight hiking and stargazing around the North Window/South Window/Double Arch area. If you like doing long exposure photography you can get some great shots of the arches with a partial moon in the sky. The Devils Garden and Landscape Arch trail was a nice easy hike and gets you right up close to several arches. Whatever you do hiking around there, take lots of water.

In Canyonlands, I would recommend the Islands in the Sky (northern portion) of the park over the Needles (southern) section. Upheaval Dome is a really cool hike and gives you a great view of the Green River Valley to the west. The White Rim Overlook trail is a cool hike in late afternoon when the setting sun starts throwing shadows across the canyon floor. The Grandview Point trail is another short but good one that give an incredible view of the confluence of the Colorado and Green Rivers in the valley below.

Keep in mind that many of the restaurants in Moab close down fairly early in the evening, so your options may be limited if you are coming back into town late. Plan ahead for where your meals are coming from on those days. We really enjoyed the Moab Diner (try the sweetwater potatoes and the ice cream). Moab Brewery was reasonably good food too. Antica Forma is good pizza and easy to pickup and take into the park for an evening meal. The Quesadilla Mobilla food truck was pretty good too.

Bring sunscreen and LOTS of water. Moab is an April/Early May place for most of us Western Slopers. It's gonna be HOT in late June.

Be aware that the entrance lines at the national parks can be VERY long... you could very well have an hour waiting to get it.

Worth it, but just plan.

Both Arches and Canyonlands are fantastic, and yes, it will be hot, but both have lots of things you can see that you can get very close to in your car. I mean, of course finding cool hikes will make for a better experience, but if the heat is dangerous, you can see some amazing sites in both areas without going more than .25 miles from your car.

I thought I remembered seeing that Arches had gone to an entry permit system to cut back on the lines because they were getting ridiculous out there and backing up into the highway. Definitely check that before you go OP, because if they did, you aren't getting in without one.

ETA: ok so I went and looked, and yes they have a time entry ticket system in effect from April 1 to October 31 that you will want to book ahead of time.

https://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/timed-entry-fees-and-passes.htm

Thanks. Yes I bought our entry pass already so hopefully that will cut down on wait time. Arches requires one but Canyonlands does not.

ReloadAg said:

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Thanks. Yes I bought our entry pass already so hopefully that will cut down on wait time. Arches requires one but Canyonlands does not.

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Good deal. Canyonlands is a good bit less crowded than Arches. If you have a wide angle lens for your camera, definitely take it to Canyonlands. The panoramic views are nearly impossible to capture in a way that does justice to them. We went out there in the late afternoon one day right after a thunderstorm had rolled through and it was nearly deserted. We had the entire white rim overlook trail to ourselves for nearly an hour and the shadows and color from the sun coming back out of the clouds low in the sky made for some amazing color on the canyon floor.

Wow that's amazing!

I second hiking Delicate Arch and checking out Dead Horse Point State Park - there are some nice, easy trails there along the loop.

I would try everything you can to get a permit for Fiery Furnace in Arches....it is easily our favorite family hike of the 40-something National Parks we've been to.

Just go into it knowing you're going to get turned around and a little off track - it's part of the fun.

The permits go on sale through Recreation.gov a certain number of days in advance (might be two weeks?).....there are only a couple dozen permits issued for each day so they sell out in under a minute of the release time each day so you have to be on your game. I would attempt for it for the first day you're going to be there so if you don't get one you can try for the next day, etc.

If you can't land a permit, I would recommend Devil's Gardens. If I remember correctly, it's a little over 7 miles so maybe a tad bit long distance wise for your 8 year old but its not really physically difficult.....it was a lot of fun as well. We bribed our youngest (probably 9 or 10 at the time) with a marshmallow every time she saw a new arch.

Best burger in town is at The Brewery....get the Moab Monster - mushrooms, onions, bacon, Jack Daniels BBQ sauce, cheddar, Johnny's onion ring & Dead Horse Ale aioli. We also like eating at The Spoke.

[And just remember Utah has weird liquor laws and you can't get it at the grocery store..... you have to buy it from the state at the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control store]

Great suggestions.

I love dead horse points State Park. It is one of my favorite places for moderate mountain biking to do with the family. Hiking trails there are very flat and doable and there is a fantastic view at the point.

Moab Brewery is one of our favorites for a casual dinner. Agree with great burgers and they make some pretty good beers also.

Liquor laws aren't really all that weird. You can buy beer at any grocery store, convenience store, etc, even on Sunday morning. Hard liquor, like in the majority of states, is only sold at liquor stores (I believe that there's only about 20 states that sell hard liquor outside of liquor stores).

Thanks