Moab: Trip Planner
TRAVEL
Located in southeast Utah, Moab is approximately 236 road miles from Salt Lake City, 355 miles from Denver, 115 miles from Grand Junction and 458 miles from Las Vegas. Car rentals are available at airports in these locations. Driving to Moab is both scenic and enjoyable; we recommend this option if you are planning to spend some time in the area. Visit Google Map or MapQuest for directions.
Moab’s airport, Canyonlands Field, lies seventeen miles north of Moab. Mesa Air group has two scheduled flights daily to Moab. The flights are operated by America West Express; connections can be made at the Salt Lake City Airport. . If you are planning to fly into Moab please contact our office @ 877-270-6622. We are more than happy to help you with flight arrangements into Moab.
There are two charter air services, Redtail Aviation, (800) 842-9251 or (435) 259-7421 and Slickrock Air Guides, Inc., (866) 259-1626, or (435) 259-6216.
Thrifty (but not cheap) Car Rental (435-259-7317; 800-373-0277) is located in the Moab Airport.
Roadrunner Shuttle (435-259-9402) provides transportation to/from the airport to downtown Moab. A number of other shuttle operators provide scheduled service from surrounding areas to and from Moab, including American Spirit Shuttle (888-226-5031), and Big Horn Express (888-655-7433), serving Green River, Monticello, Price and Salt Lake City.
Meeting Time & Place: Climbing
Most trips leave from the Pagan Mountaineering parking lot in the McStiff Plaza. Meeting times are determined by the season. Please contact 877-270-6622 for departure times. Many of our climbing sites are fairly close to town, while Indian Creek, Castle Valley and Fisher Towers take about an hour to get to.
Meeting Time & Place: Canyoneering
We meet in Moab for some of our half day Canyoneering adventures—confirm the time and place with your guide. Our southern Canyoneering trips meet at the Fry Canyon Lodge (closed) parking lot, about two hours southwest of Moab. Take route 191 south past Blanding, proceed west on route 95 past Natural Bridges National Monument to the Lodge. There is a downloadable map included with the equipment list below. We encourage our clients to arrive the evening before scheduled trips. Services in this remote area are nonexistent, so be sure to have at least five gallons of water and plenty of extra food in rodent proof containers. Top off your tank in Blanding. Cell phones don’t work in this area. The Natural Bridges National Monument campground is available as well as “primitive” camping (i.e., no water, bathrooms, or other facilities) which is widely available on BLM-administered public land in the area.
For an exciting alternative to driving, contact Redtail Aviation (800-842-9251) to arrange a one-hour scenic flight to an airstrip near the canyon trailheads. Please coordinate with our office if you would like to use this option for travel to Fry Canyon area.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Moab offers all types of accommodations, from camping to high-end retreat spa ranches. For more information, visit DiscoverMoab.com or Moab-Utah.com.
For high-end accommodations, we recommend Gonzo Inn (435-259-2515; 800-791-4044). Located downtown at 100 W. 200 S., Gonzo Inn offers luxurious and spacious rooms with an abundance of local flavor. Suites are available. An excellent visual tour is available on their web site.
Equally impressive, the Sorrel River Ranch Resort & Spa’s (877-359-2715) private location along the Colorado River offers scenic views, luxury cabin suites with hydrotherapy tubs, full spa services and massage therapy to soothe tired climbing muscles. The River Grill restaurant offers fine dining for breakfast, lunch & dinner. The Ranch is located on Hwy 128 at mile 17 on the Colorado River.
Middle of the road (but very nice) lodging is available at Best Western Canyonlands Inn (435-259-2300; 800-780-7234), located at 16 S. Main Street. Indoor pool, Pasta Jay's Restaurant, weight room. Extended continental Breakfast included. Very reasonable rates for what you get. Three folks can get their largest room for $69.95/night (2 beds and a sofa bed). AAA discount (10%), 24 hr cancellation policy.
The Apache Motel (435-259-5727), 166 South 400 East (off Main Street), is an excellent choice for budget living. Stay where John Wayne stayed while making movies in the Moab area. Even more economical is the Lazy Lizard Hostel (435-259-6057), 1213 S. Hwy. 191. Dorms ($10/night), private rooms ($24/night), and log cabins available. Dorms are male, female, or co-ed and accommodate 4-8 people per room. Features include hot tub, showers, TV/VCR with over 200 movies. 2 kitchens, laundry, email access.
Camping: The Moab area has many great public and privately owned campgrounds, described in the Moab camping guide. Camping on the Colorado River is a nice option; Reservations can be made for River Road and Big Bend campgrounds on the BLM’s website.
AMENITIES
Moab has some excellent choices for dining. For high-end, select Desert Bistro, located at the Moab Spring Ranch, 1266 North Highway 191. Excellent food and atmosphere, with indoor and al fresco dining.
Miguel's Baja Grill, 51 N Main St., serves fresh Mexican food at affordable prices. Kick back at Eddie McStiff's, Moab's oldest legal brewery and pizza joint, in the Mc Stiff Plaza at 57 South Main.
For the best burger and fries in town, along with a serving of local flavor, check out Milt's Cafe, 356 Mill Creek Drive. Open seven days a week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Wired and wireless services are located at the Mondo Café, 59 South Main Street in the Mc Stiff Plaza, with fresh coffee and surfing. Red Rock Bakery, 74 South Main, has great baked goods and internet service.
Moab's premier climbing shop is Pagan Mountaineering (435 259-1117), located in the McStiff's Plaza at 59 South Main #2. Pagan Mountaineering has a full line of climbing gear and rental shoes.
Showers are available at the Moab municipal swimming pool (435-259-8226), 181 West 400 North.
Fill propane tanks and do laundry at Canyonlands Campground, 555 South Main.
Bike sales and rentals are available from Rim Cyclery (888-304-8219), 94 West 100 North and Slickrock Cycles (435-259-1134), 427 North Main.
WEATHER & CLIMATE
Southeast Utah is part of the Colorado Plateau, a "high desert" region that experiences wide temperature fluctuations, sometimes over 40 degrees in a single day. Thus the desert can be extremely hot in the sun, feel chilly in the shade and be downright cold at night. The temperate, and most popular, seasons are spring (April and May) and fall (mid-September through October), when daytime highs average 60º to 80º F and lows average 30º to 50º F. Summer temperatures can exceed 100º F, making strenuous exercise difficult. The late summer monsoon season brings violent storms, which often cause flash floods, of particular concern in canyon areas. Check out more weather details on our weather page.
Dressing in layers is the most appropriate for the varying conditions. Be prepared with plenty of water, and enough clothing to be comfortable in changing or windy weather. If canyoneering, keep in mind that the water is a colder temperature altogether!
Canyoneering:
Please note that, for Fry Canyon area trips, Gravel Canyon is a fairly large collection zone above the narrows and is subject to flash flooding. If you are camping in the area or in route to the lodge and observe heavy rain clouds within a 24 hours or close to your departure time, please contact our office from the Natural Bridges campground payphone toll free at 1-877-270-6622. We will try to contact the guide and make arrangements to reschedule or refund your trip.
EQUIPMENT
Download the Moab Climbing Equipment List, in pdf format.
Download the Canyoneering Equipment List and road map, in pdf format.