My parents and I checked off a huge bucket list destination two weeks ago when we headed west to Moab for a couple days of hiking! Moab is indescribable. It’s so expansive and the landscape is like nothing you’ve ever seen. I kept joking that I felt like I was on another planet. There are unbelievable hikes at every level in the parks, good food in town and tons of places to stay. Here’s my tips tricks and guide to a visit to Moab!

Food

There’s tons of spots to eat in Moab! Town gets very busy and I imagine even busier in Summer. Expect a wait wherever you go. We had great meals on our trip! Here are our favorites:

The Broken Oar- a great classic American spot for dinner. Cozy with a fireplace and chunky wooden tables and chairs the sweet potato fries were killer!

Arches Thai- not going to lie...I’m pretty snooty when it comes to Thai food. We all agreed that this spot was exceptional. I had Panang curry and it was unreal! My parents had an eggplant and shrimp dish that they also raved about! Highly recommend this spot if you like Thai.

Peace tree Cafe- a cute, quaint little health focused cafe. Great spot for a quick lunch!

Jailhouse Cafe- we sadly never made it here because it’s only open for breakfast and we were hiking. But it looked like the most adorable pancake spot! Will definitely be trying if I visit Moab again!

I had a few reader recommendations that we sadly didn’t have time to make it to but wanted to share!

Milts- best spot for a burger and a shake!

Sorrel River Ranch- great spot for lunch or dinner

Hikes

There are TONS of incredible hikes within Moab. The landscape is incredible... almost otherworldly. The land is so expansive and beautiful. The views don’t get old. We visited in October which was perfect because it was on the cooler side, mostly around 50 degrees. You want to be equipped with plenty of water and snacks during your hikes. PSA!!! If you visit in the Summer you HAVE to be extremely careful. My point here is not to scare you, just want to make sure you go prepared... people have literally died from dehydration in the summer. It’s extremely hot and there’s barely any shade. If you visit in summertime, hiking early in the morning is recommended. BE SURE you have more than enough water and some salty snacks. Make sure to listen to your body!

These were a few of our favorite hikes!

Dead horse canyon rim loop trail in Dead Horse State Park- this was the first hike we did and also our favorite of the trip. The views were unbeatable (the image above is from this hike) and since it wasn’t inside the National Park is was MUCH quieter and more peaceful. It’s about a 5 mike loop once you take the little turns off the trail to the viewpoint. It’s a very simple trail hike.

Devils garden in Arches National Park- if you complete all of devils garden you see six different arches! It’s about 7 miles long and there are two sections that are extremely difficult. Hiking boots with good traction are definitely necessary. We ended up not completing this hike because mom (understandably) got too uncomfortable at a really sketchy/difficult part of the hike. To do just the first section of this hike it’s very simple. To complete the entire loop I would categorize it as very difficult.

Delicate Arch in Arches National Park- this is a verrrryyyy crowded 3 mile round trip hike to see the famous, Delicate Arch. I would say this hike is moderate difficulty but it’s fairly short so it’s not bad at all! The view is amazing with the mountains peeking out behind the arch.

Firey furnace in Arches National Park- we ended up not doing this hike after we had to turn back in Devils Garden. This hike is supposedly amazing but extremely difficult! Would love to tackle this one on my next visit.

Murphy point in Canyonlands National Park- Murphy point is a mellow, 3.5 mile round trip hike to a beautiful overlook. It was also not crowded which we loved.

Hotels

Moab is a touristy spot of course so there are tons of places to stay. We stayed at the Hyatt Place and it was super nice and very convenient. Make sure if you’re visiting in high season to book your accommodation far in advance.

Off roading

People love to off road on all types of crazy vehicles in Moab! If you’re looking for something else to do, this is a super fun option! You can rent them all right in town. We had one day where it was very cold and misty so we decided to go off roading. We rented a Jeep from a spot called Cliff Hangers. They were super helpful and totally guided us on what route to take. We were able to see so much that we would’ve missed on foot. If you tend to get car sick I would not recommend this. It’s extremely bumpy. We had fun for the first 2 hours or so and then we were very ready to be on flat ground!

What I wore

Like I mentioned before, in the summertime it gets insanely hot. So be aware of that. We visited mid October and the forecast showed 50s and 60s. We did luck out with one warm day but it was quite a bit colder than the forecast told us. Layers are a MUST! One day I wore my sweatpants over my workout leggings. Just make sure to have enough clothing in case it ends up being much cooler than expected.

I hiked in workout sets from Carbon 38 & Strut this and layered with a sweater and jacket from Alp n Rock. Having comfortable shoes for Moab is a MUST because you’re on your feet A LOT. I just packed two pairs of sneakers for this trip. Both pairs were from Shoe Carnival (they’re family owned which I love). For our hikes I wore a pair of New Balance Fresh Foam Sport sneakers which are beyond comfortable! They were more than fine for the simpler hikes! If you choose to do the more intense hikes, I’d recommend hiking boots. For travel and in town at night I wore my new fave shoe, the Fila Disruptor II which is so comfy and SO cute. I wore them in Moab with sweats but back home last week I styled them with a skirt. Love how versatile they are!! I carried my backpack from Kapten and Son which really proved to be necessary. It’s water resistant making it practical and a bit structured making it super comfy to carry all day. I carried all of our snacks, layers, water bottles and phones and it really came in handy. It also doubled as a travel bag because of its great organization and a padded laptop sleeve. I linked all the exact pieces I wore and used on the trip below!

xx Ali

Guide to MOAB!

Shop everything I wore in Moab here: