More to Moab
Goals of Trip: Explore national parks and the desert landscape around Moab, UT
Keywords: Desert, National Parks, The West
Time visited: April/Spring
Don’t forget to pack:
Layers (the desert can experience frigid cold and blazing heat in the same 24 hours)
Sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses)
Hiking boots and/or trail runners, sandals
Camping gear (for those less inclined to the rugged outdoors the town of Moab has lovely accommodations)
Travel:
A straight shot on I-70, we drove over the mountains and into the desert just west of the Utah-Colorado border to Moab. From Denver, this is a 5-hour drive filled with breathtaking scenery from the height of the Rocky Mountains to the valleys of the sandstone canyonlands.
Accommodations:
Camped on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land just north of Canyonlands National Park.
Cons: Camping sites like these are first come, first serve so early arrival is essential. If you want a particularly scenic spot, you have to be there by 10:00am to snag a campsite when someone packs up. FYI for those new to the crunchier side of traveling, these camping sites do not have access to bathrooms, climate-control, Wifi, or room service.
Pros: Uninhibited views of the Milky Way Galaxy, breathtaking dawns and sunsets, s’mores, beating the crowds to the national parks, avoiding traffic in town, getting away from it all.
Arrival, Friday-Day 1
5am - Head West on I-70
We packed necessities, meal-prepped, and finished loading the truck with snacks, emergency supplies, and a few creature comforts the night before departing. After (actually) waking up when our alarms went off, we rolled out of bed, made some coffee, and hit the road.
Springtime in the Rockies is one of the most beautiful, but also the most dangerous times of year. As we watched the pastel dawn streak color into the sky, we also saw the fresh snowfall that covered the mountains as we made our way into higher elevation. We were making great time when we ran into horrible traffic: a series of 18-wheelers had jack-knifed across the highway due to the ice that had accumulated overnight.
Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) has strict snow-chain/tire regulations specifically to avoid situations like these. In the end, we were stuck for just over an hour waiting for the 18-wheeler tow truck to clear traffic. Once the road was clear, we resumed our road trip and enjoyed the changing landscape across Colorado’s western slope. Glittering, snow-covered alpine forests gave way to sandstone canyons, buttes, and streams bursting with snowmelt.
11am - Arrive in Moab
Unfortunately, that hour in traffic cost us the campsite we had been hoping to snag near the Colorado River. However, we always have a backup plan and we drove through the vast red canyons carved out by the river, past Arches National Park, toward the northern entrance to Canyonlands, checking each campsite along the way. Luckily, our secret spot was still available and we managed to avoid most of the traffic in Moab proper.
12pm - Eat Lunch & Set Up Camp
We immediately broke out some of our pre-made sandwiches because no one wants to set up camp hangry! After our lunchtime reprieve, we pitched the tent, shored up the fire pit and collected some wood, then took in our surroundings with a couple of cold ones.
I ended up taking a nap after the excitement of finding a campsite, which in our set up is genuinely decadent. We have an air mattress, double-person sleeping bag, a couple of fleece, king-size sherpa blankets, and a mountain of pillows. In short, we sleep like royalty when we’re outside.
2pm - Explore
After a regenerative nap, we explored the area around our campsite, checking out the trails and evidence of nearby wildlife. We really appreciate understanding our surroundings so we took stock of the different kinds of flora and fauna that were coming back to life in the high desert spring.
I use an app (Seek) that identifies any living organism that you snap a picture of–it's basically a Nature Valley version of Pokèmon Go–and I had a blast identifying the different kinds of brush and critters that dotted our site.
Can you spot our camp buddy?
5pm - Dinner & Drinks
Once the sun started to dip in the sky, we broke out the wool and fleece and set to work on the campfire. Always check with the local rangers or wildlife management to see if there is a fire ban in effect! The West has been plagued by wildfires the last few years and it's important to make sure we’re being responsible guests.
Luckily, there wasn’t a ban in place so once we had the fire going, I busted out the marshmallows and chocolate. We always camp with a small gas stove so we can cook larger meals without being reliant on a fire. We warmed up a hearty chili we had prepped the night before and settled into a delicious dusk as the embers from the fire raced to meet the twinkling stars in the darkening night sky.
Saturday - Day 2
7am - Camp Breakfast
The first rays of sunlight streamed through the tent and we woke to an incredible sunrise. The next order of business was brewing a pot of coffee on the campstove along with whipping up a quick breakfast scramble. Again, this was another meal we had prepped back home–veggies, potatoes, and pre-cooked bacon–we warmed this up in our trusty cast iron and added some fresh eggs for the full camp scramble. Meals like this one are cost-effective, incredibly easy to prepare, and you can change it up to account for seasonal produce.
8am - Canyonlands National Park
With our campsite just north of Canyonlands National Park, we only had a 10 minute drive. We made sure our water bottles were full, SPF applied, and snacks sequestered and headed out for the day.
Unlike other popular parks (Rocky Mountain and Arches), we did not need any kind of reservation to enter Canyonlands. The park is divided into 3 distinct regions: Island in the Sky, The Needles, and The Maze. To traverse the entire park, you need an off-road capable vehicle and roughly 14 hours, which we were not interested in attempting. We explored the entire region of Island in the Sky and captured truly awe-inspiring views at the iconic Mesa Arch, Green River Overlook, and Shafer Trail.
If you’re trying to speed through the park (which I don’t recommend) you can see the entire mesa in 2 hours, however, we took our time scrambling up rocky outcroppings, soaking in the views, and enjoying a few hikes. We decided to go for a longer hike at Upheaval Dome, which is an incredible geologic formation that still baffles scientists! There are two trails available (Upheaval Dome First Overlook and Upheaval Dome Second Overlook). Both are classed as moderately difficult and boast elevation change, so come prepared with sun protection, water, and appropriate footwear.
1pm - Dead Horse Point State Park
*::Warning Animal Cruelty::*
We scarfed down a quick lunch of sandwiches and Clif bars before checking out the nearby state park, Dead Horse Point. Now, like many other folks in my generation, I enjoyed the 2002 animated classic, Spirit: The Stallion of the Cimarron as a child. So I’m going to warn you now, if you have any fond memories of that movie, check out some of the other attractions around Moab.
Spirit is the magical, alternate ending to the history of conquest across the American West. And, well, Dead Horse Point is true to its moniker: it's the location where a number of wild horses were killed. Like I said, hold onto Spirit while you look over the desert landscape into the canyons below.
3pm - Explore Downtown Moab
I needed a palate cleanser after our brief visit to Dead Horse Point, so we headed into Moab to explore the art galleries and downtown shops. We had a delicious early dinner at Gloria’s Corner Cafe after browsing through a couple of menus posted along the main strip. We missed the cutoff for their breakfast menu, but we enjoyed the Southwestern Chicken Sandwich and the Thai Salad alongside two of Gloria’s margaritas.
Self-proclaimed as the best patio in Moab, we couldn’t disagree. Although there were plenty of large tables, we had prompt, polite service and the food was absolutely delicious. Luckily, Gloria caters to all the visitors who come to Moab so our dusty, sun-drenched faces weren’t unwelcome or out of place.
5pm - Drinks & S’mores
After meandering through town we returned to our campsite and debated making a reservation to visit Arches National Park but in the few minutes of (very) limited cell service all spots before 2pm the next day were taken, so we decided to try our luck another time.
We watched the lengthening shadows change the cliff faces as we drove back to camp and noticed a few neighbors had moved into the spots adjacent to our campsite. Again, when you’re on BLM land it’s first come first serve and people come and go. Fortunately, they were nice neighbors and our campfire had some company for our final night.
Sunday - Day 3
7am - Breakfast & Break Down
A french press of fresh coffee and bowl of instant oatmeal are just the ticket to jumpstart a chilly desert morning. We knew we had quite a drive ahead of us (and wary of any more unexpected traffic) so we broke down camp and headed back to Denver.
In a record 32 minutes, we broke down and packed everything up. We were on our way just as some of our neighbors were poking their sleepy heads outside their tents. With no traffic on the way back, we made it home safe and sound to our wily pair of pets.
