Let’s go. Pick up your campervan in Salt Lake City and hit the road. In just under four hours, you’ll roll into Moab, home to Arches National Park & Canyonlands National Park, and some of the best desert views around. Hike, bike, explore, or just kick back and take it all in.
Keep an eye out on both sides of 191 for well-graded roads and dispersed places to camp. Blues Hills, Klondike Bluffs, and Willow Springs all have ample dispersed camping. But be cautious, rain in the forecast will make all these roads impassable when wet.
If campground camping is more your thing, check these out. The reservable campgrounds at Devils Garden in Arches National Park and the campground at Dead Horse Point State Park are two of the coolest campgrounds on the planet!
If these are full or you want the freedom of first come first serve, look to the Colorado River. There are numerous campgrounds for nearly 50 miles along the river.
Moab has tons of dining options and a couple of nice grocery and outdoor stores, as well as a Utah State Liquor Store. However, there is no Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, REI, or Walmart.
The Pizza Buffet at Zak’s is killer. The Moab Diner has excellent burgers and shakes. Red Stone Bakery or the Jailhouse, is the place for coffee and breakfast. Woody’s or Rio is a great place to grab a drink and listen to live music.
Anywhere downtown is fun and unique; chain stores are few and far between in Moab. You can learn more at Discover Moab!
For the Hikers
Camp at Devil’s Garden and take the short drive to the hike at Delicate Arch, perhaps the most famous arch in the world (the Utah license plate). It’s a 3-mile round trip journey through Navajo and Entrada Sandstone. https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/arch-hike-delicate-arch.htm
For the Mountain Bikers
Take your camper van and camp near the Klonzo Trail System and warm up on a mellow Moab-style trail; a combination of Slickrock and dirt with several loops of varying degrees. https://www.utahmountainbiking.com/trails/klonzo.htm
For the Climbers
Spend the night in your camper van at either Potash or Big Bend, bouldering at Big Bend, or the routes at Wall Street are walkable from their perspective campgrounds. The Wingate Sandstone at Big Bend has a problem for all skill levels. The Navajo Sandstone at Wall St. Has routes from 5.4 all the way to 5.12c. Both are right next to the road, and no hiking is required. https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105716961/wall-street https://www.mountainproject.com/area/105716862/big-bend-bouldering-area
For the Hikers
Walkable straight from your campervan at Devil’s Garden, check out the 9-mile primitive loop. The Primitive Loop takes a hiker through a vast expanse of fins and hoodoos, passing several arches. The hike requires rock scrambling, route finding, and a sense of adventure. (Pro tip: Hike in a counterclockwise motion, less crowded, and gets the difficult walk through the deep sand out of the way early). https://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/devils-garden.htm
If you’d like something more mellow, head clockwise on the Devil’s Garden Loop and hike to Landscape Arch (one of the largest spanned arches in the world) and Pine Tree Arch (a unique, beautiful arch a mile from the trailhead). Drive your campervan or even walk to Sand Dune Arch – kid-friendly. Spend the rest of the day checking out the arches near the road. Double Arch and Windows can’t be missed.
For the Mountain Bikers
Schedule a shuttle to the Whole Enchilada, where more than 20 miles of mostly downhill advanced biking await. The trail flows from the aspens and pines of the La Sal Mountains all the way to the valley of the Colorado River. Camp at Goose Island or park in the Grandstaff Trailhead. (Local Hack: ride your bike to town in the morning from the trailhead before your shuttle, it’s much cooler outside, and you’ll be beaten by the end of Porcupine Rim, the 5-mile ride on road to town is brutal after 20 + downhill exposed trails.) https://www.coyoteshuttle.com/ https://poisonspiderbicycles.com/bike-shuttles/
For the Climbers
Get on the road early, and head south on 191 to Indian Creek for some of the best big wall climbing in the world. Stay the night in the Indian Creek area: Super Bowl Campground or Hamburger Rock are really good camp spots.
For the Hikers
32 miles from the Devil’s Garden Campground is Corona Arch. A cool hike that crosses railroad tracks, uses ladders and goes to a wonderful arch. On your way back to SLC, take a detour to Islands in the Sky. Wonderful views and numerous hikes can be found here. Camp at Dead Horse Point and view the Colorado River from a thousand feet above.
For the Bikers
Save some energy for the Slickrock loop. A 12-mile intermediate trail with technical ups and downs. A weekly fee is required to use the Sand Flats Area. Excellent camping can be found on Sand Flats Road near the Slickrock Trailhead. The practice loop is a great warm-up to let the rider know what to expect. Take the trail in a clockwise motion. https://www.blm.gov/visit/search-details/2160/2
For the Climbers
Climb the big walls of Indian Creek in the morning, head back to Moab to repel Morning Glory Arch, or finish the routes at Wall Street or problems at Big Bend that bested you on the first time. Big Bend is always a great last-night spot.
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