Moab Outdoor Adventure Guide

5 Day Moab Outdoor Adventure Guide

Updated 9.19.2025

Moab is one of the best adventure destinations in the entire world. What other place can you visit multiple national parks, mountain bike unbelievable singletrack, rock climb Slickrock and raft down the infamous Colorado river through red rock canyons – all within a few miles from town?

You guessed it, Moab! The challenge is, Moab can also cause analysis paralysis because there is so many things to do in Moab. We have come up with a short list of must-do Moab adventures from our experience to help you narrow down your options.  Read on for our top recommended Moab activities in this 5-day Moab adventure guide.

Day 1: Mountain Biking and Hiking Arches National Park

• Grab breakfast at Love Muffin Café – they have a great burrito line up, ours was the Morita
• Morning: Mountain Biking (2-3 hours)
  • Warm up with an intermediate ride to practice your technical skills and get used to the Moab rocks, some great options are as follow. The great thing is, you don’t need a shuttle and can ride all of these trails from the trailhead.
  • Recommended Moab mountain biking trails:  check out the Navajo Loop (intermediate), Bar M trails (beginner – intermediate) or Klondike Bluffs (beginner – intermediate) trail systems
  • Bike Rental: Rent bikes with Doubledown or Rim Cyclery
  • Guided Bike Tours: leave the planning to the experts and book a private guided tour to explore Moab’s singletrack, customized to your group!
  • Packing list: Hydration pack, snacks

• Afternoon lunch in town: grab some Mexican grub at Quesadilla Mobilla, one of the best spots in Moab for a quick lunch from a food truck.  Don’t let their speedy service fool you…the quesadillas are delicious! Nom Nom Nom!
• Evening Hike (2-3 hours)
  • Sunset Hike Delicate Arch: one of the best Moab hikes to the most iconic arch in Arches National Park – best seen at sunset. It’s a moderate hike, gradually climbing until you reach the arch, providing gorgeous vistas along the way.
    • Pack a dinner if you like and take your time, it is nice to relax at the top and watch the sunset light up the arch.
    • Packing list: headlamp, snacks, camera, maybe even a tripod so you can capture the Delicate Arch.
    • PSA: It’s nice to capture the Arch from a distance, allowing everyone to take pictures of it.

Day 2: More Biking and Gorgeous Views: Dead Horse State Park

• Breakfast – stop at Moab Garage Co for a latte and a pre-ride breakfast – they have a good selection of breakfast items plus pastries!
• Morning activity:  Mountain biking – Intermediate/Advanced ride option
  • Logistics: Now that you’re warmed up on the Moab trails, you can hit one of the more advanced trails by grabbing a shuttle and doing a long downhill ride of the Whole Enchilada (avg. 5-6 hours including shuttle time), or the LPS/Porcupine Rim trail, which is the last section of the Whole Enchilada.
  • Alternative: Another great option is checking out the Raptor Ridge trails (Eagle Eye, Falcon Flow, Kestrel Run).  These trails start at the top of the LPS section of the Whole Enchilada but follow Sand Flats Road rather than Porcupine Rim.  The trails are blue (intermediate) and are flowy, fast with stunning Moab scenery.  A shuttle is needed, or a ride up Sand Flats Rd. 

Beginner / Take-it-Easy ride Option:

• Dead Horse Point Trails
  • Bike rental: Rent bikes easily right at Dead Horse State Park with Bighorn Mountain Biking
  • Difficulty: Dead Horse Point biking trails are beginner/intermediate and easy to follow, and the network offers short loops that can be combined into a long ride. It’s an easier trail network in Moab but still has enough technical sections to keep the ride fun for all ability levels.  And the views are stunning! 
  • If you choose to ride at Dead Horse, head to the overlook suggested below after your ride – arguably the most scenic view in the Moab area! 
  • Guided Bike Tours: leave the planning to the experts and book a private guided tour to explore Moab’s singletrack, customized to your group!

• Lunch / Happy Hour depending on when you finish
  • Proper Brewing is the best brewery in town, with 20+ beers on tap and great food, including some fabulous vegan options (even a vegan milkshake – you earned it!)
• Evening “Hike” (1 hour)
  • Dead Horse State Point offers a gorgeous viewpoint of Canyonlands National park that does not require a long hike, just a few hundred feet from the parking lot.
  • If you choose the beginner mountain bike option above, make sure you check out the viewpoint before or after your ride!

Day 3: Moab Rafting: Raft (or Packraft!) the Colorado River

• Breakfast: Moab Diner is a go-to breakfast stop, old school ambiance and diner delicious food
• Raft the Colorado River:  Your legs, butt, and wrists will thank you for taking a day off the bike! Rafting the Colorado River provides some of the best red rock canyon scenery in Utah. Flatwater SUP/kayaking on the Moab Daily near town is mellow with red rock canyon scenery; while Fisher Towers rafting trips add light whitewater and big tower views.  Whichever section you choose, this is one of the most gorgeous river paddles you will ever do unless you find water on Mars.  You can also choose kayak or SUP rentals for a DIY paddle option on calmer sections near town.
• Alternative: Packrafting in Moab lets you explore the desert in a whole new way—hike into hidden canyons with a lightweight raft in your pack, then float the Colorado beneath soaring red cliffs. Outfitters offer everything from mellow half-day trips to combo adventures that mix packrafting with canyoneering or mountain biking, so you can choose your own level of epic. It’s one of the most versatile ways to experience Moab’s rivers and landscapes.

• Evening:
  •  Craving a night out in town?  Check out the Raven Room, speakeasy vibe with craft cocktails tucked in an old garage space—perfect after sunset at Dead Horse (Thurs–Sun evenings).   
  • More into local watering holes?  Some of our favorite tavern vibes include Woody’s Tavern and Eddie McStiff’s.

Day 4: Fiery (effing) Furnace!! 🙌🏽

• Breakfast – Sweet Cravings Bakery + Bistro
• Morning Hike at Fiery Furnaces (2 – ?? hours, up to you!)
  • This is by far our favorite part of Arches National Park for many reasons: 1) you need a permit (reserve online in advance), so it limits the number of people in the area allowing you to enjoy this untouched beauty practically to yourself 2) You can take as long as you like, finding your own way through narrow canyons and rock scrambling to your heart’s content.
  • Pack a lunch for the hike to enjoy overlooking one of the natural arches that you may come across in the Fiery Furnaces. Moonflower Co-op grocery store is an awesome natural health food store that offers a great variety of freshly prepared food and takeout sandwiches.
• Evening Hike Option (0-?? hours, up to you!)
  • While you’re already in Arches, you can choose a couple of options:
    1. We’re tired:
       • You can drive to most of the popular arches in the park including The Windows, Landscape Arch, etc.
    2. We’re unstoppable, let’s hike more:
       • Primitive Loop hike near Landscape Arch: this loop takes you way off the beaten path, letting you explore the park on your own (you may encounter a person or two).
         • TIP: This loop will require you to navigate on your own. The only markings you will find are the cairns once you’re about .5 miles into the trail. Look very carefully for the cairns, they can be hard to see.  If you are going in the late afternoon/evening, bring someone with experience with this trail and a very good flashlight!
         • You will not have cell service in the park. If you’re not comfortable navigating, we highly recommend using the All Trails app or something similar and download the offline map so you can find your way. It’s like a maze back there that you don’t want to be lost in, especially on an evening hike.
         • Pack a headlamp, water and lots of snacks.

•  

Day 5: Take a drive in Canyonlands National Park

• The Shafer Trail Off-Road Drive
  • You can choose to drive the Shafer trail, a 19.2-mile point-to-point trail located near Moab, inside Canyonlands National Park.
  • Caution: Please do read the information on the White Rim Trail from the NPS website for more details, trail status etc.
  • Must have:
    • A permit
    • The right vehicle – 4WD high clearance vehicle is recommended.

Well now that you’re completely exhausted and have had multiple jaw-dropping moments, you’re beginning to realize that you still haven’t scratched the surface of all that Moab has to offer. For a longer trip, consider spending more time in Canyonlands National Park or checking out some of the great hikes such as Corona Arch, Jeep Arch, and the Fisher Towers, which are all outside of the National Parks.

2025 – 2026 Permits & Information

Arches Timed-Entry: Vehicle tickets are required 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Apr 1–Jul 6 and Aug 28–Oct 31. No ticket needed before 7 a.m. or after 4 p.m., and no tickets Jul 7–Aug 27. Reserve on Recreation.gov; tickets drop in blocks months ahead and limited day-before releases.

Fiery Furnace (Arches): Self-guided permits must be reserved online 2–7 days in advance; pick up the physical permit at the Arches visitor center (specific pickup windows). Max group 6, no kids under 5, no pets. Watch the NPS safety video before you book.

Canyonlands Day-Use (Backcountry roads): White Rim, Elephant Hill, Lavender, Peekaboo/Horse Canyon require a day-use permit (one per vehicle/moto/bike). Shafer Trail and Potash Road do not require day-use permits (you still need park entry).

When to Visit Moab (Season-by-Season Guide)

• Spring (Mar–May): Prime temps for mountain biking and hiking in Arches/Canyonlands. Ride early if a warm spell hits; expect high stoke and bigger crowds on weekends.
• Summer (Jun–Aug): Go dawn patrol and golden hour. Midday = siesta, shady canyon scrambles, river time (SUP/raft/kayak). Night = dark-sky stargazing.
• Fall (Sep–Nov): Our favorite time in Moab – tacky singletrack, crisp mornings, big views. Book timed entry (Arches) when required.
• Winter (Dec–Feb): Quiet, cold, and gorgeous. Hike slickrock on blue-sky days; bring traction if there’s ice. Many bike trails rideable after dry spells.  Don’t try to ride during rain/snow (we’ve made that BIG mistake)!

Pro tip: If you’re here in peak heat, plan rides and hikes sunrise–10 a.m. and 5 p.m.–sunset; hit the Colorado River mid-day for flatwater or Fisher Towers runs.

Where to Camp in Moab, Utah

Much of Moab’s (free) dispersed camping has now been turned into Utahraptor State Park.  Still beautiful camping, just with a fee now, and some more facilities.

Utahraptor State Park (Willow Springs/Dalton Wells): $15/vehicle/night camping fee required and access to Willow Springs Rd and Dalton Wash Rd now routed through the park entrance. 

Sand Flats Recreation Area: Our go-to now – 140 first-come, first-served sites at $15/night per vehicle; great access to slickrock and just ~15 minutes from town. (Group sites reservable.)

Are you looking to upgrade your camping experience this year, but you don’t have an RV?  No problem!  Rent an RV on TripOutside through our partnership with Outdoorsy – and find RVs for rent all over the country – from vintage vans to Class A motorhomes and everything in between!

Leave No Trace in Moab

Moab’s desert is stunning—and fragile. A little care goes a long way toward keeping the stoke high for everyone who comes after you. Here’s the quick-hit Leave No Trace (LNT) beta, tuned specifically for red-rock country.