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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Moab
Give Moab 3 nights: one full day for Arches, one for Canyonlands or Dead Horse Point, one for a river or 4x4 day. Book Arches timed entry and beds before you come.
Moab is a town of about 5,000 people on the Colorado River, 6 miles from the Arches National Park entrance and 32 miles from Canyonlands. Almost everyone comes for the red-rock parks and stays in a motel on or near Main Street (US 191). Two nights is a rushed look at Arches only; three to four nights lets you add Canyonlands, Dead Horse Point and a river or jeep day. Spring and autumn are the good windows; July and August are hot enough to change what you can do in the middle of the day.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (extreme heat), and holiday weekends when beds sell out
- Stay
- 3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $90–140 excl. bed · Mid $160–260 excl. bed · High $300+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $4–6 |
| Burger or pizza main | $15–25 |
| Draft beer | $7–9 |
| Motel room, spring or autumn weekend | $180–350 |
| Gasoline, per gallon | $3.50–4.50 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | $15–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CNY · Canyonlands Field
- About 20 miles northwest of town; commuter flights to Denver and Salt Lake City, ground transfer should be reserved in advance
- GJT · Grand Junction, Colorado
- Larger-carrier option with a rental car; road distance to Moab is check
- SLC · Salt Lake City
- About 4 h 30 min by road or the Salt Lake Express bus
Typical fares
- Salt Lake City → Moab, Salt Lake Express bus
- about 4 h 35 min (check)
- Arches National Park entry, private vehicle
- about $30 for 7 days (check)
- Dead Horse Point State Park entry, vehicle
- about $20 (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
You need a car. Main Street is US 191: north to the Arches entrance and Interstate 70, south toward Monticello. Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point are reached by paved UT 313, which branches off US 191 north of the Arches entrance. There is no useful local bus network for the parks; walk downtown, drive everywhere else. Fill the tank in town before park days.
See and do
Known for
- Arches National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Slickrock and jeep trails
- Colorado River rafting
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Arches National Park | Drive US 191 north about 6 miles to the entrance, then the park road | 15 min to the gate; about 45 min more inside the park to Devils Garden |
| Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky) | US 191 north, then UT 313 | About 45 min |
| Dead Horse Point State Park | US 191 north, then UT 313 | About 40 min |
| Fisher Towers rafting section (Colorado River) | Outfitter shuttle from town | Half or full day |
| Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracks | US 191 north about 13 miles, then a dirt road | About 30 min |
| Monticello | US 191 south | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Main Street (US 191) north end
- Closest to the Arches entrance and the airport road; motels with parking, 5–10 min drive to the gate.
- Downtown Main Street
- Walk to restaurants, shops and the museum; the busiest and priciest strip in season.
- South Main Street (US 191 south)
- Cheaper motels and the hostel; 5–10 min drive from downtown.
- Camping and RV (along the river and Sand Flats)
- Bureau of Land Management and private campgrounds; most need booking months ahead in spring and autumn.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the trailhead? | Where is the trailhead? |
| Do I need a reservation? | Do I need a reservation? |
| How far is the park entrance? | How far is the park entrance? |
| Is there water here? | Is there water here? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| I need help | I need help |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Arches National Park may require timed-entry reservations in busy periods: check current National Park Service rules for your dates before you travel.
- Summer heat: carry more water than you think you need, at least 1 gallon (about 4 L) per person per day if you hike, ride or camp in the heat.
- Cell signal is patchy in the parks and on jeep trails; download offline maps.
- Flash floods can hit slot canyons and washes even when it is dry where you stand: check the forecast and never enter a slot canyon with rain in the area.
- Jeep and off-road trails range from easy to vehicle-damaging; rent a suitable 4x4 and ask about current conditions.
- Beds and campsites sell out on spring and autumn weekends and around the Easter Jeep Safari: book months ahead.
Moab is a safe small town; the real risks are heat, dehydration, flash floods and off-road driving beyond your vehicle and skill. Carry water, check the forecast and tell someone your route.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Moab yet. Suggested stay: 3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Arches National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Slickrock and jeep trails
- Colorado River rafting
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Discover Moab (local travel office): www.discovermoab.com/
- Salt Lake Express: saltlakeexpress.com/
- Wikivoyage: Moab, revision 5241721 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241721
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Moab
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
No embassies in Moab; your country's embassy or consulate is in Denver, Salt Lake City or Washington, DC.
Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/moab). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.