7 Day Itinerary to Moab, Utah

Moab is home to some of the most beautiful red rock in the world. Stunning views, outrageous recreation, and 2 National Parks in the area mean that 7-days will give you time for the full Moab Experience. This itinerary is an expanded version of my 4-Day Itinerary, including a day at Native American Indian Ruins, more rappels, and an extra day in Arches National Park.

Day 1: Canyonlands

The Grand View Trail: An easy 2 mile out and back on the gorgeous overlook trail of the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands.

Newspaper Rock: Some great petroglyphs located inside the park.

Mesa Arch: Coming in at just over a mile, Mesa Arch was a great addition to our Canyonlands expedition! We decided to tack this on at the end of the day and it was well worth it. The arch is pretty and gives a fun perspective of the park from above.

Day 2: Canyoneering near Wall Street.

Long Bow Arch Rappel:

An amazing adventure, however you do it! It’s about a 2 mile out and back to Longbow Arch. It can be an out and back trail of 2 miles round trip if you choose to see the arch and not continue with the rappel. Following the arch, there are 2 smaller rappels and 1 large rappel. Click here to see my full post on the Long Bow Arch Rappel.

Day 3: Corona Arch and Wall Street

When it’s trip time, it’s full speed ahead for me. I realize that for some, there is a point where it stops being fun and just becomes exercise- that’s okay! Some people need ssome R&R before returning back to normal life so you do you.

If you’re more apt to take things slow (at least a little), never fear! If day 3 is a better shopping day, jeeping day, split from the family day… (;)), there’s plenty to explore in nearby areas.

At the very least, take a quick jaunt down Wall Street! Because you don’t often have such sheer walls so close to the road, it’s a fun street even just to drive down.

Potash Road Petroglyphs (another name for Wall Street) features some aboriginal rock art about 25 feet up the wall. A sign clearly indicates the wall art about a mile before the turnoff, a hard-to-miss pullout near the side of the river.

Corona Arch: 2.5 mile out and back (plus scramble time 🙂 )

Set outside both of the National Parks, Corona Arch is the equally beautiful, yet lesser-known sister arch to Delicate and the Arches fam. The arch is accessible and pretty easy to get to, featuring 2 small ladders that make ascending the slick rock easier in areas. Leaving the trailhead you will cross the railroad tracks and make your way up Bootlegger Canyon towards the arch.

Day 4: Arches National Park

Arches National Park is home to some of the most iconic natural features in the world. If you haven’t done Arches National Park before, there are dozens of hikes to be bagged. The main arch attractions are all worth the visit and can be easily explored in a day. With the park map at your side, you can navigate to all the big-ticket items with little effort for a great first experience. Here are some of my favorite intro hikes to seeing the park:

Delicate Arch - 3 miles, moderate

Delicate Arch is the famous freestanding arch featured on Utah’s license plate. It’s a highly trafficked out and back trail that can be hiked year-round, though it can get icy in the winter months. Part of the trail is fairly steep and narrow, but take it slow and you’ll be just fine. If you haven’t visited Delicate Arch, it is a must-visit destination while in Arches!

Double Arch - .5 miles, easy

Double Arch is an incredible natural formation with 2 massive arches – a unique site to see. Located in the windows district of Arches, the views are incredible. This short hike is well worth at least viewing from the parking lot, but is a quick half-mile hike to the arch. You can scramble up under the arch fairly easily – we did this at sunset and it has become a core memory of mine, resting under a massive arch, gazing into the beautiful horizon, surrounded by friends.

Windows and Turret Arch - 1 mile, easy

This short hike offers beautiful views of the Cove of Caves and Parade of Elephants. Turret Arch is a magnificent freestanding arch and it’s another great hike to do at sunset (really, what’s a bad hike to do at sunset? I ask sarcastically, then realizing that most peaks are a bad hike to do at sunset because you are then left to find your way back to your car several miles away in the dark. Yes, this flat 1-mile loop is a great sunset hike.)

Balanced Rock - .5 miles, easy

Balanced Rock is an impressive freestanding structure in the heart of Arches. There are great views of this feature from the parking area, or a short hike will get you to the base of the rock.

Bonus: Fiery Furnace

Fiery Furnace is like an adult playground full of scrambles, fins, and overlooks. After days of structured hiking, this was a super fun day of exploring, knowing that there was little risk of getting lost and that we would not need any ropes to climb out of what we’d climbing into. This hike does require a permit, which can be obtained in advance online or day-of at the visitors center. It’s about a $5 fee and they’ll give you a 15-minute talk about not walking on the “crypto-biotic crust” that is found all through the Fiery Furnace area. The distance of the hike can be as much or as little as you want – a “Make Your Own Adventure,” if you will.

Day 5: Arches National Park

Now that you’ve done the “classics,” I highly recommend the Devils Garden Loop. It’s an 8-mile showcase of 8 different arches, including Landscape Arch, one of the longest arch spans in the world.

Aside from the real golden arches, you get to hike over fins, spines, slick rock, and more! In my opinion, it’s a great way to take in the park without jumping in and out of the car for all the shorter stuff.

Arches featured on Devil’s Garden Loop: Tunnel Arch, Pine Tree Arch, Private Arch, Dark Angel Arch, Double O Arch, Partition Arch, Navajo Arch, and Landscape Arch.

Day 6: Pritchett Canyon

Pritchett Canyon is an incredible trail with beautiful arches, rock fins, slots, and great free-hanging rappels. It’s the gift that keeps on giving and is a great intro for beginners. The trail is located just off the Colorado River near Wall Street. This trail can be completed in 2 or 3 rappels and is 4 miles round trip. Here’s the beta we used for the rappel.

If you’ve got some extra time in the afternoon, Wall Street (where we visited on Day 3) has some very fun climbing routes that are easy to access with no approach.

Day 7: Puebloan Ruins in Southern Utah

Some of the most incredible ruins I’ve ever witnessed are located just outside of Moab. About an hour south of town on BLM land are jaw-dropping dwellings of ancestral Puebloan people. The ruins and dwellings left behind are ancient artifacts of American history.

Citadel Ruins - 6 miles, moderate

These ruins are well preserved and are set up on a hill.

House on Fire - 2 miles, easy

This ruin is set under streaked red rock that appears as if the ruin is “on fire.” There are also some handprints on a wall nearby that are fascinating to see.

Hotel Rock - 6 miles, moderate

Set under a massive boulder, this trail is relatively steep but is a wonder to see with your own eyes.

There you have it! This gorgeous and adventurous area is full of surprises and will keep you coming back for more. Questions? Drop them in the comments or send me an email at thegranolaguide@gmail.com