Things to do in Moab with Kids

5 Days in Moab With Kids – How to plan the Ultimate Moab Family Vacation

Planning a family trip to Moab with kids is a great way to experience some of the best the west has to offer.

Moab justly claims the title of the adventure capital of the west with good reason. It has spectacular scenery and plenty of activity choices for adrenaline junkies, those wanting to get out in the wild, and families wanting to make life-long memories. We spent 5 days in this wonderful city on our first trip and 4 on our second but you could spend a week or more without getting bored. Moab is great for a small family break, anyone that loves adventure and for large groups. Moab has plenty of things to do for adrenaline junkies but just as many things to do for families traveling with kids.

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How much time should you spend in Moab?

The amount of really fun activities to do in Moab can easily fill a full week’s vacation. If you don’t have much time it’s pretty easy to pick just a few activities to get a glimpse of what Moab has to offer. If you have …

One Day in Moab

Day 1: Arches National Park and visit the downtown area

Two Days in Moab

Day 1 – Arches National Park,

Day 2 – Shaffer Trail by Jeep with a stop by Dead Horse Park for the Sunset on the way home

Three Days in Moab

Day 1: Arches National Park

Day 2: Boat Tour, and Biking in the afternoon (Dead Horse Park would be great for this)

Day 3: Shaffer Trail, you could add in Gemini Bridges

Four Days in Moab

After my top 3 recommendations above then add in more hikes and more time to explore around your hotel or campsite. Consider adding a day for Canyonlands Park. I would recommend adding more bike rides or give some time to explore the local museum. It’s nice to break up the very busy days with an easy day or two as well.

Everything you need to know for the Best Family Trip to Moab

What is the Best time to Visit Moab?

The best time to visit Moab would be in fall and spring. Summer can also be popular but it’s hot and you may not be able to enjoy the outdoors as much mid-day. We traveled in August and October. August was very warm during the day so it may take a little extra preparation. October was ideal during the day (although still on the warmer side) but could get pretty chilly at night if camping. Winters can get cold especially at night and occasionally there can be snow.

Where to stay when visiting Moab – The best lodging choices in Moab

There are some great choices for lodging in Moab including camping, condo and house rentals, higher end resorts and simple hotels. Staying near the downtown area would be ideal but we choose a patio home from AirBnb just outside of town for our first trip. It saved us some money, was still convenient and the pool was a huge plus to help beat the August heat.

Camping in Moab

Our second trip was a neighborhood camping trip. We rented a group camping site (Goose Island Campsite) very near arches and downtown. Our camp site was beautiful and along the Colorado River. The river was very chilly in October but the kids could get their feet wet. There is a fabulous bike route along the river that we took advantage with a group bike ride to a local park. It was colder at night but not unbearable. I would have loved a real shower at some time during the trip but overall it was a fabulous experience.

Safety in Moab

Moab is synonymous with adventure but it does need some planning. Many areas of Moab are remote and do not have cell service. Always carry plenty of water and then add more water. Moab is a desert and is hot. I recommend carrying a gallon of water per person per day if you’re in a car. Carry 3 liters if you are biking or hiking. To avoid dehydration stop frequently and have everyone drink. Each person should drink 2-3 liters per day.

A good first aid kit can make a huge difference. Perhaps the most important safety advice is to make a plan. Call someone before you loose internet service and arrange a check in time. If you are traveling with a group make a plan to meet in specific areas with instructions if you don’t show up. Sunburns can be bad too. Hats and sunglasses can make a huge difference. A light sun blocking shirt may be a better choice than a short sleeve shirt. Weak sunscreen and reapply as able.

Because Moab has a different level of adventure than the rest of the country be very specific when describing your comfortable level of risk to tour companies. For example the “beginner” jeep and bike tours may be the same as the holey crap I’m going to get hurt tours in the rest of the country. Just ask more specific questions and tour companies will guide you to an appropriate direction.

Things to do in Moab – Hike, Bike, Boats, and Drive

The hardest thing about a vacation in Moab is narrowing down your activity choices. There are 2 national parks, state parks, boating activities, bike and hiking trails, ballooning, horseback riding and many more. Plus you can always just hang out by the pool and stroll around town. For our 5 days we visited Arches National Park, Rode a jet boat down the Colorado River, biked Dead Horse Park and rented a Jeep. With one day saved to soak in the pool – it was a well rounded vacation.

During our second visit, we explored Arches, drove Shaffer Trail, biked and mostly enjoyed our camp site.

Explore a National or State Park

Arches National Park

Arches National Park is probably the most popular stop in Moab and with good reason. The park itself is a manageable as a half day trip and contains many of the fabulous arch structures that Moab is famous for. If you’re in a hurry, you can see the main rock structures in 2 hours. I recommend setting aside extra time to get a better experience and add in some extra hikes. Try going earlier in the day to avoid the crowds (and the heat). Kids (and adults) who love climbing will love this park.

Canyonlands

If you have the time Canyonlands National Park is massive and has some amazing views. The diversity of the scenery is also surprising. This park is separated in to several district including Island in the Sky (with canyon rim vista overlooking a vast landscape of deep canyons below), Needles (remote with tall column structures that raise up from the desert floor – requires hiking or 4wd), the Maze (very remote and only accessible on multi-day hiking or 4wd trips). Horseshoe Canyon, and the Rivers.

We have not made it past the Visitor Center but we really enjoyed Shaffer Trail (which is on the edge of the park) at both or our visits.

Dead Horse Park

You’ll find one of the best views in Moab (that’s saying a lot) in Dead Horse Point State Park. This state park is located at the top of a canyon rim and overlooks the Colorado River. The sunsets here are fabulous. We arrived a few hours before sunset and enjoyed a really fun (and easy) family bike ride before getting some great photos as the sun went down. This is probably one of the easiest of the areas scenic bike trails and it’s a good place to get everyone’s bike legs started. There are drastic cliffs nearby so watch out if you have a young runner and I recommend children be good enough on their bike to confidently stay on the path.

As a side note – Dead Horse Point is the filming location of several movies including the end scene in Thelma and Louise. Since it’s not as long across the Grand Canyon, it films and photographs better.

Dead Horse Park can be a trip by itself especially if you bike the trail at the top (1-2 hours). Otherwise if you’re there just for the amazing views it does not take much time. Our first trip we sent around 2, biked then stayed for the sunset. Our second trip we added Dead Horse Park after our loop through Shaffer Trail. Dead Horse Park can also be added to a Canyonlands trip. The Sunsets are fabulous.

Go Biking

Moab has amazing choices for biking. There are easy trails along the Colorado River that lead to parks and playgrounds. There are trails along the rims of some fantastic views. There are areas just outside if the main town with trails made just for biking and there are plenty of “this is absolutely nuts” choices for the super adventurous.

For a easy sunset ride try Dead Horse Park. The trail is really nice and beautiful. It can be a little anxiety provoking with young kids since it does follow the edge of the canyon below but as long as your kids aren’t prone to sudden jerks and turns – it’s pretty safe. If your kids are likely to take a right and just keep on going, skip this one.

If you’re looking for a bike area with several different choices with many levels of difficulty then Bar M Trails has something for almost everyone – and it’s really easy to get to.

Go Boating

There are several options in Moab to get on the water including jet boat tours, rafting tours and even night tours. All are different experiences and have different levels of risk.

Jet Boat on the Colorado River

Taking a jet boat on the Colorado River with the family can be a great way to get a different perspective of your wonderful surroundings. We had a 2 year old with us so we chose a family friendly option and skipped the super fast one. The “slow” one was plenty fast for us. If your kids are a little older, rafting would be a good choice as well.

Go Hiking

Moab had fabulous places to hike. All of the parks have great trails but even outside of the trails there are fabulous areas to explore. Trails can be short from parking lots or even multi-day excursions in to the wilderness. Make sure you pack water and snacks. Popular trails include Corona Arch and many more.

Petroglyphs

Hiking to and exploring petroglyphs (rock art from ancient peoples) can be a wonderful reason to take a hike. Some of these petroglyphs can be seen from some roads and during river tours. Others are more remote. Use caution in these areas to make sure you do not disturb these historical treasures.

Go Off-Roading / Jeeping

Off Roading and Jeeping can be a completely different experienc in oab vs the rest of the country. Trails are beautiful and range from well-maintained scenic dirt roads the rugged and very difficult to manage. Make sure you bring plenty of supplies, even siple looking trails aren’t so simple and can take much longer to navigate than they appear. Also do not leave parked trails. The desert top-soil is verty fragile and needs protection. Do not drive over areas that are not set up as trails.

During our first trip we rented a Jeep and went on Gemini Bridges and Shaffer Trails. We are avid Jeep people and we loved the experience. I would not recommend theses trails if you’re new to Jeeps or going off road. When we rented the jeep we asked for a family friendly scenic trail that was just enough challenging to keep us “Jeep people” entertained. The “beginner” trails of Gemini Bridges and Shafer Trail were what was recommended. Apparently “beginner” means totally different things in Moab then it does in the rest of the country. During our second trip we road through Shaffer trail ending in Canyon Lands.

Gemini Bridges

The Gemini Bridges trail starts just outside of town with a brief climb up a manageable hill/cliff. You’ll have some nice views looking back and just a taste of what is in store for the rest of the day. We followed the trail until we saw markers. We parked and explored until we found the Gemini Bridges. Basically this is a set of two natural stone “bridges” with a very, very far drop below them. I recommend having a tight hold on young kids in this area. There rocks in this area arch over the drop below. There are not guard rails and it is not obvious that there is such a severe drop until you are right next to the drop. Just think of relatively flat and sturdy ground then a thousand foot hole. Then you realize where you’re standing is actually a bridge or overhang and there is nothing but a bid hole below you. I was too anxious to get any good photos but it’s a beautiful place. We followed the trail to the highway and down to the entrance of Canyonlands.

Shafer Trail

After exploring the Canyonlands visitors center we decided to tackle Shafer Trail. It’s a “beginner” trail after all – and it use to have mining trucks drive up and down it. Shafer Trail is breathtaking (both in beauty and if you happen to be prone to panic attacks). Before this trail I thought I was pretty brave about taking high roads. We’ve tackled many in Colorado – including Independence Pass, Mt. Evans, and Trail Ridge Road. This trail definitely stomped all over my comfort zone. Basically you start at the rim of the canyon and switchback down the canyon wall until you find yourself at the canyon floor. Some switchbacks required 3-5 pt turns with no room for mistakes. It was beautiful and I’m glad we did it.

At the bottom of the canyon, the road goes through some fabulous desert scenery. There are not facilities (except 1 port o potty – just after we gave up on finding one … ooops). Make sure you bring food, plenty of water, emergency supplies and keep an eye on the weather.

Our second trip down Shafer Trail we started at the bottom and ended at Canonlands visitor Center. I like this way better. It’s still pretty sketchy in some places but I was much less fearful. It’s just absolutely beautiful.

Other Drives in Moab

Moab has amazing drives everywhere. Even just driving out of town and back home is beautiful.

Visiting the Town of Moab

The city of Moab itself is adorable and busy. Everyone seems to be getting ready for an adventure.

The town of Moab also has plenty to offer. It’s restaurants, breweries, shopping and galleries are worth setting aside some time. Many of the restaurants have quirky vibes and friendly staff. Regardless of which family friendly and fun activities you choose. Moab is sure to give you some great family memories.

We really enjoyed the museum for a short break. We especially liked all the information about uranium mining and this small but mighty radioactive town.Need more information? Try one of these guides –