Best Moab Day Hikes: Arches, Canyonlands and BLM Trails

Why Moab Is the Hiking Hub of Southern Utah

Moab sits in the sweet spot between two of Utah's most famous parks: Arches National Park just five minutes north on US-191, and the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands about 40 minutes northwest. That means you can base yourself in one town, sleep in your own bed at the Big Horn Lodge or a campsite along the Colorado River, and still tag two parks worth of trails. If you are stitching this into a bigger loop, it pairs well with our 7-day Utah national park road trip, which uses Moab as the first major stop.

The Moab hikes below are all day hikes, doable in a few hours, and chosen because they deliver the most scenery for the effort. The single biggest mistake visitors make is hiking midday in summer, when slickrock radiates heat and temperatures top 100F. Start early.

Delicate Arch: The One Everyone Comes For

This 3-mile round trip is the signature Arches hike and the image on Utah's license plate. The trail climbs a long, exposed slickrock slab with almost no shade, gaining about 480 feet, then wraps a final ledge that opens onto the arch framed against the La Sal Mountains. Plan for two to three hours. Go at sunrise or for sunset, when the sandstone glows orange and the crowds thin. Bring a headlamp if you stay for the after-glow, and carry at least two liters of water per person.

Mesa Arch at Sunrise in Canyonlands

The Mesa Arch loop in the Island in the Sky district is only 0.6 miles round trip with 56 feet of elevation change (about 30 minutes, per the park), but the payoff is outsized. The arch is 27 feet long and sits on the edge of the mesa, framing the canyon below and the La Sal Mountains. At dawn the underside of the arch catches reflected light and glows like an ember over the canyon below. Photographers line up early, so arrive 45 minutes before sunrise to claim a spot. While you are in this district, add the short Grand View Point walk for a sweeping look down into the canyon country.

Mesa Arch trailhead: directions and parking from Moab

From Moab, drive 10 miles north on US-191, turn onto UT-313 and follow it southwest for 22 miles to the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, about 40 minutes in all. The park warns that a navigation system may send you the wrong way, so carry a map. From the visitor center, Utah's tourism office says to drive 6.3 miles south on Grand View Point Road and turn left (east) into the Mesa Arch parking area. Canyonlands charges $30 per private vehicle, card only.

The park suggests walking the loop clockwise to the arch and then retracing your steps, which cuts down the stone stairs. Dogs aren't allowed on this trail, and in winter it can be snowy or icy enough that the park recommends traction devices. The arch sits on the edge of a 500-foot cliff, so keep kids close.

The Windows and Double Arch

If you want maximum arches for minimum walking, the Windows Section is your stop. A roughly 1-mile loop links the North and South Windows, and a separate flat path of under half a mile reaches Double Arch, the tallest in the park. This area is ideal for late afternoon when the warm light hits the openings, or as a gentle leg-stretcher between bigger hikes.

More Moab Hikes In and Near the Parks

• Landscape Arch in the Devils Garden: a 1.6-mile round trip to one of the longest natural arches in the world, with a sandy but easy path.
• Park Avenue: a 2-mile one-way walk down a corridor of towering fins, best done with a car shuttle or as an out-and-back.
• Corona Arch: a 3-mile round trip on BLM land just outside the park, free to access, with ladders and cables on the few exposed sections. The BLM designated it a National Recreation Trail in 2018. From Moab, take US-191 north 4 miles, turn left onto UT-279 South and drive 10 miles; the parking lot is on the north side of the highway.
• Fisher Towers: a 4.4-mile round trip along the Colorado River corridor with red rock spires and big desert views.

Day Trips From Moab, Utah

Most of the best hikes near Moab are also the best day trips. Arches fills a day on its own; our one day in Arches National Park plan strings Delicate Arch, the Windows and Devils Garden together. The Island in the Sky district is the second day, built around Mesa Arch and Grand View Point, and our best hikes in Canyonlands guide covers the longer trails there. The Needles district is a separate drive south and a separate day, with Druid Arch as its big hike. For unmarked arches on BLM land outside the parks, see hidden arches near Moab, and for a full plan with lodging, our Moab itinerary.

How to Hike Moab Smart

Water is the whole game out here. Carry more than you think you need, and refill in town before you drive into the parks, because there are few reliable sources on the trails. The shoulder seasons of April, May, September, and October are the most comfortable for hiking; July and August are brutally hot, and afternoon monsoon storms can flood slot canyons. Arches is not requiring timed-entry reservations in 2026, though it has run that system during peak months in past years, so check the park page before you go.

Footwear matters more than in most places. Slickrock can be slippery when dusted with sand, so a grippy trail shoe beats a flat sneaker. And always tell someone your plan, because cell service drops fast once you leave the highway.