Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park

Moab has been on my list of places to visit for a while, so I took advantage of a four-day break from work and headed west.

My first day there, I took a short walk over to Lions Park along the Colorado River. You can get on the bike path there or just enjoy the views.

Afterward, I headed to downtown Moab to check out some of the shops and have dinner. Simply Moab and Moab Made were two of my favorite stores to browse. I dined at Antica Forma my first night and visited the Moab Food Truck Park the following days. Definitely check out Wrap It Up Mediterranean and Quesadilla Mobilla. You can find this fun mural at N Main Street and W 200 N.

The next day, I headed out with NAVTEC Expeditions on a 4x4 tour of Canyonlands National Park. Our first stop was to see the ancient petroglyphs on Potash Road. It is amazing to think that they have been there for thousands of years.

We continued on toward Canyonlands, stopping at Fossil Point, where the final scene from “Thelma and Louise” was filmed.

We passed stunning scenery taking the back way in to Canyonlands. We were definitely offroading!

We made our way into Canyonlands and traveled along part of the White Rim Road, a 100-mile loop around and below Island in the Sky mesa. The road is rocky and narrow, so make sure you are prepared with the right vehicle. The views are worth it though.

We stopped at Musselman Arch and the Colorado River overlook to admire the amazing landscapes.

Then, we headed up Shafer Trail, which winds 1,500 feet through a sandstone cliff. I could not believe that people were riding bicycles up and down the windy, steep roads. It looked like quite the challenge!

Once again, the Shafer Trail is an unpaved, backcountry road, so make sure you are driving the proper vehicle for the terrain. Once at the top, we took in the views of where we had just come from below!

Next up, I headed to Arches National Park on a tour with Moab Adventure Center. My tour guide was a former park ranger at Arches, so she was very knowledgeable. The park is home to more than 2,000 stone arches.

Our first stop was Park Avenue, which offers stunning views and tons of interesting rock formations. Scenes from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” were filmed here and you can see why.

Another must-see formation is Balanced Rock, which stands 128 feet tall with the top boulder weighing a whopping 3,600 tons!

Delicate Arch is the largest free-standing arch in the park and probably the most iconic. You can hike the trail to see the arch up close or view it from a distance at either the lower or upper viewpoint. Either way, don’t miss it.

Sand Dune Arch requires just a short hike between tall sandstone walls and through the sand to reach. It felt otherworldly to me and reminded me of the Middle East. It’s very peaceful and cool with the shade provided by the tall walls, and the arch is a treat to see.

Throughout Arches, you get sweeping views of the La Sal Mountains in the distance. Before arriving in Moab, I didn’t know there were snow-covered mountains so close, but you can easily visit for the day.

We ended our tour in Arches in the Windows Section, one of the most scenic areas of the park. First up there was Double Arch, the tallest arch in the park at 112 feet. It is quite the sight to behold with the two arches and fun to climb into.

Next, we headed over to the Windows Loop and Turret Arch Trail, a 1.2 mile loop that takes you to three arches.

The first arch we came to on the loop was Turret Arch. I climbed into the the arch and looked back through it for views of the South Window Arch.

The North and South Window arches look like a pair of glasses and are known together as the Spectacles.

We hiked over to the North Window Arch to watch the sunset. I climbed into the arch and sat near the top to get some cool photos as the sun went down over the horizon.

My last outing in Moab was rafting on the Colorado River with Moab Adventure Center. I went on the morning half-day adventure that took us seven miles down the river from Hittle Bottom to Rocky Rapid.

The river was calm most of our journey and the scenery was amazing. We went through four small rapids as we floated through Castle Valley and by Fisher Towers. I thought it was especially cool to see the mesa where Bon Jovi filmed his music video for “Blaze of Glory.”

I stayed at the Aarchway Inn during my time in Moab, and the staff there was friendly and helpful. They provide airport transportation and a full breakfast, which is great before you go explore for the day. The cookies at night were also delicious!

Check out more places to visit around the Southwest: Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Phoenix, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Monument Valley, Peekaboo Slot Canyon, Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell.