Moab
Old Town · Moab, Utah
A town of about 5,400 people in a red-rock valley on the Colorado River, four miles south of the entrance to Arches and within reach of Canyonlands, which makes it the base for almost everyone visiting either. It was the self-declared Uranium Capital of the World in the 1950s after Charles Steen's strike, grew nearly fivefold, and collapsed when the Cold War market did. Mountain biking on the Slickrock Trail and four-wheel-driving rebuilt it, and it now absorbs the traffic of two national parks — with the housing costs and strain that implies.
Main Street, Moab, Utah, 84532, United States
The town is open and free to walk at any time. ⚠ LODGING IS THE BINDING CONSTRAINT: in spring and autumn — March to May and September to October — Moab is at capacity and books out months ahead, with no nearby overflow, and prices reflect it. Summer and winter are substantially cheaper. ⚠ CHECK WHETHER ARCHES REQUIRES TIMED-ENTRY RESERVATIONS FOR YOUR DATES; the park has operated one in peak season and visitors without one are turned away at the gate. ⚠ THE EASTER JEEP SAFARI FILLS THE TOWN COMPLETELY for a week each spring. Buy food and water in town — there is none inside Arches or Canyonlands. ⚠ SUMMER TEMPERATURES REGULARLY EXCEED 100°F at this low elevation and the useful outdoor hours are before ten and after six. Medical facilities are limited for the visitor numbers the town absorbs.