How to Spend 1 Day in Moab

With two national parks, endless hiking trails, and the mighty Colorado River flowing right through town, Moab earns its nickname, the Adventure Capital of the West. Seeing Moab in only one day is a challenge, but it can be done if you plan ahead. Here are a few ideas for how to make the most out of one day in Moab.
Morning: National Park Highlights
Your best bet for seeing Moab in a day is to book an all-day parks tour. This way you’re guaranteed to see all the top highlights in Moab’s three main parks, which would be a daunting task on your own. Alternatively, you can focus your energy on just seeing Arches National Park and leave time for an afternoon outdoor adventure: Start your day by hiking to Delicate Arch—the quintessential symbol of Utah—in the early hours to beat the crowds and the midday heat. Spend the rest of your morning exploring the arches in Devil’s Garden and roaming around the towers in Park Avenue.
Afternoon: Choose Your Own Outdoor Adventure
No trip to Moab, no matter how short, is complete without an exhillarating adventure of some kind. The options are endless and vary from gentle river floats to red dirt mountain bike descents and skydive jumps. If you’re not on an all-day parks tour, head out for a half-day rafting trip through the red rock canyons, an exciting mountain bike tour on the slickrock trails, or a paddle board lesson on the Colorado River. Other options include a flightseeing tour of the national parks or a rock climbing and canyoneering adventure.
Evening: Dinner Cruises and Desert Sunsets
Enjoy the desert sunset on a Colorado River dinner cruise with either a small-group dinner jetboat tour or a lively light- and music-show cruise. Tours often include a cowboy-style feast of BBQ meats, cowpoke potatoes, baked beans, and homemade rolls. Alternatively, pack your own picnic dinner and watch the sunset at Dead Horse Point State Park, or hit up an Old West shoot-out show at the Bar-M Chuckwagon. If you’re still not tired after all that, head down to Moab Brewery for a sampling of Utah’s microbrews.
7 Tours and Activities

Arches National Park 4x4 Adventure from Moab

Fisher Towers Half-Day Rafting Day Trip from Moab

Canyonlands National Park Half-Day Tour from Moab

Moab Combo: Colorado River Rafting and Canyonlands 4X4 Tour

Moab Half-Day Rafting Trip

Moab Canyoneering Experience
