US National Parks
Arches
Canyonlands
Cuyahoga Falls
Gateway Arch
Grand Canyon
Grand Teton
Great Smoky Mountains
Hawaii Volcanoes
Rocky Mountain
Yellowstone
Zion
Arches National Park, 2025
Arches National Park is 10 minutes from Moab, UT. Before you go, keep in mind the park has no food or lodging and at certain times of the year a timed entry ticket is required. Make sure you do your research and plan ahead.
Although many of the arches that make up Arches National Park are accessible by car at viewpoints and overlooks, there are also many hikes that allow you to get a more close up experience. We did a mix of both of these and enjoyed the challenge of the hikes but also appreciated the opportunity to relax in the car and take in the sites.
Canyonlands National Park, 2025
Canyonlands is an expansive park that is made up of three different "districts". We visited two of these - Islands in the Sky and Needles. Neither had food or lodging so please plan accordingly.
Islands in the Sky District:
Located 40 minutes from Moab, Islands in the Sky is known for its amazing views of the many canyons and formations. It was hard to take in the breadth of these in pictures because they were so wide and deep. We both commented on how the views here were even more impressive than those at the Grand Canyon!
When you are in this area, don't miss Dead Horse Point State Park!!! It is a just a short detour. The views are stunning!!! There is an amazing hike around the rim that we didn't have the chance to do, but we would recommend. Not a National Park but definitely worth a visit!
Shafer Road to Potash Road:
This 4x4 road starts in Canyonlands, near the Islands in the Sky visitor center and descends into the canyon, all the way to the banks of the Colorado River. It is definitely a harrowing drive but we did it in a Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4 without any problem, except for the nerves diving on the edge of the cliffs!
Needles District:
Needles is located only about 30 miles from Moab as the crow flies, but you have to drive nearly 75 miles or 1.5 hours to get there because of the canyons. Once you get there you are rewarded with views of the amazing rock formations known as "Needles", "potholes", Slickrock, grassy meadows and desert. The Needles area is more primitive and hiking was always an adventure, following the "cairns" to find your way over the slickrock.