MOAB ITINERARY PLANNER
Tell us your days and interests — get a day-by-day plan across Arches, Canyonlands, and Dead Horse Point, timed to beat the heat and crowds. Free, no sign-up.
Build your Moab plan
Pick how long you're staying and what kind of trip you want — we'll lay out each day across Arches, Canyonlands, and Dead Horse Point.
Your 2-day plan: First-timer / classic sights
Times tuned to beat the heat and crowdsDay 1
Arches day. Enter at opening and drive the full scenic road: Park Avenue, Balanced Rock, the Windows Section, and Sand Dune/Broken Arch. Short, easy walks while it's cool.
Midday break in Moab (lunch, A/C, water refill). In cooler shoulder seasons, instead continue to Devils Garden Trail for Landscape Arch (1.9 mi round trip).
Delicate Arch at sunset (3 mi round trip). Arrive early for parking; headlamp required for the return.
Day 2
Mesa Arch sunrise at Canyonlands Island in the Sky (arrive 45–60 min before sunrise). Then drive the scenic road with stops at Grand View Point, Green River Overlook, and Shafer Canyon Overlook.
Drive 5 min back to the SR-313 junction and visit Dead Horse Point State Park: the main overlook plus a short rim walk. Both parks share this road, so they pair in one efficient half-day each.
Sunset at Dead Horse Point Overlook on the way out, then dinner in Moab. (If energy is low, watch sunset from the Island in the Sky's Grand View Point instead.)
The three parks at a glance
Moab is basecamp for two national parks and a state park — here's the drive time, what to prioritize, and where to catch first and last light in each.
Arches National Park
~10 min from MoabPlan for: full day (or two half-days — one for the scenic drive + Windows, one for Delicate Arch)
- Delicate Arch hike (3 mi round trip, 480 ft climb, no shade) — the park's iconic free-standing arch
- Devils Garden Trail to Landscape Arch (1.9 mi round trip) or the full primitive loop for more arches
- The Windows Section — North & South Window plus Turret Arch on a short, easy loop
- Park Avenue & Balanced Rock pullouts along the scenic drive
- Fiery Furnace (reservation or ranger-led permit required — book months ahead on Recreation.gov)
Delicate Arch (the bowl glows; fewer crowds than sunset, but it's a 1.5-mi uphill hike in the dark — bring a headlamp). Turret Arch through the North Window is another superb sunrise frame.
Delicate Arch is the classic sunset target (arrive 90+ min early for parking and a spot in the bowl). The Windows Section and Balanced Rock also light up beautifully at golden hour.
Canyonlands National Park (Island in the Sky)
~40 min from MoabPlan for: half day to full day (scenic drive with short walks is a half day; add hikes for a full day)
- Mesa Arch (0.6 mi round trip) — the most famous sunrise in the Southwest, arch framing the canyon below
- Grand View Point Overlook & Trail (1.8 mi round trip along the rim at the road's end)
- Green River Overlook — sweeping view over the White Rim and Soda Springs Basin
- Shafer Canyon Overlook & the switchbacks of the Shafer Trail road
- Upheaval Dome (1.8 mi round trip to two overlooks of the crater)
Mesa Arch — be at the trailhead 45–60 min before sunrise to claim a spot; the underside of the arch glows orange.
Grand View Point or Green River Overlook — the canyon layers turn deep red and purple as the sun drops.
Dead Horse Point State Park
~40 min from MoabPlan for: half day (pairs perfectly with Canyonlands Island in the Sky — same road, SR-313)
- Dead Horse Point Overlook — paved, ADA-accessible path to the gooseneck of the Colorado River 2,000 ft below
- East and West Rim Trails — easy mesa-top loop connecting nine overlooks (~5–7 mi if you do the full loop)
- Basin Overlook and Meander Overlook for quieter rim views
- Intrepid Trail System — 17+ mi of beginner-to-intermediate mountain biking on the mesa
- Visitor center & Bighorn Overlook for orientation and the most photographed gooseneck view
Dead Horse Point Overlook — the river bends catch first light and the mesa walls glow; far less crowded than Mesa Arch.
Dead Horse Point Overlook (the marquee sunset in the area) — the canyon and river light up; Basin Overlook is a good quieter alternative.
Moab planning tips
Start at dawn in summer. Town highs frequently top 100°F and the mesa parks aren't much cooler. Do your hiking (Delicate Arch, Devils Garden) before 10am, retreat to A/C midday, and come back out for golden hour.
Arches needs NO timed-entry reservation in 2026 (NPS lifted it in February 2026) — but you still pay the $30/vehicle entrance fee, and Devils Garden Campground plus all Fiery Furnace hikes still require separate reservations booked months ahead on Recreation.gov.
Pair Canyonlands Island in the Sky and Dead Horse Point State Park in a single day — they sit on the same road (US-191 to SR-313), and the Dead Horse turnoff is just before the park entrance, so you lose almost no driving time doing both.
Claim your sunrise/sunset spot early. Mesa Arch (sunrise) fills its small lot 45–60 min before the sun; the Delicate Arch trailhead and bowl fill 90+ min before sunset. Dead Horse Point Overlook is the area's least-crowded marquee sunset.
Buy the $80 Southeast Utah Parks annual pass if you're visiting both Arches and Canyonlands (each is $30/vehicle), or the $80 America the Beautiful pass if you'll hit other federal parks. Note Dead Horse Point is a STATE park with a separate $20/vehicle day-use fee — federal passes don't cover it.
Watch the monsoon (mid-July through September). Afternoon thunderstorms bring flash floods to slot canyons, washes, and the Fiery Furnace — check the NWS forecast, never enter narrow canyons under storm threat, and know that dirt roads like Shafer Trail turn impassable when wet.
Carry far more water than feels necessary — at least 2 quarts per person for Delicate Arch and Devils Garden, which have NO shade and full sun exposure. Spring (April–May) and fall (September–October) are the ideal seasons; winter is cold and quiet but the arches are stunning with snow.
Moab Itinerary FAQ
How many days do you need in Moab?
Two to three days is the sweet spot for most visitors: one day for Arches (the scenic drive, the Windows, and a Delicate Arch sunset), one for Canyonlands Island in the Sky paired with Dead Horse Point on the same road, and a third for a Colorado River raft trip, Scenic Byway 128, or a long hike. One rushed day can hit Arches' highlights; four days lets you add mountain biking, the Fiery Furnace, and backroads like the Shafer Trail.
Can you do Arches and Canyonlands in one day from Moab?
It's tight but doable if you focus on the highlights. Arches is about 10 minutes from town and Canyonlands Island in the Sky about 40 minutes, so realistically you'd pick the must-sees in each rather than seeing everything. A better split is one morning in one park and the next in the other — and because Canyonlands Island in the Sky and Dead Horse Point share the same road (SR-313), those two pair naturally in a single day.
Do you need a reservation for Arches National Park in 2026?
No. Arches has no timed-entry reservation system in 2026 — the National Park Service lifted it in February 2026. You still pay the $30-per-vehicle entrance fee (good for 7 days, and it also covers Canyonlands). Two things inside Arches do still require separate reservations on Recreation.gov: the Fiery Furnace hike and the Devils Garden Campground (March through October).
What's the best Moab itinerary for first-timers?
Spend your first day in Arches: drive the scenic road to Balanced Rock and the Windows Section in the cool morning, break in Moab during peak heat, then hike to Delicate Arch for sunset. On day two, catch the Mesa Arch sunrise at Canyonlands Island in the Sky, drive the rim to Grand View Point, and finish at the Dead Horse Point overlook on the same road. Add a half-day Colorado River float or Scenic Byway 128 drive if you have a third day.
When is the best time of year to visit Moab?
Spring (April–May) and fall (September–October) are ideal, with comfortable 70s afternoons for hiking, biking, and rafting — though they're also the most crowded and priciest. Summer is hot, with town highs often over 100°F and afternoon monsoon storms from mid-July through September that bring flash-flood risk; hike at dawn and carry extra water. Winter is cold, quiet, and stunning, with snow-dusted arches and empty trails for those who don't mind freezing nights.
Should I buy a park pass for a Moab trip?
If you're visiting both Arches and Canyonlands (each is $30 per vehicle), the $80 Southeast Utah Parks annual pass pays for itself and also covers Natural Bridges and Hovenweep. If your travels reach other national parks within a year, the $80 America the Beautiful interagency pass is the smarter buy for the same price. Note that Dead Horse Point is a Utah state park — none of the federal passes work there, so budget its separate $20-per-vehicle day-use fee.