Moab Utah with Kids: 5 Things To Do
By the time we reached Moab we’d had been traveling for a week already and most of our activities had been outside but in smaller towns and some with high tourism traffic. The hubs and I hadn’t visited Moab in about 15 years- when we did a short Colorado River trip and some canyoneering in Canyonlands NP after being inspired by the book, Between a Rock and A Hard Place, by Aaron Ralston. This trip was expected to look a little different as we now have kids and our days of sleeping on hostels have come to an end. Moab Utah with kids is a blast and you will love all that the area has to offer.
Planning a trip anywhere with kids always has me searching for family friendly activities, but also how to introduce them to some more mature experiences as well. So these suggestions are with that in mind.
Moab Utah with Kids: Arches National Park
Visit Arches NP, while there do the Window section hike. This area is easy reachable in any vehicle on paved park maintained roads. The hike is kid friendly and the view will be worth it for everyone. Depending on what time of year your visit you’ll need to note advisories for heat. We visited in August and it’s discouraged to hike from 12-4pm each day. We set out about 5 and were able to capture the most amazing sunset.
Another great hike within the park for kids, will be the Double Arch. With a hike of around .5 miles it’s great for everyone.
Make sure you snag a Jr Ranger book at the visitor center so the kids can complete the activities while in the park and then receive their badge PLUS be sworn in as a Jr. Ranger. This is one of our kids favorite activities at any National Park Service site. We also make sure to get their cancelation and Jr. Ranger stamps in their books. These typically serve as their souvenirs and come at a low cost to mom and dad.
Moab Utah with Kids: Bike trails and park
You know we don’t go anywhere with out a slew of bikes with us. This trip we actually brought 5! I even bought a new hitch rack before we left but purchased one wrong piece making it a little harder than I’d planned for this trip.
Moab is well know for it’s amazing mountain bikes trails geared toward rides or all ages and abilities. Some of our favorites in the past have been Slick Rock and Hell’s Revenge.
This trip we hit up the in town bike park full of awesome dirt jumps and no charge to riders. You will want to make sure to wear a helmet and protective pads are recommended as well. The park can be a little tricky to find (I had to call the official city offices) but it’s located right next to the hospital in town and visible from the road.
Moab Utah with Kids: Rent a Jeep and Hit the 4×4 trails
The only thing Moab is better known for than mountain bike trails is jeep trails. People flock there every year to experience the craziness that are the jeep trails. These aren’t everyday keeps you see around town. These jeeps are outfitted for what is called rock crawling and it can get extreme. Years ago on our last visit we road our dual sport motorcycle up a trail called Lion’s Back. I’ll just say, we drove past that this trip and all I could say was, “What were we thinking!?!?” It was so crazy looking and is now closed for riding on.
You don’t have to be an extreme keeper to enjoy this option in Moab. We rented a jeep from Barlow Adventures for a full 24 hours. I’d recommend picking up the jeep late morning so that you can have it the following morning as well. We went with a 11:30 pick up. After a quick but thorough once over we headed out with our trail maps and the great recommendations from Graham at Barlow.
We headed out towards Arches National Park again, this time to see the Tower Arch. We spent a total of 5 hours driving around the park this day and had an absolute blast. The kids (and the husband) enjoyed some technical jeep roads and each jeep has satellite radio so we jammed out the entire time. On the drive out from tower arch you will be able to stop and view or hike to another great spot called eye of the whale.
First on our list the next morning was to see Gemini Bridges, this trail will take about 2-3 hours to complete and the reward when you get there will be well worth it! You’ll learn the difference between arches and bridges and walk out on the bridge (it’s the only one like this you’re allowed to walk on top of).
After we did a short hike to the bridges we packed back up and headed toward Dead Horse State Park. While you don’t need a 4×4 vehicular to see the point, it’s close to where you exit the 4×4 road for Gemini Bridges. We stopped in the visitors center to pick up the kids jr ranger books and badges (state parks often have programs as well so always check in with them) and we drove up to the point. A short and clear path will lead you to a view of a life time! After taking some pictures we explored a few more areas around the trails before heading back to town.
Moab Utah with Kids: Archeological Finds
This area is well know for its archeological finds. Everything from Petroglyphs, pictographs and Dino tracks!
You’ll want to head toward the Poison Spider Dino trackway. The spot the tracks it’s a short hike up from the parking area and totally doable for all ages. We saw several Dino tracks in the area and these are the most distinct. So glad we found them! For more on Dinosaurs- check out the Moab Giants!
Along the many highway as you head toward poison spider area you’ll spot a sign for petroglyphs. Right there an the walk about 15 feet up you’ll find distinct petroglyphs, follow the line of images and you’ll spot pictographs as well. Sad to say that there are a few graffiti marks in the stone as well. It was a fascinating experience for all of us to see and discuss together.
Moab Utah with Kids: River Trip
There are tons of great places around Moab to access the Colorado River. We didn’t do a river trip this year but our last visit we rented inflatable kayaked from a local outfitter and had a blast cruising down the river for a small stretch.
If you’re not well versed in river trips and would prefer to have a professional outfitter take you, those exist! Most outfitters will require that children are at least 4 years of age, this can change depending on the water levels of the river. They will be able to recommend the best trips and duration based on your family’s desired adventure and ability!
