Moab’s unique combination of small resort town hospitality, beautiful scenery, and the cool waters of the Colorado River has made it one of the most sought-after destinations in the Southwest. Home to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, visitors typically flock here when crossing the Big 5 off their list.

Outside of the national parks, Moab is really dog friendly with plenty of trails to explore, patios to dine on and state parks that rival the national ones.

This map was made with Wanderlog, for itineraries on iOS and Android

HIT THE TRAILS

While you can’t explore some of the iconic trails in the national parks, there are several great alternatives where you can still get up close and personal with some amazing rock formations.

Check out some of our favorites below and if you have more time, research some more trails from this blog post or this filtered list from AllTrails. We can’t wait to go back and add more to our list.

Corona Arch

Hiking to Corona Arch should be near the top of the list for anyone visiting the Moab area. Outside of Arches National Park, Corona and Bowtie Arches are some of the most accessible and prominent arches to be found. Corona and Bowtie Arch Trail is a 2.4 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail. The trail is primarily used for hiking and dogs are able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

The trail begins near the Gold Bar camping area along Potash Road, nestled tightly to the banks of the Colorado River. Leaving the trailhead, you’ll start a steep climb up some steps and then you’ll cross the railroad tracks to steadily make your way up on top of the slickrock benches that make up Bootlegger Canyon. There is a small section of the trail that includes safety cables with small foot holes and a short ladder, but most people will be able to pass this section without trouble. Give yourself some time to take pictures and enjoy the immaculate desert landscape and incredible formations.

Dead Horse Point Rim Trail

Dead Horse Rim Loop Trail is a 5 mile heavily trafficked loop about 40 minutes outside of Moab that features a river and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.

Dead Horse Point State Park is located high on the rim of the Colorado River Canyon. It offers some of the most spectacular views in the Moab area. These views offer what is considered the best sunset in Moab, so make sure you stick around and stake out a spot at the overlook to wait for the sun to go down.

Fisher Towers

Fisher Towers trail is a 4.2 mile heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Moab, Utah that is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, running, and nature trips and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. There is a small ladder about 1.5 miles into the trail that may be difficult to pass with a large dog.

The entire length of the trail is decorated with an enormous variety of rock art, sculpted by the wind and the rain from the soft red sandstone, and it is in large part this spectacle that makes the hike so delightful. The last major tower on the route is the Titan, which the trail passes after about 1.5 miles.

Admittedly we didn’t see the trail markers in the beginning of this hike and ended up wondering in a different direction. We veered to the left and wondered back along this narrow loop near the parking lot. This is not an official part of the trail, but worth the extra exploration.

To ensure you don’t miss the trail, make sure you continue straight when ascending down the trail and walk down the canyon within the first quarter mile. I’d recommend downloading the AllTrails map before you head out because you won’t have service.

ENJOY A SUNSET AT DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK

One of the most photographed vistas in the world, Dead Horse State Park towers 2,000 feet above the Colorado River and the overlook provides a breathtaking panorama of Canyonlands’ sculpted pinnacles and buttes. Known for having the best sunset views in Moab, plan to visit this park later in the day to walk the one-mile rim trail and stake out a spot for sunset.

Dead Horse State Park does require a $20 entrance fee that is good for 24-hours.

Legend has it that Dead Horse Point got its name from cowboys corralling wild mustangs to the point after creating a barrier out of branches and brush. They’d pick their favorites and then leave the rest to die of thirst with the Colorado River in view just 2,000ft below. 😭

EXPLORE DOWNTOWN MOAB

The downtown business district of Moab has a great collection of restaurants, microbreweries, shops, and galleries. Stroll through the downtown shops for a great selection of southwestern arts and jewelry, souvenirs, and much more.

Some of our favorite shops include:

Moab Made: Our fav store to check out in Moab. Doodle Mom got her Christmas ornament from here in 2018 and then scored some home decor in 2021.
Moab Barkery: Don’t miss this dog shop off the main strip of downtown. It’s packed with food, treats and accessories. You can pick up a souvenir for your furry friend or grab some emergency treats if you run out.
ar-tee-sian: This is a human store but it had really cute locally designed clothes with the muted desert colors Doodle Mom loves. We got a couple bandanas that can easily be styled for a dog. This shop is also located on a block that has a lot of cute boutiques to wonder into.

In addition to shopping, be sure to add these dog friendly patios to your list:

The Spoke on Center: Our favorite dinner and best value for quality. Don’t miss the ice cream window on the sidewalk!
Moab Garage Co.: Our favorite breakfast spot. We got it to go three times while we were in town, but there are a few tables and chairs on the sidewalk if you want to dine there.
Glorias Corner Cafe: Great for smoothies or Italian dinner.
Zax: When I called, the hostess told me dogs had to be tied to the other side of the patio on the sidewalk, but when we walked by all the dogs were sitting at the tables with their owners, so we ended up eating dinner here. Don’t miss the fried cauliflower appetizer, and if you prefer takeout they do take and bake for their pizzas.
Moab Coffee Cafe: Great spot for sipping coffee on free wi-fi accompanied by outdoor charging outlets.
Food Truck Park: Variety of food trucks with several picnic tables for dining. Visit their Facebook page for an updated list of food truck options: https://www.facebook.com/MoabFoodTruckPark/

VISIT GOOSENECKs state park

Goosenecks State Park is on the edge of a deep canyon above the sinuous river meander. The San Juan River twists and turns through the meander, flowing a distance of over six miles while advancing one and a half miles west on its way to Lake Powell. This small park affords impressive views that will remind you a bit of Horseshoe Bend without the vibrant colors. It’s really easy to park and walk over to the overlook with no hiking required. The state park is located an hour outside of Moab and requires a $5 day pass to access.

DRIVE THROUGH ARCHES & CANYONLANDS

While national parks are generally not dog friendly, if you have an America the Beautiful pass and some extra time we definitely recommend driving through Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.

Arches National Park is just outside of downtown Moab and features a scenic out and back drive that you can do in an hour. Along the scenic drive there are overlooks for Courthouse Towers, Balanced Rock, Delicate Arch, Fiery Furnace and Sand Dune Arch. All of these can be viewed from your car except for Delicate Arch - you’ll need to walk a few mins from the parking lot up to the viewing point for this one (dogs are not supposed to leave the parking lot).

Water and ice, extreme temperatures, and underground salt movement are responsible for the sculptured rock scenery of Arches National Park. There are over 2,000 catalogued arches in the park with the count fluctuating due to new formation or erosion. In order to count as an arch, the arch must have a minimum of a 3-foot opening.

Ensure you have music downloaded before entering the park because you’ll have no service throughout your drive and don’t enter on an empty tank of gas. We mention this because Doodle Dad wasn’t paying attention and started on scenic drive with only 50 miles in the tank. 😳

Canyonlands National Park is located past Dead Horse State Park and is a bit more spread out than Arches with less unique viewpoints along the scenic drive.

Canyonlands is home to countless canyons and buttes carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Rivers divide the park into four districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers themselves. These areas share a primitive desert atmosphere, but each offers different opportunities for sightseeing and adventure. Island in the Sky is the most accessible and offers a paved scenic drive. The other districts are sought after for backcountry hiking and off-roading.

Most of the rock found in Canyonlands today came from distant mountain ranges like the ancestral Rockies and even the Appalachians. For millions of years, rock was broken down and carried here by wind and water, creating deposits that eventually became distinct layers of sedimentary rock.

Many of the rocks exposed in Canyonlands were deposited near sea level. Today, the average elevation here is over 5,000 feet above sea level – a significant uplift.

Canyonlands is part of a region called the Colorado Plateau, an area that stands high above the surrounding country. About 20 million years ago, movement in the Earth's crust began to alter the landscape of North America, building modern landforms like the Rocky Mountains, Nevada's Basin and Range, and the Colorado Plateau. Some geologists believe that the plateau has risen as much as 10,000 feet since the uplift began.

These movements also created cracks where melted rock rose from deep inside the Earth. In some places, it cooled before reaching the surface, creating pockets of harder, igneous rock within the surrounding sedimentary layers. Eventually, erosion exposed these harder deposits, creating the isolated mountain ranges visible from Canyonlands: the La Sals, Henrys and Abajos.

The main attraction in Canyonlands is Mesa Arch, but the trail to the arch is not dog friendly. Back in 2018 when we visited, the trail wasn’t busy, and Doodle Mom carried me in my K9 Sport Sack to the viewpoint.

If you only have time to visit one park, we’d recommend Arches. It’s more accessible, there’s more diversity and awe in the viewpoints and it’s closer to downtown Moab.

TAKE A DAY TRIP

While there’s so much to do in Moab, you can venture beyond the city and explore other red rock landscapes, like Monument Valley.

Monument Valley, a red-sand desert region on the Arizona-Utah border, is known for the towering sandstone buttes of Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park and located 3 hours south of Moab. The park, frequently a filming location for Western movies, is accessed by the looping, 17-mile Valley Drive.

Make sure you do your research before visiting. There are nearly 30 viewpoints and several self-driving road throughout the park (a 4x4 vehicle is recommended). We didn’t have a ton of time to explore and I wish we did. I think that would’ve made us enjoy it more. At the time it just felt like a lot of driving.

Moab is definitely towards the top of our travel list with a variety of things to do with your dog. If you’re heading to Moab, let us know if you have any questions or if there’s anything we should add to our list the next time we visit.