Sleeper trains can be many things — comfortable, cramped, bumpy, awe-inspiring, isolating, social, luxurious, and unbearable.
20.01.2025 - 18:21 / lonelyplanet.com
Jan 20, 2025 • 17 min read
The rough-and-ready desert outpost of Moab is nestled in a sandstone valley in southeastern Utah. With easy access to amazing rafting, hiking, mountain biking, climbing and other adventures, Moab is a remarkable expanse of sand, stone and sky.
Moab is tricky to get to; the drive from Denver is about five and a half hours, and from Salt Lake City, it's about four. Grand Junction Regional Airport is a 2-hour drive and serves a variety of airlines, while the Canyonlands Regional Airport is about 18 miles from Moab and has two carriers.
Once you’ve arrived, getting around Moab is easy. The town itself is little more than a strip of adobe shops, bike stores, guiding outfitters, restaurants and t-shirt shops; its real draw is the proximity to the amazing public lands nearby.
Moab is mere minutes away from two of Utah’s most renowned national parks: Arches and Canyonlands; and is ringed by a remarkable collection of open areas of wilderness, covering a geological area known as the Colorado Plateau. You can mountain bike on slickrock sandstone trails that extend beyond the horizon and raft down the churning Colorado River. All manner of other adrenaline-filled activities are possible among the surrounding desert spires, canyons, arches and hoodoos.
With so many things to do, we recommend spending at least three days exploring the area. But you could easily spend five days or more.
If you live for the thrill of the great outdoors, look no further.
There are more than 2,000 documented arches in small but mighty Arches National Park. Delicate Arch is by far the most photographed and most visited, but to get beyond the crowds, book a ranger-led guided tour of the Fiery Furnace. In this natural warren of arches and canyons, you’ll find amazing secret passages, hidden corners and remarkable glimpses of the flora and fauna that thrive in this harsh desert environment. This is a hike through uneven and surprising terrain, so it's important to have proper equipment and be prepared for a physically challenging hike.
Planning tip: You’ll need to book the free ranger-led hikes well ahead of time; during the shoulder season, they sometimes offer permits for self-guided walks.
Canyonlands National Park stretches for over 520 sq miles, making this the biggest national park in Utah. There’s so much to do and see, you'll need days to even scratch the surface. Island in the Sky is by far the most visited and most accessible area of the park. Located just 20 minutes from Moab, this sprawl of eroded plateaus has awe-inspiring overlooks that provide a bird’s eye view of the canyons, slickrock and desert landscapes. There are a number of worthwhile hikes, like the beginner-friendly, 30-minute jaunt to the
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