Frommer’s EasyGuide to Moab, Arches and Canyonlands National Parks

Frommer’s Star Ratings System

Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listed in this guide has been ranked for quality and value. Here’s what the stars mean:

AN IMPORTANT NOTE

The world is a dynamic place. Hotels change ownership, restaurants hike their prices, museums alter their opening hours, and buses and trains change their routings. And all of this can occur in the several months after our authors have visited, inspected, and written about these hotels, restaurants, museums, and transportation services. Though we have made valiant efforts to keep all our information fresh and up-to-date, some few changes can inevitably occur in the periods before a revised edition of this guidebook is published. So please bear with us if a tiny number of the details in this book have changed. Please also note that we have no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracy or errors or omissions, or for inconvenience, loss, damage, or expenses suffered by anyone as a result of assertions in this guide.

Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake City.

CONTENTS

About the Author

1moab, arches & canyonlands national Parks

Moab

Arches National Park

Canyonlands National Park

2utah in Depth

3Planning Your Trip to utah

4the active vacation planner

Slot canyon in Grand Staircase- Escalante National Park.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A degree in Latin and a teenage summer in Greece and Turkey gave Mary Brown Malouf a love of language and a taste for culinary travel—she’s been to India, Nepal, Britain, Botswana, Mexico, and all over the United States. Currently Executive Editor of Salt Lake magazine, she is excited to be writing about the culture and incredible scenery of Utah.

Dedication

Dedicated to the memory of Glen Warchol, who showed me everything.

ABOUT THE FROMMER TRAVEL GUIDES

For most of the past 50 years, Frommer’s has been the leading series of travel guides in North America, accounting for as many as 24% of all guidebooks sold. I think I know why.

Though we hope our books are entertaining, we nevertheless deal with travel in a serious fashion. Our guidebooks have never looked on such journeys as a mere recreation, but as a far more important human function, a time of learning and introspection, an essential part of a civilized life. We stress the culture, lifestyle, history, and beliefs of the destinations we cover, and urge our readers to seek out people and new ideas as the chief rewards of travel.

We have never shied from controversy. We have, from the beginning, encouraged our authors to be intensely judgmental, critical—both pro and con—in their comments, and wholly independent. Our only clients are our readers, and we have triggered the ire of countless prominent sorts, from a tourist newspaper we called practically worthless (it unsuccessfully sued us) to the many rip-offs we’ve condemned.

And because we believe that travel should be available to everyone regardless of their incomes, we have always been cost-conscious at every level of expenditure. Though we have broadened our recommendations beyond the budget category, we insist that every lodging we include be sensibly priced. We use every form of media to assist our readers, and are particularly proud of our feisty daily website, the award-winning Frommers.com.

I have high hopes for the future of Frommer’s. May these guidebooks, in all the years ahead, continue to reflect the joy of travel and the freedom that travel represents. May they always pursue a cost-conscious path, so that people of all incomes can enjoy the rewards of travel. And may they create, for both the traveler and the persons among whom we travel, a community of friends, where all human beings live in harmony and peace.

Arthur Frommer

1

Moab, Arches & Canyonlands National Parks

They call it Canyonlands country—a seemingly infinite high desert of rock, with spectacular formations and rugged gorges that have been carved over the centuries by the forces of the Colorado and Green rivers. Massive sandstone spires and gravity-defying arches colored by iron and other minerals in shades of orange, red, and brown, define the national parks of southeastern Utah. This is a land that begs to be explored—if you’ve come to Utah for mountain biking, hiking, four-wheeling, or rafting, then this is the place. And the region holds a few surprises, too, from Ancestral Puebloan (also called Anasazi) dwellings and rock art to dinosaur bones.

Moab: Gateway to the National Parks

238 miles SE of Salt Lake City

Make no mistake—it’s the biggest town in Southeast Utah, but Moab is not a destination in itself. The main drag is lined with gear shops and pizza joints—not a lot of charm here. The attraction of Moab (named for a biblical kingdom at the edge of Zion, the promised land) is the landscape around it. Moab is the base camp for mountain bikers, four-wheel-drive enthusiasts, hikers, kayakers, and rafters eager to explore the red-rock canyon country. Not far from the Colorado River, the dramatic red sandstone cliffs have lured Hollywood filmmakers for hits such as John Wayne’s The Comancheros, the biblical epic The Greatest Story Ever Told, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Thelma & Louise, and City Slickers II.

Southeast Utah

Like most Utah towns, Moab was established by Mormon pioneers sent by church leader Brigham Young. But Moab was actually founded twice. The first time, in 1855, missionaries set up Elk Mountain Mission to see to the spiritual needs of the local Ute. Apparently unimpressed with the notion of abandoning their own religion for the LDS Church, the Ute killed several missionaries, sending the rest back to Salt Lake City in a hurry. Twenty years later the persevering Mormons tried again; this time, they established a small farming and ranching community.

Moab (elevation 4,000 ft.) is still a small town, with just under 5,000 permanent residents. Right next to Arches National Park, Moab is also close to Canyonlands National Park and is surrounded by the Manti-La Sal National Forest and vast spaces under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

Essentials

Getting There   Situated on U.S. 191, Moab is 30 miles south of I-70 (take exit 182 at Crescent Junction) and 53 miles north of Monticello. Moab is 399 miles northeast of the north rim of Grand Canyon National Park and 238 miles southeast of Salt Lake City. From Salt Lake City, follow I-15 south to Spanish Fork, take U.S. 6 southeast to I-70, and follow that east to Crescent Junction, where you’ll pick up U.S. 191 south to Moab.

Sixteen miles north of downtown Moab, Canyonlands Field (www.moabairport.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

435/259-4849

) has daily scheduled flights between Moab and Denver and Moab and Las Vegas on Sky West ( Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

 435/259-0408

and car rentals from Enterprise (www.enterprise.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

435/259-8505

). Shuttle service into Moab is also available from several companies, including Roadrunner Shuttle (www.roadrunnershuttle.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

435/259-9402

).

The closest major airport is Grand Junction Regional Airport, about 112 miles east in Grand Junction, Colorado (www.gjairport.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg  970/244-9100). It has direct flights or connections from most major cities on Allegiant, American/American Eagle, Continental, Delta, United, and US Airways. Car rentals are available at the airport from Alamo (www.alamo.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg  970/243-3097), Avis (www.avis.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg  970/244-9170), Budget (www.budget.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg  970/243-3841), Enterprise (www.enterprise.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg  970/254-1700), Hertz (www.hertz.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg  970/243-0747), and National (www.nationalcar.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg  970/243-6626).

Another option for air travelers is to fly into Salt Lake City International Airport (www.slcairport.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

800/595-2442

or 801/575-2400), about 240 miles from Moab, which has service from most major airlines and rental-car companies. You can rent a car at the airport and drive to Moab, or check with Roadrunner Shuttle (www.roadrunnershuttle.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

435/259-9402

) or Moab Luxury Coach (www.moabluxurycoach.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

435/940-4212

) about current shuttle rates and schedules.

Amtrak’s (www.amtrak.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

800/872-7245

) California Zephyr stops in Green River, about 52 miles north of Moab, and provides service to Salt Lake City and Grand Junction, Colorado. If you plan to go from Green River to Moab, make reservations with Roadrunner Shuttle or Moab Luxury Coach (see above).

Visitor Information   For area information, contact the Moab Area Travel Council, 84 N. 100 East (www.discovermoab.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

435/259-8875

). When you arrive, stop by the Moab Information Center, 25 E. Center St., open Monday through Saturday 8am to 7pm and Sunday from 9am to 6pm from mid-March through October, with shorter hours the rest of the year. This multiagency visitor center has information from the Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Grand County Travel Council, and Canyonlands Natural History Association. You can get advice, watch a number of videos on Southwest attractions, pick up brochures on local businesses and outfitters, and purchase books, videos, and other materials. A board displays current weather conditions and campsite availability.

Getting Around   Rentals (standard passenger cars, vans, and 4WD vehicles) are available from Enterprise (www.enterprise.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

435/259-8505

). Rugged 4WD vehicles are available from Farabee’s Jeep Rentals (www.farabeejeeprentals.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

435/259-7494

); Canyonlands Jeep Adventures (www.canyonlandsjeep.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

435/259-4413

), which also rents regular passenger cars; and Cliffhanger Jeep Rental (www.cliffhangerjeeprental.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

435/259-0889

), which also rents camping trailers. Want a cab? Call Moab Taxi

(

Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

435/210-4297

). Uber and Lyft are also available.

Fast Facts   The full-service Moab Regional Hospital, 450 Williams Way (www.amhmoab.org; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

435/719-3500

), offers 24-hour emergency care. The post office is at 50 E. 100 North (www.usps.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

800/275-8777

).

The best grocery store in town is City Market, 425 S. Main St. (www.citymarket.com; Black-Phone_bphone.jpg

435/259-5181

), open daily from 6am to midnight. Pick up sandwiches from the deli, mix it up at the excellent salad bar, or choose fresh-baked items