“Love me or hate me, the desert seems to say, this is what I am, and this is what I shall remain.”-Joseph Wood Krutch
Moab in July is HOT, but so worth it. Moab is famous for the 4×4 trails and being right at the base of Arches, but this town made me feel ASHEVILLE vibes. If Asheville was at the base of the desert rather than right in the mountains. lol. But the feeling is there, whether it’s in the outdoor gear shops or the hiking and 4×4 trails.
Let’s Talk Arches:
Arches National Park reminded us a lot of Badlands, but the colors of the soil and rocks are much more deeply saturated. Lots of reds, oranges, and everything in between. *heart eyes
We got to enjoy the Windows Trail and Delicate Arch Trail, although both were different in their own ways. Here are my tips for this park:
- Make sure to set up your timed reservations to enter the park ahead of time (if visiting April-October)! See their site or park guides for when to book, but if visiting in the Summer, I found it best to get into the park around 7am. It warms up fast!
- Hiking Delicate Arch Trail? This trail states 3mi round trip, but when it’s all said and done, it’s about 4. And it is ALL uphill to the actual arch. Get out there by 7am (or 8am at the latest) in the Summer, and make sure you listen to the suggestions on how much water to take…! 🙂
- Take lots of water, there isn’t anywhere for water after the visitor’s center.
Oh, and I almost forgot – Christian got to hike Fiery Furnace here on a ranger led hike! This is a special trail that involves some rock-climbing skills and good footing + it’s pretty toasty in there. We lucked out booking a spot for him last minute, because otherwise hikers must acquire permits to enter the Fiery Furnace.
Let’s Talk Town:
Downtown Moab has a lot to offer, blink and you’ll miss it all 🙂 There is a yummy sushi restaurant, grocery stores, and even a crunchy grocery store. It just smells right, IYKYK. 😉 Of course, Moab the city is popular mostly for its off-road trails for jeepists and motoryclists alike. Christian enjoyed running the motorcycle around the offroad trails, but noted even dirt bikes struggled at times due to deep, fine sand in certain places.
We thought Moab was an interesting place to visit and felt 7 days was just not enough to take in all it had to offer. We hope you make your way out to Utah to enjoy this toasty US treasure!