Moab - Off the Beaten Path

Moab will be busy during the next couple weeks, with the annual Jeep Safari bringing crowds to the desert community. During the Safari, which runs March 15-23, area motels and campgrounds will be full and recreation areas will see increased visitation.

As the Safari ends, the town will quickly settle back into its normal spring routine. Many people consider the post-Safari period the ideal time to play in Moab. The weather will be perfect and the town won't be overrun by 4X4 enthusiasts. Most days will bring sunny skies and mild temperatures - not hot and not cold - ideal for biking, hiking, Jeeping, horseback riding and other popular adventures.

The Colorado River will still be cold - it's still too early to play in the water. Prime time for whitewater rafting is usually late May through June. After that, rafting conditions will stay good through the summer.

There are several must-do attractions in the Moab area, and spring is a great time to hit them. At least once in your lifetime, you've got to make the moderately strenuous hikes to Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch, in Arches National Park. If you are a mountain biker, you've got to ride the Slickrock Trail. You've just got to - there's no way around these places.

There will be people around the major attractions - these places are popular year round. But they are worth seeing, even if you can't have them all to yourself.

Other spots don't attract the crowds. During spring there is plenty of opportunity for solitude in the Moab area. Hike one of the remote trails in Canyonlands National Park and you may not see another person.

Below we list some of our favorite spots that are not as well known. These places are easily accessible and offer moderate adventure. There will probably be other people in these areas, but they don't attract the frenzied crowds.

Mesa Arch, located on the rim of Island in the Sky Mesa in Canyonlands National Park, is just a short stroll from the road. The arch is fabulously photogenic and is often used to frame the canyon country below.

Corona and Bowtie arches can be seen as part of a great, moderate family adventure hike along Potash Road just west of Moab.

If you are up for a little more adventure, try the hike to Dark Angel in Arches National Park. It is just a short distance past Double O Arch, along the primitive loop in Devils Garden.

Fischer Towers offer another superb moderate hiking adventure. They are just off Hwy 128 east of Moab.

See our new Moab hiking trails database for more information about these hikes, and suggestions for others that are just as good.

Check our events calendar for upcoming Utah activities.

- Dave Webb

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