I first went to Arches National Park with my former college roommate as a YOLO weekend trip back in 2019 in April. YOLO, as in we’ll yeet to SFO immediately after work, get in to Salt Lake City at almost 10PM, rent a car, and speed down to Moab Utah (a good 4 or so hours away on a good day). Then speed back on Sunday to catch an evening flight back so we can make it back to work on Monday. It was fun! It was also ridiculously tiring, so this time I resolved to spend a bit more time so things did not feel as rushed!

This time, I went in late February. The nice thing was that:

  1. It’s not hot, but also not terribly cold.
  2. It’s not very crowded at all.
  3. Because of point 2, it’s incredibly cheap to fly and stay in Moab.

Not everything is without its drawbacks though - the weather was definitely less than predictable (hello, sudden rain and fog), and some places were quite icy where you did not want them to be.

Here’s the summary of what we did, what we thought of it, and other things to note!

Map of main POIs in the Canyonlands

Link to Google Maps of roughly the same area

Important notes about Arches and Canyonlands National Park

  • Cell service is limited or nonexistant in most parts of both parks. Make sure to download maps on a service such as Google Maps or AllTrails before heading out
  • There is no food and limited water inside either park. Buy lunch to go in Moab before heading out
  • There is no gas inside either park as well. While Moab is a tourist town, its gas prices are surprisingly reasonable. But maybe that’s because I’m from California…
  • Both parks limit the number of people inside the park to try to protect the ecosystem and not letting hoards of people ruin the experience. If you’re going on a weekend, aim to arrive early…generally, before 8AM is a safe(r) bet on weekends.
  • There are entrance fees for both parks. If you’re planning on visiting both Arches and Canyonlands, it may be worth looking into getting the inter-agency annual pass.

Utah - Canyonlands Series

Day 1

In 2019, I flew direct from SFO to SLC.

San Francisco Int'l → Salt Lake City Int'l (26 Apr 2019)
SFO (19:23) → SLC (22:11)
1h 51m via UA5374

In 2020, I flew on the new(ish) service to Moab Canyonlands (CNY), even though this involved a relatively short stopover in Denver and an awful departure time of 5am.

San Francisco Int'l → Canyonlands Field (21 Feb 2020)
SFO (05:02) → DEN (08:24)
2h 32m via UA452
DEN (11:08) → CNY (12:30)
1h 22m via UA5090
3h 54m flight time, 2h 44m layover

While transfers (especially in Denver!) can be a pain, the true win of flying in Moab is how easy it is to…well, get to Moab. Canyonlands Airport is about 20 minutes away via car from the town center, while Salt Lake City is quite a drive. Don’t get me wrong, a scenic drive, but still, a drive.

Looking over Arches National Park from the plane

The flight from Denver to Moab was hecking beautiful though - would definitely recommend snagging a window seat if possible.

There is just one car rental window at the airport with either Alamo or Enterprise, so that was sorted quickly. Service was fast and friendly. The window was also only open an hour before the only flight into Moab arrived and closes almost immediately after the flight departs.

Baggage claim at Canyonlands Field

We got lunch in Moab, loaded up on supplies at the City Market, dropped off luggage at the hotel, then headed off for the first (and, really, only) activity of the day.

Delicate Arch

View Larger Map

The nice thing about going in February is that it’s not yet hot enough that you wilt after walking 5 minutes under the sun, and the number of people in the park is much more manageable. The trail up, while brutal on one section of just climbing up a long stretch of sandstone, offers wonderful views of everything but the arch…until you get to the arch. It’s easy to follow, and once you get there, you get to see Delicate Arch in all its beauty.

It’s just rock. You keep walking up the rock. Oh god it never ends

People tend to line up near the arch to take turns taking group photos, so that’s nice. We’re a civilization, sometimes.

College friend under the arch. It’s surprisingly hard to get a good photo since the arch is so massive

Fun fact: people in the 1970s considered spraying the entire arch in plastic to protect it from eroding even more.

“There have been some, even in the Park Service, who advocate spraying Delicate Arch with a fixative of some sort — Elmer’s glue perhaps or Lady Clairol Spray Net.

— Edward Abbey in Desert Solitaire

Thank goodness that never happened.

On the way back, we stopped by to see the petroglyphs carved on the rocks near the trailhead.

Found near the Wolfe Ranch, the NPS estimated it to be carved between 1650 and 1850 by the Ute Native Americans.

We returned back to the hotel afterwards to rest from the 5AM flight, as well as made a quick stop for dinner.

Delicate Arch Trail @ Arches National Park
Review The first thing everyone thinks of in Arches National Park is this arch. You kind of know what to expect, and yet it still would blow you away. It’s large!! Even if it is troublesome to visit, and there are always people on the trails, it is worth seeing in person.
What to Expect This is a trail that just keeps going upwards for about a mile and a half one way. There is no protection from the sun, and there's always people. Generally, people are decent enough where you'll get time under the arch by yourself as long as you wait in line. The best time to come is as early as possible in the morning (but I myself have not done that, because, oooo waking up in the morning, what).
Notes Crowds and parking tends to be a bit easier in the late afternoon, because the lighting is more suboptimal. Be sure to bring enough water and sunscreen! You won't be able to see the arch until you get there. If you're not able to make the hike, the upper viewpoint further down the road is decent, although the arch definitely looks a lot smaller from there. There is no bathroom other than at the parking lot. There is a faint trace of signal at the arch itself if you feel the need to post on social media.
Verdict: 5/5 — I mean, I said it all above.

If you opt for the shorter viewpoint trail, you can still see Delicate Arch, albeit at a smaller size.

Food

I can’t make a sea bass joke here

Root Down @ Denver Int'l Airport
Terminal C
Review Fish tacos? Fish tacos. Obviously more expensive because of airport food, but they’re pretty good fish tacos. People say this is one of the better places to dine at when you’re stuck in the airport, and it’s not incorrect.
Verdict: 4/5 — Is it better than lounge food? Heck yes, it completely blows it out of the water. Is it expensive? Also yes. But at least it tastes quite good, if you’re willing to splurge a bit more. They also have a good selection of local beers if that’s your thing.

Pho in Utah

98 Center @ Moab, UT
98 E Center St, Moab, UT 84532
Review Is it Vietnamese? Somewhat. Its taste is definitely shifted to being more western. I ordered the pho here, and while the beef was super tender (they claim it’s locally sourced), the taste was just not quite there. I don’t know what it’s missing, but! It’s not bad. I’d probably be down to go again, but the price point feels a bit expensive for, well, pho.
Verdict: 4/5 — It’s pretty good. I’ll be a bit more generous since it is Utah. The ingredients definitely are fresh.

Wow plating

Arches Thai @ Moab, UT
60 N 100 W, Moab, UT 84532
Review Wow, it’s actually good Thai food…in Utah? What?? Service was fast, friendly, and (I guess due to it being the low season), it’s pretty quiet and empty. The taste of the food is no different from a good place in the Bay Area. Obviously the cost is a bit higher, but you’re also in a tourist town.
Verdict: 5/5 — We came here twice. It was delicious.

Lodging

Moab hotel prices definitely spike with high season. When I went in April, prices started at $300ish if there were even rooms at all. Meanwhile, prices in February were sub-$90.

Hyatt Place @ Moab, UT
890 N Main St, Moab, UT 84532
Review It’s a Hyatt Place. It’s exactly like every other Hyatt Place (but it’s newer!), complete with the little sofa couch area that’s separated from the beds. There’s a swimming pool that we didn’t use. Hotel WiFi was stable, breakfast was decent and had a good selection of fresh fruits, and service was friendly.
Verdict: 5/5 — This was a ridiculously good deal for 2 queen beds at $90, wow.

Previously, when I went with my friend:

Hampton Inn @ Moab, UT
488 N Main St, Moab, UT 84532
Review It’s a Hampton Inn. I guess it’s like the notes I put above for Hyatt Place - chains are expected to be the same. Small breakfast selection included. Parking was a little difficult during peak season though.
Verdict: 4/5 — It’s comfortable, but gosh we paid $340 a night for a 2 queen bed room.

Day 2

Day 2 activities continue here!