Moab, Utah has become synonymous with adventure. In this area you can find your adrenaline rush in just about any outdoor activity you can think of on land, water or in the air. So, for the purpose of this article, we’ve compiled a list that will give you fresh ideas for something new and exciting to try on your next trip to beautiful Moab.

Whitewater Rafting in Westwater Canyon

Westwater Canyon

If you’ve already floated the Fisher Tower section of the Colorado River or are looking for a real adrenaline rush, it’s time to step up to the next level of excitement.  Westwater Canyon is the first section of whitewater on the Colorado River after it enters Utah.  There are 12 class III & IV rapids on this 17-mile trip.  Many rafters compare Westwater Canyon to the Grand Canyon for both its beauty and its world class rapids.

Let the experienced guides at O.A.R.S. take you on a two day Colorado River rafting trip through what National Geographic calls “The West’s Best Short Whitewater Trip”.  You’ll camp on a sandy beach under the stars, hike to an old hideout of Butch Cassidy and take in geologic formations that are almost two billion years old.  Then you can sit back and enjoy a great dinner while watching for the abundant wildlife that make their home in the canyon.

Horseback Riding Through the Rugged Desert

Maybe you’re one of those who have the had the thought while watching a good old western movie, “what would it be like to ride on the same trails as John Wayne?” Red Cliffs Lodge will help you take a step back in time on a guided horseback trip and complete cowboy style barbecue. The cowboys at Red Cliffs Lodge know how to provide a top notch trail ride. After spending time atop a horse from Red Cliffs, I’m sure you’ll agree there’s no better way to experience one of the most beautiful places in the world than from the saddle of your cowboy-trained gentle quarter horse. While you’re at Red Cliffs Lodge, make sure you take the time to browse through the comprehensive, on-site museum of film and western heritage, filled with memorabilia from Moab’s fascinating and lengthy movie-making history.

Horseback riding at Red Cliffs Lodge

Moab Giants

If you have even the faintest inclination towards anything prehistoric, this is a place you will not want to miss!  Moab Giants has incorporated interactive, cutting edge technology to bring prehistoric life (both land and sea) into virtual reality.

Travel back through time along the half-mile-long trail with more than 100, state-of-the-art, full size reconstructions of dinosaurs and the tracks they made in the area.  Along the trail there are two different sites where you can try your hand at paleontology and discovery by uncovering the dinosaur bones beneath the sand!

• The indoor exhibits highlight stories about fossil footprints and their impact on dinosaur science and geology.

• The kids will love the hands on dinosaur-themed playground. It includes rock climbing, web equipment, swings, slides and more!  Climb inside T-Rex’s enormous mouth full of teeth.

• Discover ancient sea creatures in 5D!  This virtual adventure takes you underwater with some of the biggest and most dangerous monsters known to earth.  Explore the prehistoric deep in one of Moab Giant’s most thrilling and chilling attractions.

Skinny Tire Festival

For decades Moab has been attracting mountain bikers from all around the globe to come ride its slick rock.  However, in the last ten years, road biking is on the rise, thanks in part to efforts of the Skinny Tire Events directors.  They put on two events each year, one in the spring and one in the fall.

What is it about the four-day Skinny Tire Festival that attracts road cyclists from all over the country to make a pilgrimage in early March, brushing off the winter cold and venturing into warmer spring temperatures?

It’s not just the inspirational views that make one feel both empowered and insignificant at the same time. It’s a combination of that and the underlying emotions of hundreds of others coming together sharing a passion; for a reason!

Moab Century Tour takes place each September.  This year’s ride is Saturday September 23.  From Moab, you’ll climb to Dead Horse Point State Park where you can view the Colorado river 2,000 feet below.  Next you get to reap the reward of the climb as you descend back to Moab.  You’ll complete the 100 mile course with an up close look at the mighty river as you pedal along its banks and past world famous “Wall Street” where you can almost always spot climbers on the red rock walls.

Established as benefit rides for cancer survivorship programs and research, cyclists putting purpose to their cycling having donated over $6.5 million to cancer survivorship and research programs nationwide. To find out more, see SkinnyTireEvents.com or call 435.260.8889.

The La Sal Mountain Loop Road

This scenic byway is located just six miles south of Moab on Hwy 191. It’s a 60 mile paved loop that winds it’s way through forest filled with whispering pines, quaking aspens, numerous lakes and streams before it descends into Castle Valley at the upper end of the Colorado River scenic byway Utah SR 128.

View from LaSal Mountain Loop

The La Sal Mountain Loop offers a wide variety of recreational activities; hiking, mtn. biking, fishing, camping – all on a mountain trail that is almost 13,000 feet high.  Along the loop, there are multiple opportunities to stop and attempt to capture the view with your camera.  The contrast between the lush green forest and the spectacular red rock is truly a feast for the eyes.

Raven’s Rim Zipline Adventure

Imagine the colors and views of Moab surrounding you as you zip across ravines and over slickrock suspended from a zipline showcasing the High Desert, La Sal Mountain Range and Red Rock Terrain. Breathtaking? Absolutely! This is Raven’s Rim.

Soar above the high desert on six zip lines ranging from 300-ft to 1,500-ft.  You’ll scale the 100-ft long suspension bridge spanning between red rock fins. In addition, if you enjoy some “heart in your throat” 4-wheeling, this is truly for you, with the added bonus of some serious off roading.  The guides at Raven’s Rim are experienced, patient and great fun for all levels of adventure seekers.

White Rim Road/Trail

The White Rim road is in the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park.  It’s a 100-mile dirt road open to four-wheel drive vehicles, motorbikes (that are highway legal), mountain bikes.  ATV’s, UTV’s, and OHV’s are NOT permitted.  Most people take three to five days to complete the 100 miles.  You must stay on the main road and only camp in designated campsites.  Permits are required for both day use and overnight trips into the area.  There is no potable water anywhere along the road, so plan accordingly.

White Rim makes a great high-adventure trip for scouts and youth groups.  You’ll need high clearance four wheel drive vehicles to haul water and gear.

Moab Golf

With all of the options for outdoor activities in the area, it’s easy to overlook the Moab Golf Club.  After an exhilarating day of adventure, it’s now time to unwind and recharge.  There’s no better place than the beautiful, lush, green fairways that wind through the red rock bluffs in the Spanish Valley that’s home to the Moab Golf Club.

Moab Golf

The 18-hole, 6819 yards, 72 par course is sure to melt away the day’s stresses.  You may want to plan your next trip to Moab around one of the club’s tournaments.  Check their website for a complete list.

Mesa Arch

Located in the Island in the Sky section of Canyonlands National Park.  It’s a well-marked, short, easy ½ mile walk from the parking lot to Mesa Arch.

Mesa Arch – Island In the Sky District – Canyonlands National Park

The view at the arch is truly stunning, especially at sunrise!  It becomes obvious why this section of Canyonlands National Park is called the “Island in the Sky”.  Mesa Arch is a great hike for families and easy to combine with a stop at Dead Horse Point.

Museum of Moab

Preserving and displaying the natural and cultural history of the Moab area since 1958, the Museum of Moab tells the fascinating story of the history of Utah and the Colorado Plateau.

The Museum works to protect the cultural and natural history and preserves more than 10,000 objects and photographs from the region.

Moab is still on the frontier of America. It has always housed outlaws, rabble rousers and those looking to get away from the rest of the world.  Exhibits highlight the Old Spanish Trail, famous and less famous outlaws of Moab, the Colorado Plateau’s mining history and Moab’s modern adventure era.

The Museum’s collection of Native American artifacts spans over 4000 years of human habitation on the Colorado Plateau with exhibits and pottery of the Fremont and Ancestral Puebloan peoples.

Geology and paleontology are focused with exhibits exploring the local dinosaurs found right around town and the formations of the fantastic scenery of Utah.

Pucker Pass/Long Canyon Road

Just north of Moab, you’ll find Potash Road (route 279).  Heading west to Jug Handle Arch then a right turn over the railroad tracks will take you to the beginning of Long Canyon Road.  The road winds its way through some awe-inspiring spires and rock formations that have made this area famous.  There are multiple view areas that you can stop and let your inner shutter-bug out.  Make sure you keep an eye out for the mountain sheep that make their home in the area.  Once you hit the Pucker Pass, the road narrows.  It becomes much more difficult with steep switch backs.  Four-wheel drive is definitely needed in this section.  Many of the locals call this the scenic “short cut” to Dead Horse Point.

Mountain Biking at Dead Horse Point State Park

Sometimes referred to as Utah’s Grand Canyon, Dead Horse Point was created by ice, water and wind’s effects.  This 2,000-foot-deep canyon with its impressive vertical cliffs make it one of the most photographed spots in Utah.  The easy rated Intrepid trail at Dead Horse Point visitors’ center provides a family friendly mountain biking experience with awe-inspiring views. The multiple loops offer a distance to fit almost everyone’s ability.

Intrepid Trail – Dead Horse Point State Park

Hurrah Pass

This is a lightly traveled dirt road. It’s 19.3 miles out and back and it’s perfect for off-road driving of all kinds (even two-wheel drive vehicles with high ground clearance) and mountain bikes. 

Hurrah Pass

It’s rated easy.  Most of the road is wide & graveled, however for about three miles there are some small ledges and steep sections.  There are multiple water crossings.  These can be too deep to cross after a heavy down-pour.  If you can’t see the bottom, don’t try crossing.  Come prepared to wait out a storm if you’re trapped on the other side.