Winter is a lovely time to be in Moab, Utah: town is quieter, snow blankets the red rocks, and the cold air is offset by warm sunshine. But it’s the off-season, meaning many of our local restaurants and places of business will change their hours or close for an extended break. Read on for a list of seasonal closures! And make sure you double-check with open businesses about their winter hours.
Restaurants
98 Center – Closed December 30 to February 13
Cactus Jacks – Closed January 6 to 20
Lops Pop Shop – Closed December 21 to January 6
Moab Garage Company – Closed December 8 until spring (TBD)
Rooted Vine – Closed January 3 to February 13
Sabaku Sushi – Closed December 28 until spring (TBD)
Sweet Cravings – Closed December 30 to January 14
Trailhead Public House and Eatery – Closed December 24 to January 19
Businesses
Desert Wild and Indigo Alley – Closed January 5 to February 6
Moab Museum – Closed December 23 to February 10
Skydive Moab – Closed November 15 to March 1
Ye Ol’ Geezer Meat Shop – Closed January 13 to 27
Want to add your business to the list or update this info? Email Alison Harford at aharford@grandcountyutah.net!
If you’re planning a trip to Moab, you’re likely aware of its reputation as an oasis for outdoor recreation. But the city also has a lot to offer when it comes to dining, arts, and culture. Read on to make the most of your three-day trip.
DAY 1 – PARKS TOUR
Morning: Canyonlands National Park
Start your day at Canyonlands National Park. Roughly 30 miles outside Moab, the Island in the Sky District provides sweeping canyon views and stunning red rock panoramas. In a few hours’ time, you can drive the park’s 20 miles of paved roads to Grand View Point, Green River Overlook, and Upheaval Dome and hike the Grand View Point, Mesa Arch, and Upheaval Dome Overlook trails. Get up early to catch sunrise at the Mesa Arch or any of the other viewpoints inside the park.
Mesa Arch
Green River Overlook
Hiking Options
- Easy: Mesa Arch (0.6 mi/1 km) Recommended before sunrise.
- Moderate: Grand View Point (1.8 mi/2.9 km)
Lunch: Dead Horse Point State Park
On your way back from Canyonlands, don’t miss Dead Horse Point State Park. Head to Dead Horse Point Overlook to take in the view of the Colorado River and the surrounding pinnacles and buttes that make up one of the most photographed scenic vistas in the world. Bring a picnic lunch and stop in the visitor center.
Hiking Options
- Easy: The Colorado River Overlook (1 mi/1.6 km)
- Moderate: The Bighorn Overlook Trail (3 mi/4.8 km)
Dead Horse Point State Park
Moab Giants Museum & Dinosaur Park
Afternoon: Moab Giants Museum & Dinosaur Park
Fun for the whole family, Moab Giants Museum & Dinosaur Park is the first of its kind worldwide! Take a journey back through time with a 3D cinema experience and a half-mile trail featuring more than 130 full-size reconstructions of dinosaurs and their tracks. Inside the Tracks Museum, you’ll find interactive learning touch screens, games to play, and visually stunning educational exhibits. These exhibits also include insights into the history and prehistory of the Moab area and windows into Moab Giant’s research labs.
Evening: Dinner in Town
After a full day of exploring, head into town to refuel. Moab is home to a variety of cuisines and local eats. For family-friendly dining, try Moab Diner or Moab Grill. To enjoy a local brew with your meal, visit Moab Brewery or Proper Brewing Moab.
DAY 2 – GET ACTIVE
During the Day: Choose Your Own Adventure
Spend the day recreating in Moab’s red rock wilderness. Thanks to the numerous local guides and outfitters, visitors of all ability levels can enjoy activities to the fullest, or try something new! Some popular options include:
- Mountain Biking: Cover more ground by hopping on a bike and hitting the trail. Moab offers some of the greatest mountain biking in the world, with a variety of trail options for any experience level. From the highly technical Slickrock Bike Trail to the easy-riding Bar-M Loop Trail, you’ll enjoy incredible scenery and a good work out.
- Colorado River Water Recreation: Whether you’re looking for an intense whitewater experience or a more leisurely float, there’s a section of the river for you. Choose from rafting, kayaking, canoeing, or paddle boarding, then start paddling to get a whole new perspective on the area from the Colorado River’s red rock-lined waters.
- Horseback Rides: For a truly authentic Western experience, nothing beats touring the rugged desert by horseback. Follow in the footsteps, or hoofprints, of cowboys as part of a guided trail ride to stunning landmarks such as Castle Rock and Fisher Towers.
- Scenic Flights: The wild and untamed landscape of southern Utah is so vast, it’s nearly impossible to see it all. However, even an hour-long scenic flight allows you to experience spectacular views over thousands of square miles of canyon country. No other mode of transportation will allow you to see so much in such a short period of time.
Bar-M Trail
Scenic Flight
In the Evening: Wind Down
Toast to a day well spent at Moab’s own local winery. Visitors may be surprised to learn Moab’s long growing season, coupled with its fertile, sandy soils, has resulted in delicious white German-varietal wines. Spanish Valley Vineyards & Winery specializes in these single-vineyard estate-bottled wines, which means they grow the grapes, ferment, and bottle the wine all at their single location. Stop by to enjoy the sunset with a tasting or tour.
DAY 3 – MORE TO EXPLORE
Morning: Experience History
After back-to-back adventure-filled days, sleep in and grab a leisurely breakfast. For a full spread, visit Jailhouse Cafe. If you’re in need of a quick bite, grab coffee and one of the deliciously inventive doughnuts at Doughbird.
To learn more about Moab’s beginnings, visit the Moab Museum. The museum interprets the stories of the Moab area, from histories of the first inhabitants of the Moab Valley to geology to uranium mining, and include many facets of Moab’s past, present, and future.
Moab Museum
Arches National Park
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Afternoon: Arches National Park
Next, make your way to Arches National Park, home to the world’s largest concentration of sandstone arches located just five miles from downtown Moab. You can drive the entire park in three hours with 10-minute stops at each viewpoint and a short hike at the Windows section of the park. If you’re planning to visit between April 1 and October 31, you will need to make a timed entry reservation for peak times before heading to the park.
Hiking Options
- Easy: Double Arch (0.5 mi/0.8km), Landscape Arch (2 mi/3.2 km)
- Moderate: Delicate Arch (3 mi/4.8 km) This hike is usually crowded; visiting at sunrise or sunset is best.
Evening: Art and Souvenirs
For a unique dinner option, visit the Moab Food Truck Park. With 14 different food trucks offering a variety of options, there’s something to please everyone’s palate. Spend the rest of the evening wandering the shops and art galleries on downtown’s Main Street, where you’ll find everything from landscape paintings and photography to jank art (sculptures made from desert finds) and locally made goods. Then, end your trip on a sweet note with dessert at La Michoacana.
Downtown Moab
Moab Art
How to explore Moab’s expansive outdoor art scene
Looking for outdoor art in Moab? The next time you’re on your way to the Moab Museum (to explore the current exhibit) or 98 Center (to dine on pho and seasonal cocktails), look up: at the intersection of Center St. and 100 East is a spatial marvel, a towering bronze-colored whip that arcs into the sky to intersect with three planets. It’s “Nebula,” a sculpture created by Castle Valley artist Michael Ford Dunton, installed as part of the 2024-2025 “Moab ArTTrails” sculpture exhibition.
For nearly a decade, Moab ArTTrails, a local nonprofit, has gifted works of art to Moab. In 2015, the organization bought four sculptures–”Forces at Play,” created by Ford Dunton, who is also a co-founder of the nonprofit–to install along the pedestrian bridge that spans the Colorado River near Lion’s Park. In 2017, the organization hosted its first short-term exhibition, choosing a series of sculptures to be installed around town. The nonprofit chooses this rotating selection each year, but the community also has the ability to choose “the keeper,” a sculpture to be bought and permanently installed. Since its inception, Moab ArTTrails has added thirteen works of art to the permanent collection.
Sculptures rotate each September. This year’s 2024-2025 exhibition showcases 14 sculptures in a two block radius–sculptures are tucked between street corners and sidewalks along Center Street, 100 East, 100 North, and 100 West. Local exhibition artists include Ford Dunton, David Olsen (“Gnarly Scarecrow” on Center St. south of Main) and Tim “Mik” McAllister (“Risen from Ashes” on 100 North near the food truck court, and “Guardian’s Promise” in front of the Times Independent office). The other sculpture artists hail from Logan, Provo, Salt Lake City, and Colorado, Arizona, and Texas: you can read more about the artists on the Moab ArTTrails’ website!
This year’s Best in Show was awarded to Myles Howell, a Logan artist who created “Desert Winds,” a marble wonder that flows in an organic shape. The sculpture is displayed in front of Moonflower Co-op: ponder its beauty while snacking on a Moonflower lunch. Honorable mention was awarded to Steve Grater, a Tuscon, Arizona based artist who created “Matriarch,” an abstract steel work that “embodies the strength, stability, and gravitas of a powerful mother figure.” “Matriarch” is on display near the Wells Fargo and Times Independent office along Center Street – grab a local paper while you’re over there!
You can find more information about public art and events in Moab via the Moab Arts public arts map, below.
