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The best things to do in Moab are Arches National Park, Canyonlands’ Island in the Sky, Dead Horse Point State Park and the Corona Arch hike. Arches needs no timed-entry reservation in 2026 and charges $30 a car. Winter is the quiet, cold season, with spring and fall the busiest.
I travel with dogs and plan desert trips out of Southern California. The first thing I check at any national park is where the dog can go. In the Moab parks the answer is short: roads, parking areas and campgrounds, never trails. That rule shapes the stops below.
Things to do in Moab
Moab sits between two national parks and a state park, and all three are within an easy drive of town. Arches is 5 miles north of Moab on US 191, per the park’s directions page. The table puts the main stops side by side.
| Stop | Cost | Dogs on trails | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arches National Park | $30 per car | No | No timed entry in 2026; open 24 hours |
| Canyonlands, Island in the Sky | $30 per car | No | Open 24 hours; some facilities close in winter |
| Dead Horse Point State Park | $20 day use | Yes, on a leash | Open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. all year |
| Corona Arch | Free | On a leash, per Discover Moab | 3 miles round trip, cables and a short ladder |
Arches National Park near Moab
The park announced on February 18, 2026 that it would not require timed-entry reservations this year. You can drive in any time it is open. Our Arches timed entry guide covers how the rule changed. Reservations still apply to Devils Garden Campground and to Fiery Furnace hikes.
Entry is $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle and $15 per person on foot or bike, per the park’s fee page. Youth 15 and under are free. The $55 annual pass, sold to US residents, also covers Canyonlands, Natural Bridges and Hovenweep. October 27 and November 11 are fee-free days for US citizens and residents.
The park is busiest from March through October, and the park’s hours page suggests entering before 8 a.m. or after 3 p.m. to miss the traffic. The paved road runs 18 miles from the visitor center to Devils Garden. Plan on about 45 minutes of driving. Park Avenue, Balanced Rock and the Windows Section all sit along the way.
Canyonlands National Park entrance fee
Canyonlands charges the same $30 a car, $25 a motorcycle and $15 a person, per its fee page. The same $55 annual pass covers both parks. Timed entry is not required. Our Canyonlands National Park guide splits the three districts in more detail.
Island in the Sky is the district to pick from Moab. Its visitor center is about a 40-minute drive away. It stays open year-round, with some closed days in winter. The Needles is a bigger commitment: about 40 miles south on US 191, then 35 miles west on UT 211. The park says travel between districts takes two to six hours.
Dead Horse Point State Park
Utah State Parks lists regular day use at $20, with motorcycles and walk-ins at $10. The park’s page gives hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. all year. The visitor center is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
This is the easiest stop to do with a dog. Leashed dogs are allowed on all hiking trails and in the campground, though not on the Intrepid mountain bike trails. The park also has mountain bike rentals through Bighorn Mountain Biking. Come for the overlook above the Colorado River, which makes a good sunrise or sunset stop.
Moab things to do in winter
Winter is when Moab is at its quietest. The park’s winter page puts Arches highs at 30 to 50°F and lows at 0 to 20°F. After a snowfall the park road can close for several hours while it is plowed. Shaded pullouts and parking lots stay icy.
Most trails stay open, but Delicate Arch and Devils Garden turn slippery fast. The park recommends traction devices and trekking poles. The Arches visitor center runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and closes on December 25. Ranger-led hikes and campfire talks stop for the season. Devils Garden Campground keeps 25 first-come sites open from November through February.
Canyonlands runs on a thinner winter schedule. The Needles visitor center closes from December 6 to February 12, so pack water and a map for that district. Discover Moab calls winters at the lower elevations typically mild, with occasional snow on the red rock valleys.
Best hikes in Moab
Most of the famous walks here are short. The table pulls the main ones together, with distances from the park pages and the BLM.
| Hike | Round trip | Rating | Dogs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mesa Arch | 0.6 mile, about 30 minutes | Easy | No |
| Grand View Point | 1.8 miles, about 1.5 hours | Easy | No |
| Landscape Arch | 1.9 miles | Easy | No |
| Delicate Arch | 3 miles, 480 feet of climb | Steady uphill | No |
| Corona Arch | 3 miles | Moderately strenuous | On a leash (bighorn sheep habitat) |
Delicate Arch is the big one, and the park says rangers often rescue people who underestimated it. If you skip the full climb, the lower viewpoint is a level 100-yard walk. The upper viewpoint is a half mile with stairs. Landscape Arch is the easy lead-in to Devils Garden. Double O Arch beyond it is rated difficult, and all the trails with spurs add up to 7.9 miles.
Corona Arch sits outside the parks and costs nothing to hike. From Moab you take US 191 north for 4 miles, then UT 279 south for 10 miles, per the BLM’s trail page. You sign in at a register box and cross a railroad track. Cables and a short ladder help on the slickrock. On the Island in the Sky trails, the park says to carry at least 1 quart of water per person on short walks and up to a gallon on long ones.
Park Avenue is the short canyon-floor walk near the start of the Arches road. It gives you the tall red walls without the climb that Delicate Arch asks for.
Moab with dogs
Dogs are allowed in Arches on a leash, but only along roads, in parking areas, and in campgrounds and picnic areas. Per the park’s pet page, they are not allowed on trails, at overlooks or in the visitor center, even in a carrier. The leash must be 6 feet or shorter.
Canyonlands follows the same front-country rule, and its pet page adds that dogs are not allowed in the backcountry. That includes vehicles on backcountry roads and river trips. For hiking with a dog, the park points you to Dead Horse Point State Park, Bureau of Land Management land or La Sal National Forest.
The heat rule is the one that bites. The park says a dog left in a vehicle can die once the air passes 65°F, even with the windows cracked. It also says to test pavement with your hand for 7 to 10 seconds. My own rule is to build the dog’s day around Dead Horse Point and the BLM trails. At the national park stops we take turns: one person walks the dog on the road while the other does the trail.
Discover Moab lists Fisher Towers among its pet-friendly areas and says Corona Arch requires leashes because of nearby bighorn sheep habitat. It also warns that pavement can top 150°F, so check paws often. Service animals are allowed in the parks. The pet pages say comfort and therapy animals do not count.
Is Moab worth visiting?
I think it is, and the main reason is how much fits into a short stay. In three days you can see an arch, a canyon rim and a state park overlook without much driving. Both national parks charge the same $30 a car. A single $55 annual pass covers Arches and Canyonlands.
It also works as a base for a bigger route. Our Utah Mighty 5 road trip strings the Moab parks together with Zion, Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef. Our Zion National Park itinerary covers the other end of that drive. Skip Moab if you want long trail days with a dog. The national park trails are closed to dogs.
Frequently asked questions about Moab
Do you need timed entry for Arches?
No, not in 2026. The park announced on February 18, 2026 that it would not require advance timed-entry reservations this year. You can enter any time during operating hours. Check nps.gov/arch before you plan a later trip.
Can you bring dogs to Arches National Park?
Yes, but only on roads, in parking areas, campgrounds and picnic areas, on a leash of 6 feet or less. Dogs are not allowed on trails, at overlooks or in buildings, even in a carrier. Dead Horse Point State Park allows leashed dogs on its trails.
How far is Moab from Arches?
The Arches entrance is 5 miles north of Moab on US 191. Devils Garden is another 18 miles past the visitor center, about 45 minutes of driving.
Do you need a reservation for Canyonlands?
No. The park says timed entry reservations are not required to enter. Permits are required for backcountry travel and river trips.
Does Moab get snow?
Yes, in winter. The Arches winter page lists highs of 30 to 50°F and lows of 0 to 20°F. It says the park road can close for several hours after a snowfall.
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Published October 25, 2026.
Photo credits: (1) featured, Delicate Arch standing on a slickrock rim… — NPS Photo, U.S. Government work, public domain, via National Park Service; (2) Colorado River gooseneck seen from the Dead… — Jean-Christophe BENOIST, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (3) Balanced Rock dusted with snow in Arches… — National Park Service, U.S. Government work, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; (4) Park Avenue Trail running between tall… — NPS/Herbert, U.S. Government work, public domain, via National Park Service.