Moab, Arches and Canyonlands Weekend
A two-night spring or fall weekend in Moab from Salt Lake City. Drive down on Friday with a river-history stop in Green River and catch the Windows in evening light. Saturday is Arches: Delicate Arch at first light, Landscape Arch before the heat, a long midday break and sunset at Dead Horse Point. Sunday is Canyonlands' Island in the Sky, from Mesa Arch early to Grand View Point, then the drive home.
One-time purchase. You own your guide forever and can return for the latest update any time.
Detailed stop guidance, rules, practical pitfalls, a route map, Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps links and weather alternatives. Read it online any time, or keep it offline in the Greg’s Guides app for iPhone and iPad. See an example guide →
In April, May and from mid-September through October, Moab's afternoons are usually warm and sunny, often in the 70s and 80s °F, while early mornings can be near freezing, especially on the higher Island in the Sky and at Dead Horse Point, about 1,500 to 2,000 feet above town. Wind is common in spring, sometimes with blowing dust. Late summer and early fall can bring thunderstorms with lightning and flash floods in washes and slot canyons. In summer, afternoons often top 100°F; in winter, snow and ice are possible on trails and rims. These are seasonal expectations, not a forecast for your travel date; check the NWS forecast.
Admission and parking are separate. Check current conditions before departure.
A summer day in the mountains above Salt Lake City: the 2002 Olympic ski jumps and free museums at Utah Olympic Park, lunch and mining history on Park City's Main Street, a scenic chairlift ride at Deer Valley, and an evening soak inside the Homestead Crater in Midway, with the parking and booking details that make it run smoothly.
A day on the Great Salt Lake's biggest island, under an hour from Salt Lake City: the causeway and visitor center, the salt flats of Bridger Bay, free-roaming bison along the East Side road, the 1848 Fielding Garr Ranch, and sunset from Buffalo Point, with the bug seasons, bison-safety rules and food gaps that catch first-timers.
A summer day up Little Cottonwood Canyon from Salt Lake City: an early walk to Cecret Lake and the wildflower meadows of Albion Basin above Alta, the Snowbird Aerial Tram to the 11,000-foot top of Hidden Peak, an optional wildflower walk into Mineral Basin, and the granite quarry at the canyon mouth that supplied the Salt Lake Temple.
A fall day from Salt Lake City around Mount Timpanogos: a morning hike up to the ranger-led tour of Timpanogos Cave, the narrow Alpine Loop through gold aspen groves, lunch and a lift ride at Sundance, and Bridal Veil Falls on the way home down Provo Canyon.