A hub for adventure, Moab is a high-energy town in the heart of Utah, serving up everything from hiking and mountain biking to white-water rafting and 4WD trips. Dinosaur lovers will be in their element, with fossilised footprints, palaeontology museums and a themed amusement park.

Things to do

If you have your sights set on adventure, you'll find plenty of tour operators offering guided trips in town. Take your pick of hikes through desert canyons, rock climbing at Indian Creek, white-water rafting down the Colorado River and mountain biking along the iconic Slickrock Trail.

Moab is surrounded by national parks, each offering its own unique attractions. Arches National Park is studded with towering red rock formations, while Canyonlands National Park is criss-crossed with hiking trails that wind past mesas, buttes and Native American rock art. At the Bull Canyon Overlook you can check out dinosaur tracks embedded in the plateau.

Escape the sun at the pocket-sized Museum of Moab. It's filled with fascinating displays, including dinosaur bones found in Utah's deserts, valleys and canyons. You can also admire other archaeological finds, such as mined uranium, Native American art and Puebloan pottery.

Kids will love Moab Giants, a dinosaur-themed amusement park that welcomes visitors with over 100 life-size replicas. You can explore the Moab dinosaur trail, dig for fossils, trace footprints, watch 3D movies and snap selfies with a ferocious T-Rex.

Getting around

Downtown Moab is easy to get around on foot, though you'll need a private vehicle to explore the national parks. Bikes are a pleasant and eco-friendly way to get around town. Canyonlands Field Airport is a 20-minute drive from Moab.