Moab Utah is an adventurers dream destination.  Its popular with hikers, mountain bikers, rafters, rock climbers, ATV riders and more.  Its near Arches NP and Canyonlands NP.  Most all the land around Moab is Federal whether BLM, National Forest or National Park.  There is an abundance of boondocking opportunities which was good for us as our visit included Memorial Day weekend.

Red Rock over the
Colorado River

Rock art too

Moab Museum of Movies and Western Heritage

We found a spot suitable for Goldie in an area called Klondike Bluffs North.  It was east of US 191 about  15 miles north of town.  There’s a good gravel road about 2 miles into an area with multiple previously used sites.  The weather was unsettled and we had rain 5 days in a row.  (Yes, we had rain in Moab).  The red dirt of Moab turns to slippery mud when wet.  We were glad it dried out before we had to move Goldie again.  The beautiful Red Cliffs Lodge on the Colorado River houses the free Museum of Movies and Western Heritage.

Goldie boondocking
near Moab

View from Klondike Bluffs

Rafting the Castle Valley portion of the Colorado River is very popular in Moab.  We called our friends at Mild to Wild Rafting https://mild2wildrafting.com/utah-rafting/colorado-river-rafting.html to book a trip with their Moab office.  The morning trip was beautiful.  Very peaceful with a few splashes.  They offer many rafting options around Moab. 

Fisher Towers used in many films

One of the main attractions near Moab is Canyonlands National Park.  We have visited the Islands in the Sky section before but never the Needles section.  Church Rock  is near the turnoff.  Then comes Newspaper Rock, one the largest rockart panels we’ve seen.  Near the visitors center we did a hike to more rock art, a cowboy camp and a well preserved puebloan granary.  We could’ve hiked up to the top of the rock but lightning changed our plans.  More left to see on another visit.

Church Rock

Newspaper Rock –
more rock art

Storms approaching

Well preserved granary

Cowboy camp

Needles canyon

More storms –
time to go

Hiking around Moab is abundant and we found two great hikes walking from our site at Klondike Bluffs.  This area is also known as Copper Ridge Dinosaur Tracks.  The one trail we hiked is called Dinosaur Stomping Ground as there are over 2200 fossilized footprints in the rock ridge.  It was a beautiful hike to an overlook of a valley in front of Arches NP.  The other hike led us to giant allosaurus type footprints in the rock and then up another ridge to an abandoned mine and equipment.

Big footprints in the rock

Over 2200 individual prints

Water holes on the trail

Cacti blooming

View toward Arches

Allosaurus footprints

Relics of the mining period

Moab is one of those places where we find more to see each time we visit.  More to come back for.