Utah and their National Park are all the rage nowadays, I feel like every destination elopement photographer I see goes to Utah at least a couple of times a year due to their being so many elopements out there. Although I wasn’t going for work or to shoot a destination elopement – I still took a lot of photos, had a lot of fun, and made some of my own memories while there.

So if you’re thinking about heading out to Moab, Utah and are wanting to hit up Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park – then look no further because this guide will share all the best places to eat, camp, hike, swim, boulder, and so much more!!

BEST CAMP SPOTS

Ken’s Lake Campground – This is BLM land (Bureau of Land Management) they are responsible for administering federal land. Some locations can be free and others are just $20-$30/night. Ken’s Lake Campground is amazing though because there’s a short hike to a waterfall and lake, so it’s perfect for taking a dip when it’s extremely hot in the desert. But it is first come first serve, except for a few reservation campsites. And I’d highly recommend reserving a site if you can, especially in their busy season otherwise you probably won’t get a spot. If you are going to try out the first come first serve here, make sure you get there around 11am-12pm when checkout is, so you can make sure to snag a spot quickly. This campsite is also super dog friendly; most BLM land is dog friendly. You can check out this site for all the dog friendly campsites in Moab (:

Devil’s Garden Campground – This is the campground in Arches National Park, it’s extremely popular and usually has very limited space. Most people reserve this campsite a few months (up to 6 months) in advance. So unless you plan really early on your camping trip and reserve a site here, then odds are you will probably not find a site. This campsite is dog friendly, however you are NOT allowed to take them on ANY trails in the park. They are only allowed on the side of the roads and in parking lots.

The Ledge Campground – This is also BLM land, so it’s a first come first serve campsite located close to Canyonlands National Park. The views around you are absolutely stunning! There is very limited shade here, so keep that in mind in the summertime because it will be very hot.

BEST FOOD

To be honest we didn’t eat out a ton while in Moab because we planned out a good amount of our meals for camping, but the few places we did go were absolutely worth it!

Coffee:

Moab Coffee Roasters was a great place for a simple sweet coffee, but honestly it was kind of a let down in aesthetic and taste. I always have high expectations for roasters because they should know what they are doing with coffee…but seems like they really didn’t. If you’re looking for craft coffee, it’s not from them. BUT they have a beautiful outdoor patio that’s super nice to enjoy a drink + chat with friendly travelers around you.

Moab Garage Company was pretty decent if you are looking for a good cup of coffee. I liked their aesthetic and their coffee was great too!

Breakfast:

Gloria’s Corner Cafe My husband and I had an amazing breakfast here one morning. They have a beautiful outdoor patio for those nice summery days. They also have plenty of options for anyone who is gluten free and dairy free! Also, their patio is super dog friendly (:

Lunch:

Tacos El Gordo – BEST TACOS IN MOAB! Honestly these tacos are so good and really authentic. I went back for more because of how great they are. Tacos El Gordo is a taco food truck in Moab’s Food Truck Park and honestly they’re probably the most affordable option in the food truck park too, a lot of things are quite overpriced in that area.

Quesadilla Mobilla – I’ve heard that this place has the best quesadilla’s ever, hands down. Unfortunately with me and my husband being gluten and dairy free we couldn’t try it, but in case anyone else who’s headed out there wants to try it out I thought I’d put it on the list.

Dinner:

Pasta Jay’s – My husband and I went here one night for dinner, it’s nothing super fancy or special. But they have great dinner options for anyone who is gluten free and dairy free. They have pizzas and pastas galore! I wouldn’t say it’s like the best of the best, but it’s pretty darn good!

BEST HIKES

Canyonlands National Park:

• Aztec Butte Trail
• Grand View Point Trail
• White Rim Overlook Trail
• Upheaval Dome

Arches National Park:

• Delicate Arch Trail
• Double Arch Trail
• Sand Dune Arch Trail

Outside of National Parks (dog friendly hikes):

• Ken’s Lake Trail + Faux Falls
• Big Horn Overlook Trail
• Corona and Bowtie Arch Trail

BEST BOULDERING

Moab is KNOWN for all the amazing climbing in the area, unfortunately there’s not too much bouldering. But there is one spot called Big Bend that has plenty of different fun problems! If your new to outdoors bouldering the grades will probably be a lot harder than they seem, but it’s still super fun to get out there and give it a try. If you don’t have a bouldering guide for the area, then definitely download Mountain Project before you go, so you can at least have some guidance to each problems. Also, something to note with traveling. There isn’t an outdoor store there that rents crash pads, so you’ll need to either pack your own or rent own at REI if you’re roadtripping there.

---

There you have it! My guide to Moab, Utah and all the best camping sites, best food to eat, hikes to go on, and the best bouldering spot. And hey, if you want to go on a trip like this and elope while you’re there, then go ahead and hit me up because I’d be more than happy to go on this memory makin’ grand adventure! Fill out my form below if that’s something that you’d be interested in and let’s get this adventure started!!