Things to do in Moab with Kids

Moab, Utah is one of my favorite vacation destinations. First of all, the sights are so breathtaking. Second of all, there are so many things to do in Moab with kids.

We went to Moab a few years ago when we only had two kids, and they were ages 3 and 5. I would love to go again and take all of our four boys. 

Listed below are some of the many things to do in Moab with kids. I hope this list inspires you to start planning your next family vacation to Moab.

1.  Arches National Park

Downtown Moab just happens to be less than 10 minutes away from Arches National Park. If you haven’t been to Arches National Park before, you will be blown away by the beauty of it.

One great thing about Arches National Park is that it is so close to town. That means if you aren’t into camping you can stay in a hotel and be just 5-10 minutes away from this national park.

Side note: We stayed at the Springhill Suites by Marriott, and it was perfect for families. The pool area is a plus!

The fact that Arches is so close to many hotels makes it easier for families to get to Arches early in the morning to beat the crowds, and the best thing is that you can conveniently go back in the evening or after dark to see the stars as well. 

Arches National Park has so many great hikes and places to climb for kids. They will love it!

Read my post Arches National Park with Kids to learn about the best hikes for kids and everything else you need to know for your visit to Arches National Park. 

If you only have one day to spend in Arches, read my post Arches National Park in One Day for how to best spend your day!

2. Canyonlands National Park

If you want to add another national park to your list, you need to visit Canyonlands National Park as well! It is only 35 minutes from Moab.

Canyonlands National Park is vastly different from Arches but just as incredible!

Canyonlands National Park has four main districts or areas. We visited the Needles and Island in the Sky Districts. These areas are the ones easiest to get to from Moab. 

Here are a couple of great hikes to do in these districts. Make sure to mark these down on your list.

• Mesa Arch (Island in the Sky) – This hike is a must do! It is an easy one as it is only ½ mile long, and the views are astounding.

• Grandview Point (Island in the Sky) – You simply walk a short paved path to get to this spectacular viewpoint. If you want to do the entire trail, it is 1.8 miles round trip. The views of the canyon along this entire trail are stunning. 

• Slickrock Trail (Needles) – This is a loop trail approximately 2.8 miles round trip. It is an entertaining hike for kids because the slickrock is very fun to climb and play on. If you follow the signs and cairns, you can do just part of the hike to make it shorter. There are breathtaking sweeping views also on this hike. 

These are just a couple of the MANY amazing hikes you can do with kids in Canyonlands National Park. 

3. See Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs

One of the unique things to do in Moab with kids is to go find dinosaur tracks and petroglyphs. 

My kids were so excited about being on the hunt for both the dinosaur tracks and the petroglyphs. 

From downtown, it is about a 14 minute drive to Potash Road where these imprints are located. 

First, you will get to the petroglyphs. There are two different places to view them. After the second viewpoint, you drive about .8 of a mile to the dinosaur tracks. 

Note: The petroglyphs can be viewed from your vehicle if need be. The dinosaur tracks require a short climb up some rocks. 

You will need to park along the road so make sure everyone is mindful of other vehicles when entering and exiting your car.

4. Grandstaff Trail to Morning Glory Bridge

Another awesome thing to do in Moab with kids is take a hike on the Grandstaff Trail to Morning Glory Bridge.

The drive to this trailhead from downtown Moab is also very short at just 10 minutes. This trail is 4.65 miles round trip so a bit longer of a trail than we normally do with our kids.

We usually stick to about a 2 mile hike at most. Once our kids get a bit older, we will be able to do longer hikes.

At the end of the trail is an amazing 243 ft bridge made of rock.  

The hike is so beautiful and follows the Colorado River for part of the way, and then goes on to follow a stream.

The trail includes 10 creek crossings on rocks. Some of the creek crossings are definitely precarious.

Note: I recommend bringing extra shoes and socks in case your kids get wet crossing the creek. They likely will at least get their feet wet.

I recommend this hike for kids at least 7 years old or older. It definitely depends on your children and their experience hiking, but it is a long hike and requires a significant amount of rock hopping. 

It is definitely a fun and scenic hike though!

5. Moab Giants

Do you have a kid who LOVES dinosaurs? If so, you must visit Moab Giants!

Moab Giants is located just 14 minutes from downtown Moab. It is a fantastic place to take your kids on your Moab vacation.

At Moab Giants there are things to see and do both indoors and outdoors. 

Indoors, there is a dinosaur aquarium which is super cool. You put on 3D glass, and it seems as if the underwater dinosaurs and sea creatures come alive! 

It is worth noting though that there is a Megalodon towards the end of the walking aquarium tour that is absolutely frightening for young kids. My boys were 3 and 5 at the time, and both of them were very scared. 

Also indoors at Moab Giants, there is a gift shop, cafe, 3D theater, and the Tracks Museum that has some great interactive exhibits.

Outdoors at Moab Giants, there is a dinosaur playground, a walking trail with various statues of dinosaurs, and a large sandbox where kids can dig for dinosaur fossils.

A few notes on Moab Giants:

• You can easily spend a couple of hours to a half day here depending on how much your kids enjoy playing on the playground and sandbox in addition to participating in the other attractions.

• They do have the Giants’ Cafe if you are there around lunch time and looking for something to eat.

• There are many benches and picnic tables outside at Moab Giants so while the kids play, you can relax and enjoy the beautiful weather and sights. 

6. Raft on the Colorado River

If you have older kids, rafting on the Colorado River is an adventurous thing to do in Moab.

On our trip to Moab, we did not get to do this because our kids were a bit too young. It is something that we would love to do on our next trip though!

There are numerous companies that do rafting trips and adventures. A couple of these include but are not limited to Moab Adventure Center and Moab Rafting: Mild to Wild Rafting and Jeep Tours.

Imagine being in a raft on the Colorado River with the astounding red rocks towering above you. This would definitely be a breathtaking experience.

7. Play at Rotary Park

Rotary Park is a great place to play and relax with your family. It is a mere 4 minutes from downtown Moab. 

Your kids will love playing on the percussion instrument section of the park. There are 19 musical instruments in all. 

Additionally, there is a fun playground and a large amount of green space to enjoy playing ball, frisbee, or having a picnic. 

Rotary Park is located along Mill Creek so it is also enjoyable to go for a little hike along this creek. 

8. Take a Jeep tour

One of the most exciting things to do in Moab with kids is to take a Jeep tour. The same companies that have rafting adventures also do jeep tours.

Moab Adventure Center and Moab Rafting: Mild to Wild Rafting and Jeep Tours are great places to book your jeep tour. 

Jeep tours are restricted to ages 4 and above. 

What a fantastic way to get off the beaten path, see some incredible vistas, feel the wind in your hair, and even learn more about the Moab area!

I hope these recommendations give you some exciting ideas of things to do in Moab with kids. 

I am sure on your trip the national parks will take up most of your time as those are the main attractions that you likely came to see, but sometimes it is nice to have a little change of pace and experience something different as well. There are many options of things to do with your family in Moab.

SAVE and PIN this post for planning purposes for your trip. May you LOVE your adventure. KW