3 Days in Moab Utah for Under $500

Moab is a mecca for thrill seekers – mountain biking, jeeping, you name it. Not to mention, it’s world famous for not one but two national parks – Arches & Canyonlands. But did you know there is a ton of family-friendly things to do as well? Keep reading for our list of free or inexpensive things to do, best hikes, most affordable hotels, best restaurants, and money-saving tips for 3 days in Moab Utah.

Money-Saving Tips for Spending 3 Days in Moab

GO IN THE LOW SEASON

Winter in Moab is beautiful and even gets a little snow. But I’m talking about low season when the weather is still warm! We went the last weekend of February and even though it was chilly at night, we got sunny weather in the high 60s, which felt good enough to swim in the hotel pool and enjoy the hot tub at night. Hotel rates jump up the first week of March.

We did 3 days in Moab with food, gas, lodging and park admittance for less than $500 because we went during the low season. To give perspective, the average price for Moab in the high season for 3 days is around $2100. 4x Higher.

BRING GROCERIES AND ESSENTIALS DOWN WITH YOU

Moab is a somewhat isolated town (and full of tourists) which means supply is low and demand is high. Groceries and essentials like diapers or suncreen are expensive.

BUY A NATIONAL PARKS PASS

With two national parks closeby at a total cost of $60, if you plan on going to just one other national park this year then it makes sense to pay the $80 for the annual National Parks pass.

KNOW YOUR LODGING OPTIONS

Moab is an extremely popular place to visit, so hotels can be very expensive. Camping is always an option, but we’re not big campers. We enjoy the amenities and loyalty rewards that come with staying at hotels, so we just look for deals!

We highly recommend staying at the MOAB MARRIOTT SPRINGHILL SUITES We have stayed at a lot of Springhill Suites on our various family trips. We like it for the free, healthy breakfast and spacious rooms that have enough beds for our family of six. But this one in Moab was especially cool! It sits up against the red rocks, overlooks the Colorado river and has crazy awesome amenities including a splash pad, hot tub, and a pool with waterfalls and grottos. It was so nice to take a break from adventuring and just hang out and float in a tube. And remember, this was in late February!

Book a stay at the MARRIOTT SPRINGHILL SUITES

What to Do on Day 1 of 3 Days in Moab

Spend the day hiking at Arches National Park. Arches National Park has over 2,000 arches so listing them all or hiking to them all would be impossible! Delicate Arch is by far the most popular (and crowded), and it’s one of the longer and more strenuous hikes in the park. At 3+ miles roundtrip, it’s a bit of a challenge with small kids. It is iconic but unless this is something you’re just dying to see, then consider skipping it in favor of doing multiple shorter hikes. You could do Balanced Rock, Double Arch, and Sand Dune Arch all with under 1 mile total of hiking and these are all spectacular. Sand Dune Arch was our kids favorite because they could climb around and playin the sand for hours.

Check out our other post on the 5 Best Hikes at Arches National Park for more info.

What to Do on Day 2 of 3 Days in Moab

Spend the day at Dead Horse Point State Park & Canyonlands National Park. Start the day off as early as possible with a sunrise hike to Mesa Arch. Taking pictures of the sunrise illuminating the sandstone arch is almost like a rite of passage for any would-be photographers, so expect a crowd. If you have a 4×4 and are feeling adventurous, you could drive down the Shafer Canyon Trail for one of the most epic roads you’ll ever see. Otherwise, check out some of the other scenic overlooks. Then drive over to Dead Horse Point, where you can either do another canyon overlook or some short hikes along the rim for unobstructed views of the powerful Colorado River far below.

What to do on Day 3 of 3 Days in Moab

Take time for adventures outside of the parks. There is so much to do and see in Moab, it’s impossible to do it all in one trip. We were only there for 3 days and spent most of our time at Arches, so this is by no means a definitive list! But hopefully this gives you some good ideas of other things to do in Moab.

  • Explore the shops & restaurants of downtown Moab
  • Picnic lunch at Moab Rotary Park
  • Ride bikes or scooters on paved trails
  • Goose Island Park Pedestrian bridge
  • The Millcreek Parkway
  • Moab Giants Dinosaur Park: $10 per person (worth it)
  • Mountain biking at Slick Rock or Porcupine Rim – FREE or $– per bike with local rental
  • See ancient petroglyphs (numerous places) – FREE
  • Hike Corona Arch – FREE (this trail is outside any of the state and national parks)
  • Go paddleboarding on the Colorado River or at Ken’s Lake – FREE or $45/day with local rental shop
  • River rafting on the Colorado River – $109/person
  • Swimming and cliff jumping at Mill Creek Falls (1.8 mile hike) – FREE

Moab Giants Dinosaur Museum

Other than Arches, our favorite thing to do in Moab was Moab Giants, an outdoor dinosaur park with life-size models. Moab is actually well known as dinosaur fossil hotspot (a brand new state park called the Utahraptor State Park is opening nearby in 2022), so it was super cool to experience what it would have felt like to live in the Jurassic Era. The gigantic sculptures were so life-like and walking around and learning about the dinosaurs while taking in the views was a special treat…even though my daughter was terrified of the raptors. The walking trial loop was perfect for kids and we loved the playground within the park too. The on-site cafe was also surprisingly tasty.

Mountain Biking in Moab

Moab is a popular place to mountain bike as well – high on many people’s Utah bucket list. It’s probably most famous for the Slick Rock trail but there many options to choose from. Check out this guide for more. The other route that is world famous and must-do for any mountain biker’s bucket list is the Porcupine Rim Trail. The views of Castle Valley are insane! This is a long ride that is not easy and not suitable for small children.

How to do 3 Days in Moab for Under $500 – COST BREAKDOWN

  • 3 nights at Springhill Suites in the off-season: ~$300
  • National Parks pass: $80
  • Dead Horse Point: $20
  • Moab Giants: $10 per person
  • Do lots of free activities & hikes

So Many More Things To Do in Moab!

There are seemingly endless possibilities for adventure in Moab, so it will probably take a couple more trips there for us to check everything off our Utah Bucket List (<make sure to get your free download). Also check out these other kid-friendly things to do in Utah National Parks.

Utah Bucket List - best things to do in Utah

HAPPY TRAVELS!
—
BRITTANY & JJ

Our family is on a mission to experience the best our home state of Utah has to offer and help other families find affordable, kid-friendly adventures in the process. You can follow us on Instagram @theminivanbucketlist or download our free printable The Ultimate Family-Friendly Utah Bucket List with the top 100 things to do in Utah, both kid-friendly and more adventurous.