I recently spent four nights in Moab, Utah for a three-day stage trail race called Moab Run The Rocks. Since returning home, I’ve been telling everyone I talk to about my trip that they must put Moab on their travel bucket list (43 miles of running not required to have an amazing visit to Moab haha).
It is spectacular. I never stopped being awed by the scenery from the time I touched down to the time I took off. It’s a wildly wonderful area of the country and it truly doesn’t even feel like you’re in the U.S. (or on planet Earth) at times.
I’ll have a full Moab Run the Rocks recap for you soon but I wanted to go ahead and share how I spent my time in Moab when I wasn’t on the trails running.
THURSDAY TRAVEL TO MOAB
Moab has a tiny (seriously tiny) airport called Canyonlands Regional Airport. Contour Airlines offers daily service via Denver or Phoenix in partnership with American Airlines. I initially booked myself to fly straight into Moab but ended up changing my ticket to fly into Grand Junction, Colorado because it was about $500 cheaper. It’s an easy hour and a half drive from Grand Junction to Moab. Salt Lake City is another option and is about a three and a half hour drive.
I was lucky that my flights ran on time. I flew from Charlotte to Dallas and then Dallas to Grand Junction. My initial flight from Charlotte left at 11:40a and I arrived in Grand Junction around 4:30p thanks to the two hour time difference. I grabbed an Uber in Grand Junction and arrived in Moab around 7p. I had originally planned on renting a car but had a friend make plans to join me at the last minute that would have a car. You definitely need a car if you are visiting Moab. Jeep rentals are a huge thing in the area and there are lots of car options as well!
CHECKING INTO WOLFE’S HOTEL IN MOAB
I spent my four night stay in Moab at Wolfe’s Hotel and it was an awesome home base for both the race and my adventures around the area. It’s located right on Main Street and a little over a mile from the heart of downtown Moab (an easy walk with a wide sidewalk). It’s also extremely convenient to things like Arches National Park, mountain biking trails, hiking trails, outdoor outfitters, the Colorado River and much more.
Wolfe’s Hotel celebrated its grand opening back in June 2025 after undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation. The hotel’s namesake is John Wesley Wolfe, whose 19th-century homestead still stands in Arches National Park. (We saw it on a hike to Delicate Arch!) The design and interiors within the hotel reflect the area’s landscapes with a focus on natural materials, handcrafted furnishings and desert/canyon color palettes.
The hotel has a bar and restaurant on-site called Esther’s that serves breakfast followed by an “all-day” menu that covers lunch/snacks/dinner.
I made a beeline to the bar to eat dinner after my long travel day knowing I had to get up and race in morning and needed a good meal to properly fuel. I had the savory pioneer pie which was a spin on shepherd’s pie. It was warm, comforting and delicious.
Wolfe’s is a boutique hotel with personalized service and only 66 rooms (and it’s pet-friendly!). When you check in you’re sent a text message and that’s how you communicate with the front desk on anything that you need. They do not have phones in the rooms but they do have record players with a library of records in the lobby! Fun touch and I did use my record player.
My room was perfect for what I needed in Moab – and I appreciated the cozy southwestern vibe. The bed was extremely comfortable with premium bedding. I slept well despite my pre-race jitters.
FRIDAY – RACE DAY 1 + EXPLORING DOWNTOWN MOAB
I was up around 5:45a on Friday morning to get dressed and ready for Stage 1 of Moab Run the Rocks. I was able to get a ride to the start with a friend of a friend. Trail runners are nice people. We ran at Navajo Rocks from Lone Mesa Group Camping.
It was an epic day out on the trails but more on that later!
Back at the hotel, I took a long shower, rested in bed for a bit and then got dressed to explore downtown Moab.
I walked from Wolfe’s to downtown and it was great recovery for my tired and slightly sore legs (it had been a minute since I ran trails!). I popped into a bunch of stores, got a souvenir for Finn and then found food.
My friend arrived around this time after some travel delays and joined me for dinner. We shared a charcuterie plate at The Rooted Vine and then walked over to the HooDoo Hilton Moab for dinner in their restaurant, Josie Wyatt’s Grille. I wanted something simple since I had my longest trail day in front of me the next day so I went with roast chicken over mashed potatoes.
SATURDAY – RACE DAY 2 + COLORADO RIVER DRIVE + SUNSET GRILL + BIRDY’S
Another early start and another phenomenal day on the trails at Gemini Bridges. Day two was my favorite stage of Moab Run the Rocks and my strongest trail racing effort yet. I can’t wait to tell you all about it.
After the race we took a drive along Highway 128 which follows the Colorado River and is just jaw-droppingly gorgeous everywhere you look. The photos don’t even begin to do this drive justice. You can take Highway 128 for 44 miles each way (all the way to I-70) but we followed it until we reached Red Cliffs Lodge. The property was purchased by Marriott and just went through a massive renovation and reopening. It has the cutest cabins along the Colorado River.
We had lunch in their restaurant, Embers. After eating a ton of sweets and carbs during the race, I was craving a salad with protein…and fries!
We drove a little further down the road to Sorrel River Ranch which was another gorgeous property with cabins and abundant outdoor activities. Kind of like summer camp for couples and families. I visited with all of the farm animals. We saw horses, chickens, goats, donkeys and even a fat, friendly pot-bellied pig named Penelope.
Back at Wolfe’s, I got my bathing suit on and enjoyed their outdoor amenities. They have a heated saltwater pool, hot tub and barrel sauna – PERFECT for those traveling for trail or mountain biking races or just for unwinding after a day of exploring.
They also have a comfortable lounging area with fire pits and lawn and board games that you can borrow.
After showers and getting dressed, we sat outside at Sunset Grill to have an appetizer and watch the sunset.
Sunset Grill is the oldest operating restaurant in Moab and is family-owned. They serve steaks and seafood and boast offering “a view from every table.” It’s located atop a cliff overlooking Moab and they have three patios. It was a cute spot for sunset if you want to stay in town and have a sunset dinner but our sunset at Dead Horse State Park the following night at blew this out of the water. There are so many stunning places to see the sunset in Moab.
We popped into Birdy’s Finer Diner for dinner and it was so awesome we went back again the next night! It’s owned by a husband and wife team (hiiii Erin and Ryan) and they have poured their heart and soul into this place. They also own two other spots in Moab – Doughbird (donuts, chicken) and Moab Garage Co. (breakfast, lunch, coffee). We went to all three of their restaurants haha.
Fun fact: Birdy’s is in a renovated Denny’s thus the name “finer diner”! Erin and her husband did so much of the work themselves and crushed the mid-century modern meets Palm Springs vibes.
They offer a seasonal menu of creative dishes and classics, and the food is outstanding! The first night we shared the smoked salmon latkes and then I had a bowl with grains, roasted potatoes, beet hummus, goat cheese and veggies.
Needless to say it was bedtime for a tired trail runner after this day.
SUNDAY – RACE DAY 3 + CANYONLANDS + DEAD HORSE
Stage three had a late start of 8:30a at the Bar M trails. The start was just a short 10 minute drive from the hotel so the morning had a relaxed start. After a few hours of trail running, I officially completed Moab Run the Rocks and it was time to do some big exploring!
First order of business was food. We had brunch at Jailhouse Cafe. It was just okay and would not recommend seeking this place out.
What I do wholeheartedly recommend is an outing to Canyonlands National Park. O-M-G!!!!!!!!!
We drove to a few different overlooks and wow. There are no words.
It is so beautiful to see the snow-capped La Sal Mountains in the distance from various points all around Moab. My shirt says it all. I was full of gratitude for my healthy body, the make this trip and run this race and for the company and scenery.
We booked it over to Dead Horse Point State Park for sunset because a local told us “go to Canyonlands and then stop at Dead Horse for sunset on your way out.” That was great advice.
Dead Horse is a top sunset spot in Moab because the sun sets over the canyons with a 2,000 foot drop and views down to the Colorado River.
We popped over to the other side of the overlook to see the pretty light with the La Sals in the distance. What a dream.
We drove back into town (Dead Horse/Canyonlands is only about a 30 minute drive from Moab) and had dinner at Birdy’s again. Even better than night one!
MONDAY – SUNRISE AT ARCHES NATIONAL PARK + DELICATE ARCH HIKE + TRAVEL HOME
Our return flight home to Charlotte wasn’t until 4:45p out of Grand Junction so we had a half day in Moab to fit in more sightseeing. We made the most of it!
The 5a alarm to get up and to Arches National Park to watch the sunrise hit me hard. I was tired and feeling pretty beat up from three days of racing but I’m glad I got out of bed. The morning we had was a million times better than sleeping in.
Sunrise at Arches National Park was breathtaking, quiet and serene.
Pro tip: the pre-dawn hours are a great time to enter the park. It’s open 24 hours a day but the lines can get quite long (multiple hours) during the day, especially in the busy season. We were in Moab right at the start of their busy spring season and it was still pretty chill but the line to get in was still over an hour during the day.
Note, I also had friends who entered the park in the middle of the night to go stargazing and they said it was an incredible experience.
Just look at the morning sun hitting the rocks.!There was so much beauty to take in everywhere you looked.
Next up was a hike to Delicate Arch. This is a quintessential Arches National Park hike and it did not disappoint. The hike is a little over three miles long with 728 feet of climb.
Arches National Park has over 2,000 stone arches. The arches have been formed through millions of years of underground salt movement, tectonic uplifting and erosion. Delicate Arch is the largest free-standing arch in the park and has become known as the leading symbol of the park and the state of Utah.
The arch itself is 52 feet tall with an interior light opening of 46 feet high and 32 feet wide. It’s located in this big sandstone bowl that feels so expansive and otherworldly. What a way to end the trip!
The way I was craving a smoothie during that hike had me literally Googling “Moab smoothies” from Delicate Arch. My search landed us at Desert and Tropics Health Bar where I enjoyed a delicious green smoothie.
Back at Wolfe’s we got showered and packed up and bid our home for the weekend farewell!
Quick stop into Moab Garage Co. for lunch and a cappuccino and then we hit the road for Grand Junction.
Not me eating a slice of cake from Birdy’s in the car on the way to the airport.
I left Moab with a full cup. What a race, what a weekend. I was so in my head about whether or not I should take this trip due to many factors ranging from lack of training to work obligations to the financial impact…and all I can say is – thank god I went for it. Moab truly has a piece of my heart now and I will be back. Maybe for Moab Run the Rocks next year haha.
Promise me you’ll put Moab on your bucket list! Please let me know if there are any questions that I can answer or if there is additional info you’d like for me to share.
