36 Hours in Moab, Utah: Things to Do and See

When the owner of Canyon Steak and Waffle House, one of the area’s last true coffee-counter joints, retired in 2022, the employee who took it over knew better than to tamper with a good thing. The place may now have a new name, Cactus Jacks, and an updated interior, but it still hums with that undercurrent of efficiency that all good diners have. The unlimited coffee ($3) is robust, the food is tasty and reasonably priced, and the televisions behind the bar screen adventure sports documentaries. Even if you’re not typically a fan of the dish, the B&G breakfast (that’s biscuits and gravy, along with eggs, hash browns and a choice of meat, $15) with a side of Hatch green chile ($2) is a highlight, as are the cornflake-crusted slabs of French toast ($16).

Stop at the deli and hot bar at the back of Moonflower Community Cooperative to pick up a trail lunch, then drive north to Highway 128, known locally as River Road. This scenic byway follows the sinuous curve of the Colorado River, along which you may glimpse elusive bighorn sheep. A few miles after the turnoff for Castle Valley, you’ll arrive at the Fisher Towers trailhead. A roughly two-mile (one-way) trek takes you deep into a landscape of red and purple sandstone pedestals shaped over hundreds of millions of years by erosion. Turn around whenever you feel comfortable, perhaps at the base of the Titan — the largest of the towers, at 900 feet, and one of the tallest unsupported pinnacles in the world. It’s also a good spot to enjoy your lunch.

Moab and the surrounding landscape have made many appearances in film, television and advertisements stretching back to the 1940s. On your way back toward town, stop in at Red Cliffs Lodge to visit the Moab Museum of Film and Western Heritage (free). It’s outdated and kitschy, but this basement attraction features some serious gems, including the mannequin modeled after Geena Davis that was driven off a cliff at Fossil Point, just outside town, in the 1991 classic “Thelma & Louise.” Browsing the displays may also explain some of your lingering déjà vu: Fisher Towers appeared in an episode of the television show “Westworld,” while other locations have been featured in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” the music video for Jon Bon Jovi’s “Blaze of Glory” and Kevin Costner’s 2024 film “Horizon: An American Saga.”

If you’re traveling with children (or are a child at heart), head to the Moab Giants Dinosaur Park ($18 for general entry) north of town for a peek into Moab’s storied paleontological history. Inside the museum, find casts of bones excavated from the newly opened and nearby Utahraptor State Park. Lee and Susan Shenton, longtime volunteers, can often be glimpsed preparing specimens in the paleontology lab and may just invite you back for a tour. Outside, venture along a half-mile trail studded with more than 100 life-size replicas of dozens of dinosaur species that once roamed the area. A V.I.P. museum ticket ($28) also gets you access to a 3-D movie theater and a guided tour of the prehistoric “aquarium,” with clever digital exhibits showcasing aquatic critters, including a megalodon (a giant shark) and some sensory surprises.

Dead Horse Point State Park ($20 per vehicle) is out of the way, about a 25-minute drive southwest of Moab Giants, but it’s definitely worth a visit. The lore behind the name is unsettled, but one iteration suggests that once a herd of wild horses, corralled on the point by ranchers, leapt to their deaths here. While the park offers seven miles of interconnected trails to explore, time your arrival at the Point Overlook for just before dusk. Not only will you witness a spectacular sunset, but you’ll also be perfectly placed to take advantage of Moab’s 2024 designation as an international dark sky place. Rangers occasionally set up telescopes and host star parties in the park, but all you really need is a warm jacket, a star chart and some patience.