Denver and Moab

justjeepin86

justjeepin86

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2005
Location
Winston-Salem, NC
Alright, we cancelled our Mexico trip for spring break and I have got the wife on board to go out west this summer. Neither of us have been to Colorado or Utah and have wanted to go for a while. This will be a family trip with most of it not being off road, but I want to spend a couple days in a rental Jeep. I have read some of the threads on here and they are mostly just wheeling. That can't be what we do the whole time, although I feel that most of our sight seeing in Moab can be with the Jeep.

Plan to fly in to Denver, stay a night, and then drive to Moab. Stay about 3 days and then head back to Boulder to stay for 2-3 days. I figured I would rent a Jeep for 2 days to explore with while we were in Moab.

There are endless things to see and do, but what would be some of the "must do's" for my itinerary? Any help is appreciated as this seems like a daunting trip for me.


Edit: I'll be taking my 13yr old son and 9yr old daughter as well.
 
Last edited:
justjeepin86 said:
Alright, we cancelled our Mexico trip for spring break and I have got the wife on board to go out west this summer. Neither of us have been to Colorado or Utah and have wanted to go for a while. This will be a family trip with most of it not being off road, but I want to spend a couple days in a rental Jeep. I have read some of the threads on here and they are mostly just wheeling. That can't be what we do the whole time, although I feel that most of our sight seeing in Moab can be with the Jeep.

Plan to fly in to Denver, stay a night, and then drive to Moab. Stay about 3 days and then head back to Boulder to stay for 2-3 days. I figured I would rent a Jeep for 2 days to explore with while we were in Moab.

There are endless things to see and do, but what would be some of the "must do's" for my itinerary? Any help is appreciated as this seems like a daunting trip for me.
Click to expand...
I'd hit arches in the rental jeep and take the "off road trail" to tower arch.
 
Canyonlands, Arches, Dead Horse. Rent a Jeep/Mtn Bike and ride some trails.

Take your wife out to Red Cliffs lodge for some drinks and a sunset.

Moab brewing is good and there are a lot of restaurants in town that are decent.
 
While in Moab, hit up Twisted Jeep rentals. They will hook you up with a well equipped 4 door. In the morning I would hit Hell’s Revenge trail. Usually thee are groups meeting/heading out from the city market across from twisted Jeep that you could hook up with. It gives you cool scenery, shows you how much traction you get out there and nothing extreme unless to want to do some of the obsticles like hells gate, escalator, hot tub, tip over challeng. Then afternoon head to arches park. Day two I would head to top of the world. Easy trail but one of the best views in Moab. Still would have time for another trail after as well.
Hells Revenge trail
66D5649F-921F-4767-A2EE-82B7FC242144.jpeg

8A0A54A7-35D7-492A-9745-3C828491C93E.jpeg


Top of the World
C35BA1EA-73D0-46B3-B2AB-A6B3A737D26D.jpeg

81DB1C3C-4E88-42EE-BABC-F093BD73AC8F.jpeg

8A553B05-DCC5-48B5-85C0-29DEF4421267.jpeg
 
89wrangler said:
While in Moab, hit up Twisted Jeep rentals. They will hook you up with a well equipped 4 door. In the morning I would hit Hell’s Revenge trail. Usually thee are groups meeting/heading out from the city market across from twisted Jeep that you could hook up with. It gives you cool scenery, shows you how much traction you get out there and nothing extreme unless to want to do some of the obsticles like hells gate, escalator, hot tub, tip over challeng. Then afternoon head to arches park. Day two I would head to top of the world. Easy trail but one of the best views in Moab. Still would have time for another trail after as well.
Hells Revenge trail
View attachment 341088
View attachment 341089

Top of the World
View attachment 341090
View attachment 341091
View attachment 341092
Click to expand...
All this

And x2 on Arches. Some very nice hiking there.
 
I don't know how much time you will have but since you'll probably be driving through fruita, Colorado national monument is nice and has some pretty good short hiking trails. Also if I had to choose a national park in the area i think i would go to canyonlands again over arches (because I don't like people and arches can get very crowded)
 
hurt4x4 said:
I don't know how much time you will have but since you'll probably be driving through fruita, Colorado national monument is nice and has some pretty good short hiking trails. Also if I had to choose a national park in the area i think i would go to canyonlands again over arches (because I don't like people and arches can get very crowded)
Click to expand...
That's good to know. It seems it will be very crowded there. Hotels are hard to come by for what we are looking for.
 
No fries said:
For a spectacular scenic drive come into Moab on IIR 128, it follows the Colorado River and brings you through some great scenery. Much better than the highway through a flat desert.
Click to expand...
That's the way I took in many years ago. Great drive, but if you start that hour drive just before sunset, it's quite an unknown curvy road after dark. :laughing:
 
justjeepin86 said:
That's good to know. It seems it will be very crowded there. Hotels are hard to come by for what we are looking for.
Click to expand...
Have you looked on VRBO? That is where we always get our accommodation.
 
89wrangler said:
Have you looked on VRBO? That is where we always get our accommodation.
Click to expand...
Yes, we have to have a pool, per the wife. Didn't see anything on vrbo that fit the bill. There were some places i would have stayed, for sure. We booked a room at the La Quinta for 4 nights. Then will head to Boulder for 3 days.
 
X2 on getting off I70 early. If you follow the GPS, it'll keep you on the interstate and come in from the north. What you can do depends heavily on when you're going. A lot of Colorado doesn't open up until June and July due to snow.
 
shawn said:
X2 on getting off I70 early. If you follow the GPS, it'll keep you on the interstate and come in from the north. What you can do depends heavily on when you're going. A lot of Colorado doesn't open up until June and July due to snow.
Click to expand...
We are going in June. Booked the flights today.

Sucks though, prices went up $500 from 2 days ago:kaioken:
 
We stayed in a hotel on the south side of Moab, holiday in or days in, nothing fancy but it had a pool.
 
shawn said:
I'd much rather spend time in Ouray, Silverton, Telluride, Durango, Buena Vista, Alma, Leadville, etc, than Boulder
Click to expand...
Well, I can't please everyone. My flight leaves out of Denver to come home and I want to be close. There are many places I would stay that I won't get to see.

Although, I do appreciate that for the next time.
 
justjeepin86 said:
Well, I can't please everyone. My flight leaves out of Denver to come home and I want to be close. There are many places I would stay that I won't get to see.

Although, I do appreciate that for the next time.
Click to expand...

I thought you were talking about spending 3 days in Boulder. That's two and half days too many.
 
We are heading out to Ouray with the Jeep in tow the second week of July. I will report back how that area is.
 
Back
Top