Pet-Friendly Hikes and Food in Moab, UT
Traveling in Moab, UT with your best friend - pet friendly- hotels, hikes, restaurants, coffee shops and more
If there was a city that I could experience all over again, it would be Moab, UT. The town offers the scenic views, outdoor adventures and high-end lodging.
On my cross-country road trip from Boise to Austin, Moab was my “splurge” city when it came to lodging. I highly recommend booking your trip to Moab weeks, or maybe even months, in advance and not the night before (rookie mistake).
Day One:
I was lucky to have enough Hilton points to cover my stay at Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton Hotel. This is hands-down one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in and it is pet-friendly. The staff was able to accommodate my pet and gave us a first-floor room near an exit door. The hotel is located right on Main Street and is within walking distance to trails, restaurants, coffee shops and more.
The first day we walked on Bullick Cross Creek Park which was only an eight-minute walk from our hotel. The trail was low-impact, shaded and cool as it runs along a creek. My dog loved it and I enjoyed that it wasn’t an intense trail, considering I drove 6 hours that day.
For lunch, I chose Arches Thai. They have indoor and outdoor seating, but we ordered to-go and headed to relax at the hotel. As someone who has traveled to Thailand, I am particular about my pad Thai. The Arches pad Thai was spot-on and flavorful. Confession: I ate there again, the next day, and ordered the exact same thing. If that doesn’t tell you that I loved it, I don’t know what will.
Day Two:
The next morning, I had breakfast at the hotel restaurant, Josie Wyatt’s Grill, to grab some much-needed fuel before Jax and I headed out to Corona Arch. Although it was technically the “fall” in Moab, the weather at the Arches themselves was much warmer than we anticipated. I had my Camelbak water reservoir backpack and plenty of water for Jax but, nothing could’ve prepared us for how warm it was hiking up to the Arches. I would 100% recommend keeping your pets leashed as there are steep and sudden cliffs off the trail.
If you are bringing a pet, bring shoes for them. Jax luckily was doing great, but I noticed a lot of pet parents had shoes on their dogs. They were certainly more experienced hikers than I was. There are also zero (and I mean zero) trees on the way to the Arch, which intensifies the heat. We were able to find some cool spots under some cliffs on the trail. Unfortunately, because we were unprepared for the warm weather, we didn’t get to make it all the way up to the Arch. We did get to see some beautiful sights together.
If you’re into rock climbing, the drive on the way up to the Arch was a hot spot for it. I recommend going earlier to get a good spot before the crowds arrive.
On the way down to Moab after exploring the Corona Arch, there are also the Potash Petroglyphs and dinosaur tracks. If rock climbing isn’t your thing, you can stop and enjoy the ancient writing. If you’re a history buff, it doesn’t get more interesting than something that has surpassed the test of time. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience.
We spent the rest of the afternoon walking the cute shops on Main Street. I highly recommend Back of Beyond Bookstore. I found some good reads at a reasonable price. Before heading back to the hotel, we made a pit stop at Moab Coffee Roasters, where I had a coffee and Jax had some vanilla ice cream. It was a perfectly, sweet ending to our adventure.