8 Beautiful Hikes In Moab for Dogs (A Local's Guide)

Moab Utah is known for being an adventure lovers playground. River rafting, rock climbing, mountain biking, and being so close to not one but TWO National Parks with fantastic views, there is SO much to do! But the national parks don’t allow dogs on their trails, I haven’t gotten around to teaching my dog to ride a bike, and I don’t think the river guides would appreciate my dog’s nails and teeth on their inflatable raft… so what about for those who want to bring their furry friend along on their trip to Moab? Never fear! There is still PLENTY for you and your dog to do and see! Some of my favorite hikes here are the Corona Arch Hike, Morning Glory Natural Bridge, Fisher Towers, and the Jeep Arch. 

Here is a comprehensive guide to a Dog-Friendly Moab, and 8 beautiful hikes in Moab for Dogs from a Utah local. I visit Moab every Fall and try to keep this information as up to date as possible to ensure you have the BEST information for you and your fur baby. Some of what I have included here are not just the hikes but where to wash your dog after a hike in Moab, the Dog Friendly hotels in the area, Which trails have trash for the poop duty, which have human restrooms and good parking and more. So keep on reading for your EPIC trip down to Moab with your puppers. 

Dead Horse Point State Park

Shade: Little to none

Water: they have to have it brought in by water truck from Moab, so just plan on bringing your own.

While you may not be able to get into Canyonlands National Park with your dog, just a few miles before you reach the Island in the Sky district of the park. There is a small State Park with absolutely STUNNING and dramatic views from above of the Colorado River. Though its name doesn’t inspire these types of images, don’t be deceived: Dead Horse Point State Park is absolutely breathtaking and has 7 miles of different hiking trails (all of them flat and easy to traverse) with both you and your dog.

Learn about the origins of this park’s name, see my Legends of Moab post.

Dotting the path are informational signs, learn about the geology and plant life of the park. I slept peacefully that night after hiking and meeting my “learn something new every day” quota.

The park’s facilities include a visitors center, two restrooms (with plumbing!), and even a small coffee stand outside. Two campgrounds, one which includes yurts, you can reserve your spot and view the night in style. With this park being a “Dark Sky” certified park, consider staying the night to go stargazing, see the Milky Way, and watch for shooting stars.

This is a popular park so reserve your accommodation early. There are several first come, first serve spot in one of the nearby Cowboy or Horsethief BLM campgrounds. Just make sure to keep your dog on a leash while in the park. So take that National Park dog haters!

Corona Arch and Bowtie Arch Trail

Distance: 3 miles round trip

Difficulty: Moderate

Elevation Gain: 488 feet

Shade: none

Water: none

This trail starts from a well-marked parking area next to the Colorado River. It immediately takes you up a few switchbacks to climb up onto the landing where you will get a great view of the river and the canyon. Cross the railroad that goes through a short stretch of a man-made slot canyon (very Instagram worthy!).

Follow the rock cairns to help keep you on the path. Eventually, you will come to a section where both you and your dog will have to channel your inner mountain goat to climb up to the next shelf. But don’t worry! There are foot holes carved into the rock and a rope to help you up. With a little encouragement and coaching your dog should be able to get to the upper level just fine.

At the top of this shelf, you will be able to see both Corona Arch (right) and Bow-tie Arch (left upper). Make sure to hike all the way under the arch, it will give you a better perspective of the epic proportions of this free-standing monolith. 

Traveler tip: A lot of this hike is over slick rock, which is really good at reflecting heat. This is a great hike during colder months for this reason. During the hotter months, be sure to do this hike earlier on in the morning and bring LOTS of water for you and your dog!

Across the street from the main parking area for Corona Arch, there is more parking, picnic pavilions, and an outhouse toilet. There are no garbage cans at the trailhead for doggie bags, so please be considerate: pick up after your dog and just take it with you to dispose of later.

Traveler Tip: In the Big Bend campsite across from the trail head (next to the river), there is a dumpster where you can take your trash and dog droppings.

Morning Glory Natural Bridge

Length: 4.3 miles round trip

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation Gain: 416 ft.

Shade: Morning and evening shade

Water: a stream your dog can drink from

Starting in the parking area next to the Colorado River, this trail follows a stream up a lovely little side canyon. This canyon is formerly known as Negro Bill Canyon, now Grandstaff Canyon. You can enjoy the dramatic red cliffs on both sides as you listen to the birds sing, the gurgle of the stream, and walk under some the of trees that have taken advantage of the little water source. You do cross the stream a couple of times, so unless you and your dog have some acrobatic balancing skills to jump from rock to rock, just expect to get your feet wet.

When you come to the point in the trail where the canyon forks and goes two separate ways, go to the left. The first time I hiked this trail, I got confused and started to climb up, following what looked like a path (probably made by many other confused souls like myself). Just stay down below and follow the stream. At the second fork of the canyon, go right to reach this canyon’s dead end and see Morning Glory Natural Bridge, with the 5th longest span in the world! When you get there, you will be treated to a large, deceiving arch with a spring feeding a little pool directly underneath it.

You can sit there to relax and enjoy the sites and sounds echoing around the dead end of the canyon. At times, you’ll even be able to watch people rappel down between the bridge and the cliff into this little oasis.

TRAVELER WARNING! There is poison ivy included in the plant life in this area. Not a ton, but enough you should be aware of the plants so you and your dog can avoid touching it. Just remember: leaves of three, let it be!

This is a popular hike and the main parking area isn’t that big, but there is some overflow parking down and across the street a short way. There is an outhouse-like toilet, no plumbing in the main parking area. And while there are no garbage cans in the actual parking areas of the hike, next to the overflow parking area is a campground where there is a garbage to throw out your doggie bags.

Poison Spider Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs

Length: 0.3 mile loop

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation gain: 68 feet

Shade: none

Water: none

Although this is a short hike, it is well worth it for you and your dog. This trail has lots of history including the writings of an ancient people and tracks left behind by the dinosaurs that used to roam this area. Against the red rock, both the petroglyphs and the tracks are easy for you to see. Just be prepared to climb up to see both the tracks and petroglyphs. As you start, it won't be far until you come across the Dinosaur tracks.

The slab of rock they are on has fallen from above where the petroglyphs are, so keep going to see the petroglyphs and a few more tracks. There are informational signs by both sites where you can read more information about what you are seeing. An outhouse is available here, but no garbage cans. 

Fisher Towers

Distance: 2-3.9 miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Elevation Gain: 1,459 feet

Shade: Morning

Water: none

This hike is about a 25.5-mile drive outside of Moab, but worth it to see these unique rock formations. The drive itself is pretty spectacular as you are driving through the canyon on Scenic Byway 128. With the Colorado River on your left and the dizzying red cliffs on your right, you'll wish you were the passenger in the car so you can just enjoy the scenery!

When you get to the trail head, you will be able to see Fisher Towers immediately. The best perspectives, and viewpoints to really be able to appreciate that enormity of these natural structures comes when you hike the trail itself.

Traveler Tip: Make this hike the 'go to' hike if someone in your party is too tired, or has physical limitations. It is a great spot to have a picnic with great views - and provides a fantastic trail for those who want to keep pushing themselves.

The view from the parking lot along, gives you an idea of why some movie directors chose this location to film scenes for few movies, including: "John Carter", "City Slickers", "Lightning Jack", "Geronimo: An American Legend", and "Comencheros" .

The beginning of the trail is a bit deceiving because you have to begin the trail heading away from Fisher Towers, down into a canyon, and then turning back towards the Fisher Towers. Three-quarters of the way up the trail, you will get the full perspective of just how massive the Titan (the larger of the Fisher Towers) truly is. At this point you can continue on to the end of the trail where there is another viewpoint of the valley and an amphitheater like rock formation; or you can turn back to head to your next unique adventure. If you are lucky, you may see some rock climbers attempting to conquer the Titan - it is a very popular climbing right of passage.

Facilities available: An outhouse is available but no garbage cans. There is also a picnic area/campground near the beginning of the trail. It is a BLM campground so, don't expect water or hookups to be provided.

Jeep Arch (also known as Goldbar Arch)

Distance: 4 miles round trip

Difficulty: Moderate

Elevation gain: 944 feet

Shade: Evening

Water: none

Jeep Arch Hike is a unique adventure that not a lot of people don't know about. About a half mile down the road from the Corona Arch, there is a pull-out on the right side of the road. There is no sign to indicate it is the beginning of the trail, but once you park, go through the culvert that leads under the train tracks.

You will see a sign on the other side of the culvert that indicates the beginning of the trail for Jeep Arch. The trail leads you up and to the left. The first 1/8th of a mile of the trail is uphill to get you up on the shelf. After that, the trail is well marked with cairns. About a mile into the trail, there is a sign indicating the trail becomes a loop.

You can go either way and it will take you uphill to the arch. If you go to the right, the uphill route is more gradual. To the left, the climb up is steeper and in between the split rocks shown in the picture, but once you do, the rest of the hike to the arch is flat. Either way you go, you can hike through the arch to complete the loop, or just hike back the way you came.

This is a great trail to get away from the crowds! I hiked this trail in February, and for the whole hike, I only saw one other person on the last 1/4 mile of the trail. Otherwise, I was able to just take my time and enjoy the quiet solitude of the desert.

Travler Tip: Like the Corona Arch Trail, the majority of this trail is on slickrock which makes it really good at reflecting the sun’s heat. This makes it a great trail for hiking in the winter, but take that into consideration when hiking in summer: hike early in the morning and bring lots of water.

There is no garbage can at the trailhead to place your dog’s waste, but since it is so close to Corona Arch and the Goldbar Campground, you can go ahead and use the campground garbage. You can use the toilet facilities at the campground area as well.

Hunter Canyon

Distance: 3 miles round trip

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation gain: 164 feet

Shade: most of the day (except midday)

Water: Yes. a stream for your dog to drink from (for most of the year)

To get to this trail, on the way from Moab, keep an eye out on your right-hand side for a big boulder with some fencing around it and make sure to stop! This rock is covered in petroglyphs, including the famous Birthing Scene! It's fascinating to think about the people who engraved their stories into the rock! Who was the lady in the depiction? Was she or her baby a really important person in the tribe? Or was this just a proud father carving a family portrait? I don't know, but I wish I did! Oh to be a fly on the.....rock?

The parking area for this hike is the same parking area for the small campground that is right at the beginning of the trail head. As you begin hiking up the canyon from the campground, you'll be hiking among some of the vegetation that grows along the stream.. You'll criss-cross the stream a few times and there are some opportunities for you to scramble up huge slabs of sandstone. About a half of a mile into the hike, make sure to look up and to the right to see Hunters Arch. Hiking in this canyon, with its huge, sweeping cliff walls and its stream and vegetation is what makes this a great hike for you and your dog to take.

There is an open-air style bathroom with no door on it, just a sign to indicate if it's occupied or not. There is also no garbage cans so be prepared to haul our your dogs mess out with you.

Mill Creek Falls

Distance: 0.5-7.5 miles round trip

Difficulty: Moderate

Elevation Gain: 629 feet

Shade: yes

Water: Yes. a creek for your dog to drink from.

Moab in the summer gets HOT! Hiking in summer, of course you are going to be doing most of your hiking in the mornings and in the evenings where the temperatures of the day are coolest, but what about those blistering afternoons? Well because of the waterfalls and swimming holes on Mill Creek Falls Trail, this is a great option to still get some hiking in and take a dip in the cool, refreshing water flowing straight from the La Sal mountains!

The start of this hike is just outside of Moab. Getting out of the car, and starting along the trail, it won't take you very long at all to get to the first swimming hole and waterfall (man made). If you are looking for just a quick dip to get cool, go ahead and spend some time here to cool off a bit. Make sure to keep going up the canyon, you will find more swimming holes, waterfalls, and see some native american petroglyphs on the cliff side.

Moab Barkery

I don't know about your dog, but mine LOVES to play in the dirt and sand! After a long day of hiking in and around Moab, I knew if I wanted my pooch anywhere near my sleeping situation; I would have to give her a bath and wash out all of the red dirt she had collected in her fur.

I tried to wash her off in the hotel tub the first night, but it was a near disaster as she was all over the place! I could barely get her clean enough to call it good enough before she jumped out and tore all over the room in her after a bath frenzy... then there was the wet dog smell that lingered for a long time afterward. So the second day, I decided to give the Moab Barkery a try.

The Moab Barkery is a pet shop in Moab that includes 2 dog baths (one walk-in, one raised) where you can wash off all that Moab dirt. For my 45 lb pooch, it cost me $15 and they provided the apron to save my clothes, bath, shampoo, conditioner, combs/brushes, ear drops, cotton balls, and dryer to dry her off when she was all clean.

Oh my goodness, it was so much easier! I was able to save my back and bathe her in the raised tub, with a special leash so she couldn't move around all over while I was giving her a bath. The shampoo and conditioner were very nice smelling and made it easy to brush her out afterward. I was able to dry her out with the dryer. They even have some special supplies there ;) I was able to buy my spoiled pooch a treat and a new toy. All in all, my puppy and I had a great experience here!

Moab Bark Park

We had spent all of the morning and afternoon hiking around Moab. Finishing around 4 pm, I knew I wouldn't have time to complete the next trail I had wanted to do before sunset. I dog tired (pun intended), but I wasn't ready to call it a day quite yet. I knew Moab had a dog park so I looked it up: I found out it's open from dawn until dusk so I decided to go and let my puppy get the rest of her energy out before we went back to the hotel.

It is a large space with two enclosed areas: a smaller one for dogs up to 30 lbs, and another, larger one for everyone else. It was all red dirt which I didn't love, but my puppy sure did! There were plenty of other dogs there for her to frolic with. Several poop stations are available with bags to clean up your dog's waste. There is also a puppy watering station where for a drink break between play sessions. My sweet dog was exhausted after playing so hard at the Bark Park. We both slept like the dead once we got back to our Hotel.

Dog-Friendly Hotels

When I first got my puppy, I didn't think about the fact that my accommodation options would become more limited. My first trip to Moab I researched hotels with the "pet-friendly" filter on. The frustration quickly mounted, when I would call to double check they would allow my pooch to come and they said they didn't allow dogs.

As a result of that frustration, I called quite a few of the hotels/motels/etc in the Moab area and asked them three things: 1. If they allowed dogs 2. if they had a fee for pets staying 3. what their cheapest off-season rates were versus their most expensive in-season rates.

The result of that effort is what follows: (USA Country phone code is +1)

Dog-friendly Hotels:      Pet Fee: Price Ranges(Off/On-season)

So when you decide to visit Moab with your furry friend, be sure to make your hotel reservations early, bring your poop bags and water for your pooch, bring your camera, and experience Southern Utah, like never before.