Just five short miles from Moab, Arches National Park contains the world’s largest concentration of natural sandstone arches (more than 2,000 to be specific) plus numerous other geological formations. Advanced reservations are required from April through October. Canyonlands National Park, Utah’s largest national park, is only 32 miles from Moab. Featuring miles of pristine canyons and thousands of unique buttes and mesas, you’d need a lifetime to explore them all. Make sure to check out the Island in the Sky, a monumental mesa offering panoramic views over 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain.

The area surrounding Moab is a paleontological treasure trove, full of fossils from the Mesozoic era. Dinosaur lovers and amateur paleontologists alike will find numerous attractions and activities to pique the interest. The Moab Museum features a full-cast skeleton of Gastonia, one of the area’s armored dinosaurs, as well as numerous other fossil exhibits and interesting facts about the area’s Mesozoic history. The Moab Giants Dinosaur Park is an interactive experience featuring 3D life-size dinosaur replicas, complete with interactive games, stunning exhibits, and a huge concentration of fossilized dinosaur tracks.

Moab is home to some of the Southwest’s most unique petroglyphs and pictographs, featuring beautiful depictions of animals, humans, and ancient cultural experiences. Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument, one of the area’s many rock art viewing areas, features one of the largest known collections of petroglyphs in the country. Newspaper Rock has clear depictions of deer, buffalo, and antelope, as well as riders on horseback and other cultural scenes — all more than 2,000 years old.

The public lands surrounding Moab have some of the darkest skies to be found anywhere in the contiguous United States. Light pollution limits your ability to view the natural night sky in most of the world, especially in areas of dense urban concentration. Many of the areas around Moab offer stunning stargazing opportunities, including the skies above Arches National Park, which have been named an International Dark Sky Park by the International Dark Sky Association.