The city of Moab is a phenomenal place to expose yourself to a little-known part of the country. With an abundance of outdoor activities in which to engage, we heartily recommend it for individuals and families alike. Here are five suggestions we have for things to do in Moab.

Whitewater Rafting: With our first choice of things to do in Moab, take a break from the cliffs and the rocks with some time on the water! Moab offers many whitewater rafting excursions down the Colorado River, and they are among the best you can find in the US. Whether you’re looking for a half-, full-, or multi-day journey, Moab’s got one waiting for you.

One of the shorter rafting trips puts you out on the Colorado during the early evening hours for a chance to mosey downstream and take in a sunset from the water. You’ll even get to view the Fisher Towers from there—a series of fins that would put most big city skyscrapers to shame.

For something more extreme, take a run through part of or the entirety of Cataract Canyon. On this stretch of the Colorado River, you’ll find nearly 30 rapids, which range from Class III to V; plus, you’ll get great views of Canyonlands National Park. To make it through the canyon, you’ll need more than a day; luckily, a fair share of combination rafting/camping tours are available from Moab, thereby accommodating the comprehensive experience.

Whether you head out on the water for one day or five, you’re going to experience one of the most exciting things to do in Moab.

Mountain Biking: Mountain biking options of the family-friendly and intense varieties are both readily accessible from Moab. With close proximity to the two aforementioned parks, the city has no shortage of trails filled with jaw-dropping sights. That’s why mountain biking is one of the great things to do in Moab.

One of the gentler rides goes off-road in the Windows District of Arches National Park. On Courthouse Loop, the bluff on which you’ll ride is tame, with very few obstacles and only occasional singletrack or slickrock sections. More adventurous is a four-hour mountain biking ride on the Intrepid Trail System out around Dead Horse Point. From the more basic Dino-Flow Trail to the challenging Klondike Bluffs Trail, the area boasts ample slickrock, severe switchbacks, grades upward of 7%, and elevation gains that border on 2,000 ft.!

It’s for that reason that Moab is considered the best mountain biking location in the United States. If that’s true, then you should strongly consider mountain biking when you think about what to do in Moab.

Hot Air Balloon Ride in Canyonlands: For a real treat, you should consider going on a hot air balloon ride in Canyonlands National Park. This aerial expedition puts its competitors to shame, in large part due to the unique topography that surrounds Moab.

Riding in perfect peace a few hundred feet in the morning air, you’ll get to look down at Canyonlands several unique regions, from the jagged Needles District, to the sprawling mesa of the Island in the Sky District. Additionally, you’ll get views of Arches National Park, the 13,000-ft. La Sal Mountains, the Colorado River, and animals galore—both airborne eagles and falcons, and prowling mountain lions and bobcats on the floor!

Hot air ballooning in Moab takes about three or four hours, which includes 45-to-90 minutes in the air, depending on the conditions. The whole experience closes with a celebratory champagne toast, putting an exclamation point on an already fantastic morning.

Taken as a whole, hot air ballooning is clearly a standout among the things to do in Moab.

Jetboat Tours: If you’ve never been on a jetboat, then Moab’s as good a place as any to start. You can find outings of the quarter-, half-, and full-day variety, and each one provides a relaxing way in which to soak up the magical sights of the red rock wilderness.

One particularly calming experience is taking a 30-mile jetboat tour at sunset. The colors of the Southwest explode during this time of day, making for a dramatic backdrop that stands behind the canyon walls and rugged monoliths that characterize the terrain. On a longer ride, you may even head into Dead Horse State Park, where towering cliffs are the norm. With the extra time, you’ll also be able to stop occasionally in order to investigate attractions like a petrified forest (i.e., fossilized tree stumps) and some of those classic Anasazi petroglyphs.

Food is provided on jetboat tours, too, meaning that there’s literally nothing lacking. So come enjoy yourself as you travel over the Colorado River in style! It’s one of the best things to do in Moab.

ATV Tours: From backcountry trails to huge sand dunes, Moab’s got the perfect makeup for an all-terrain vehicle tour. These expeditions range from two to four hours, and will get you near to the region’s many spectacular rock formations in exhilarating and efficient fashion. That’s why we rank it fourth among the things to do in Moab.

One two-and-a-half-hour ATV journey takes you down the Monitor & Merrimac Trail and through Moab’s never ending wilderness. As you speed through the open air, you’ll gaze up in awe at the sandstone buttes and towers in the distance, and the dinosaur bones lodged in the rocks to your side. You may even get to plunge in and out of washes and dried out creek beds!

Other popular areas in which to go off-roading by ATV are the White Wash Sand Dunes, 50 miles to Moab’s northwest, and from which the Crystal Geyser and Green River are accessible. You can also speed through Hurrah Pass, or ride atop the Sevenmile Rim or the Kane Creek Canyon Rim Trails. There’s literally no end in the choices you have here!

Evening Light Show: Finally, one of the coolest, most unique things to do in Moab is to take an evening boat tour out to a natural light show. You’ll pack onto a 100+ passenger

boat with stadium seating, and cruise out on the Colorado River for three hours of food and colorful fun.

On your outbound journey, you’ll get to feast on an impressive menu of foods, including barbecued and roasted meats, fresh-baked rolls, potatoes, and other delectable fare. After about an hour, you’ll reach your destination. From here, you’ll watch as tens of thousands of watts of natural light—not lasers, as is normally the case—dance against a flat canyon wall, while music and narration about the history of the region plays in the background. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen.

Truly, this is a new twist on a classic date. Dinner and movie? That’s nothing compared to this dinner cruise and light show—and all of it comes courtesy of Mother Nature! Definitely a surefire thing to do in Moab.

Having given you our suggestions for what to do in Moab, we now turn the decision over to you. Choose wisely, though—you don’t want to miss out.

For more details, http://moab-tours.us/what-to-do-in-moab/