6 Easy Kid-Friendly Hikes in Moab (Under 3 Miles!)
Ready to take the kids to beautiful sandstone, petroglyphs, waterfalls, and more stunning places? We’re diving into the absolute best kid-friendly hikes in Moab that are short, easy, and come with great rewards. And these easy hikes in Moab are not in Arches National Park.
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We’ve visited Moab many times and explored the national parks and their trail offerings, but we’ve also explored what the area around Moab has. So if you’re looking for family hikes in Moab that aren’t in the national parks, this is the place!
Each of these hikes are pretty short. From 1/4 mile to 2.3 miles, you’ll go on an adventure with all these hikes in Moab under 3 miles. And the ending to each is spectacular for such little work.
Here are all the best easy hikes in Moab for kids and families. And you don’t have to go into Arches to find them. No reservation necessary!
1. Potash Road Dinosaur Tracks and Petroglyphs
.2 miles roundtrip (varies depending how much you explore)
Moderately hard…but very short.
Moab is rife with dinosaur tracks and petroglyphs, so if you’ve got kids needing something exciting on their hike, this is the place!
Potash road is located just north of downtown Moab and on the left/west side. You’ll drive between the Colorado river and large red rock walls (where you’ll most likely spot climbers along the way). After 6 miles driving on Potash road, look for the Poison Spider parking lot on the right.
This is where you’ll park to start your first kid-friendly hike in Moab to some tracks!
Even from the parking lot you can spot a giant, flat, rock wall at the top of the climb. This is where you’re heading, and it requires a little scrambling. Don’t worry, this proved harder for the adults than the kids.
On your way up, look for the dinosaur tracks in large slabs or rock. Once you’ve made it to the top (the flat wall up top), you’ll be graced with so many petroglyphs. These are fun to spot and guess what each means.
2. Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail (and Tracksite)
1.8 miles roundtrip
Easy
Find this trail about 16 miles north of Moab. Turn left onto Mill Canyon Road and watch for signs for the Tracksite and then the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail. Both are great, but this focuses on the Dinosaur Trail (which I include in my 3 day Moab Itinerary because it’s that cool!)
Like I mentioned, there are a lot of dinosaur tracks in Moab. This one is especially cool because you get dinosaur fossils, too, not just the footprints.
The Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail takes you on an easy walk with interpretive signs to help you learn and find dinosaur bones that have been preserved in the rocks of Moab. Familiar dinosaur species you’ll see evidence of includes the Allosaurus and Stegosaurus.
3. Moonflower Canyon
.6 miles roundtrip
Easy
Not only does “Moonflower Canyon” sound cool, but it’s really cool to visit as well. The trailhead is located a little southwest of downtown Moab. It’s actually just across the Colorado River from where Potash Road is, but you have to go a totally different way in order to stay south of the river.
You’ll have to cut through town to the west and get on Kane Creek Boulevard. If you put “Moonflower Canyon” into Google maps, it’ll bring you to the parking area.
Moonflower Canyon, though very short, is such a cool hike. Moab has a lot of other-worldly feels to it, and this is one of them.
An easy trail takes you into Moonflower Canyon on either side of the little creek (sometimes dried up). You’ll be hiking among rock and trees the whole way, and at the end you find yourself in a little cove area. There are lots of big rocks the kids will love.
It’s basically one-way-in and one-way-out, so while the trail is hard to define sometimes, you can only go one direction. The canyon walls lead you right to the end.
And if you haven’t gotten enough Petroglyphs, you can find the Moonflower Panel behind the wooden fence at the beginning of the canyon.
4. Mill Creek Trail
1.6 miles roundtrip
Easy – Water crossings!
Mill Creek Trail is probably my personal favorite easy hike in Moab thanks to the mostly flat terrain and big reward at the end.
This trailhead is located east of town. Take 4th street to S Mill Creek Dr and head east. Then turn right on Old Dump Road and this will take you to the parking area.
This trail is POP-U-LAR, so go early or late, and expect a lot of people if you’re going on a holiday or weekend.
We went on a Thursday morning and it wasn’t too bad.
Before you start, make sure you have some sort of hiking sandals (like Chacos, Keens, or Tevas) or waterproof hiking shoes, as you’ll have to make 3 water crossings that you can’t really avoid. It only goes to your ankles or less, so nothing too scary for the kids.
Not only is this one of the kid-friendly hikes in Moab, but it’s my kids’ favorite as well. My daughter loved being able to dip in the water, especially on such a hot day
Also, you may want to wear your swimsuit.
You’ll be hiking in a lot of sand until you come to the clearing with a beautiful waterfall tucked in between canyon walls. The great thing is that YES, you can swim in the water! This feels really refreshing on a hot Moab day.
Note– We’ve driven from Denver to Moab a few times hoping to get to this waterfall! One time we went in mid-March and found the water in Mill Creek was too high to get past, so we turned around. We came another year in late May and were able to pass on the rock to the side. Water levels may vary!
👉🏼 The next few hikes are ones we haven’t personally done yet, but they are very much on the list for next visit!
5. Corona Arch Trail
2.3 miles roundtrip
Moderate
Photo by Jasper Gribble on Unsplash
Corona Arch is the longest of the kid friendly hikes in Moab that I’ll recommend, but it’s one I’m excited to see on our next trip. We talk about it every time, but by the time we finish with the national parks and other hikes in the area, we run out of time.
This hike has some unique features… like a ladder you have to climb. You’ll also encounter steps carved into the rock and green footprints to help you find your way across the slickrock.
But beyond that, you’ll end up at a national-park worthy arch, all without having to make a reservation!
And on this hike, you’ll get both Bowtie and Corona Arch, plus the bonus Pinto Arch from a distance. Or, take the mile detour to get closer to Pinto Arch.
To get to these arches, go back to Potash Road (as noted in the first hike above) and go farther down, past the Poison Spider trailhead. The trailhead will be on your right.
Note: Make sure when you enter this into your maps app that you specify Corona Arch TRAILHEAD. Otherwise it may take you to a different spot where there is just a viewpoint.
6. Longbow Arch
2.3 miles
Moderate
Longbow is another great arch about the same distance as Corona. You’ll access this off Potash Road as well, but at the Poison Spider parking area. As you begin the trail just like you would for the petroglyphs, you’ll see a signs that breaks off for Longbow Arch.
There are a couple little drop offs on the trail, so just keep an eye on the kids. You’ll also have some metal rungs to help climb up some spots, a little scrambling at the beginning, and those green footprints to help guide you across areas.
You’ll go from hiking in rock (and up rock), to coming near the Jeep area of Poison Spider, to a quiet sandy trail.
Eventually you’ll be able to see Longbow in the distance up on the top of the rock wall. It has rock behind it, so it may take a minute to notice (it’s not an open-air arch).
Where to Stay in Moab
While there are plenty of places to stay in Moab, they book up incredibly quick during peak times like holiday weekends or in September when Jeep events come to town, so try to book early!
High End– HooDoo Moab is a 4.5 star hotel that can sleep up to 6 in a room. Guests especially loved the beautiful pool and relaxing spa. Located a block off the main street in downtown Moab.
Mid-Range- Element Moab offers free breakfast, upscale lobby, clean pool, and rooms to sleep up to 6. It’s located right outside of town, between downtown and Arches National Park.
Budget- Expedition Lodge is well kept and updated inside, with a retro 50’s theme, includes breakfast, free parking, and a small but very fun pool and waterslide that my kids spent a lot of time on. Bonus: it’s right in the middle of downtown so you can walk to most restaurants and shops.
Best Kid-Friendly Hikes in Moab
Those are the best kid friendly hikes in Moab that aren’t in Arches National Park (or Canyonlands). These trails are exciting with dinosaurs, petroglyphs, waterfall, and arches. There is a great variety of destinations at the ends of these trails.
The fact that these easy trails in Moab are under 3 miles make them family-friendly for all stages. If you have really young ones, consider packing them in a backpack carrier so they can enjoy the beauty of Moab, too.
While Arches and Canyonlands are both amazing, you don’t have to go into a national park to discover how incredible Moab is. So choose a few hikes for your next visit that will ensure the whole family has fun.
