The weekend before Christmas, I took a quick trip to Moab for a little change of scenery. I still can’t get over how lucky I am to be just a short day trip away from so many beautiful locations. What made this trip extra special was that I brought my dog, Stanley with me. Stanley is a champ when it comes to traveling, but hiking is still not his favorite. After a weekend of hiking, he pretty much took a long nap for the rest of the year.

While I was in Moab, I tried to take note of where I could and couldn’t bring Stanley and found there were more restrictions than I had expected. You can read my original Moab post here if you aren’t worried about bringing your four-legged friend along.

Hiking

We went on the following three hikes. They are dog-friendly and moderate difficulty.

Corona Arch: Head to Corona Arch at sunset for beautiful views. There is a short area where I had to carry Stanley since he is not the most agile dog. This is an extremely popular hike, but since we went during off season, we only ran into a few other hikers. If you decide to go for a sunset hike, be sure to bring along a sweater and headlamp for the trek out.

Jeep Arch: This hike is extremely hard in terms of finding the actual trail. We got frustrated several times having to backtrack and keep our eyes peeled for trail markers. However, the views are astounding and it’s a great place to have your lunch. The hike starts off going through a tunnel and crossing railroad tracks. This hike is only a couple hundred feet away from Corona Arch and both could easily be done in one day.

Morning Glory Bridge: This is one of my favorite hikes, I even mentioned it in my last post. Morning Glory Bridge is an easy hike with some river crossing. It’s great in the summer because it is mostly shaded. Be warned, your dog will come back happy and muddy from this hike, so be sure to bring along some towels for the drive back.

Where to Stay

If you aren’t camping (which in the middle of winter was not a reasonable option for us), then you can venture into town to find some dog-friendly hotels and motels. There are lots of options, some with pet fees and some without.

We stayed at The Expedition Lodge and it was everything you’d need after a long day of hiking. There is a pool and a hot tub, which I didn’t have a chance to check out this time around. I would definitely recommend staying here for an inexpensive, dog-friendly, centrally located hotel.

Kokopelli Lodge no pet fees and has a hot tub and grill. I love that I can cook my own meals here.

The Expedition Lodge no pet fees and has a pool and hot tub.

Apache Motel is pet-friendly.

La Quinta is pet-friendly.

Moab Rustic Inn is pet-friendly.

Where to Eat

Let me just be the first to say that Moab is not known for fine dining experiences. I have a few recommendations, but during the winter time, your options are even more limited as they close all the pet-friendly patios.

Milt’s: This is my number one stop any time I go to Moab. Be sure to get the tater tots. You can thank me later. Either eat on their lawn area or take your meal to go.

Moab Garage Co.: Best spot for your morning coffee and toast. Unfortunately, they do close during offseason.

The Blu Pig: Good stop for BBQ, but it is a little bit pricey, so keep that in mind.

Gilberto’s: For a quick drive thru burrito, you can’t beat this spot. Get a breakfast burrito for the drive to your first hike.

If you are looking for more dog friendly spots, wherever your next adventure takes you I highly recommend using Bring Fido for a complete list.