Growing up in Utah has been one of the most amazing experiences because what it lacks in city life (which is slowly growing) it makes up for a million times over with the outdoors. I used to take family trips to Southern Utah, and I am not going to lie, it definitely wasn’t my favorite but as I have gotten older I have made a trip to Moab almost every single year. This past weekend I went for a quick trip (and I mean quick) camping and hiking with friends.

Campsite

We left late on Friday, around 5 PM, which is always a good reminder that if you can leave earlier for a road trip you definitely should. Traffic was insane, but it gave me plenty of time to jump into road trip snacks and find some great Spotify playlists. Check out this one for some throwback songs. We arrived around 10:30 PM and began the search for a campsite. Our campsite was just outside of Dead Horse Point State Park and had the most magical views of the Milky Way. Use these GPS coordinates (38.542969,-109.728521) for a quiet campsite with quick access to Canyonlands and Dead Horse State Park.

Hiking

Even though we got in late, we got up early the next morning, made a pancake breakfast and embarked on a beautiful hike called Professor Creek/Mary Jane Canyon. A word of warning: finding the road to this hike is a challenge and finding the trailhead is even more difficult. So follow the instructions on this website very carefully or be prepared to spend a few more hours on the hike (like we did).

What to bring:

• Water
• Sunscreen
• An extra layer
• Snacks
• Camera

This hike takes you through a river to a beautiful waterfall, I suggest wearing shoes that can get wet! I wore a pair of old hiking boots and suffered through some chilly toes and blisters. Throughout the hike, my friends with these sandals were living the good life. The hike is 7.5 miles round trip but has almost no elevation gain, so I would recommend it for almost anyone.

A few other hikes I have done and really enjoyed are listed below.

1. Morning Glory Bridge
2. Upheaval Dome
3. Fisher Towers Trail

Restaurants

While I didn’t eat out often on this trip because we mostly cooked around the campfire, I do have a few favorite restaurants that you must try next time you go to Moab.

1. Milt’s Stop and Eat: be sure to order a burger and tater tots here.
2. Love Muffin: the coffee and breakfast burritos here are perfect to fill you up before a day of hiking.
3. Moab Garage Co.: this new to me coffee shop is a little piece of heaven. Whether you are looking to work and have a cup of coffee or try one of their inventive meals you will be pleased.

I am so extremely grateful to live near a magical place like Moab. After a two night stay, we grabbed a cup of coffee and headed back home to Salt Lake City where I immediately fell asleep.

Have you ever explored Southern Utah?  

Photo Credit: Camber