Moab is home to two of the most scenic national parks; Arches and Canyonlands.  Each of these places boasts incredible red rock scenery, stunning vistas of the La Sal Mountains and plenty of opportunities for hiking and 4WD adventures.  

Arches is the smaller of the two parks and you can see all of the major highlights in 1 day. Canyonlands is spread out over a much larger area and the Needles section of the park is about 1.5 hours south of Moab. If you only have 1 day to visit Canyonlands (or both parks), we recommend that you focus on the section known as Island In The Sky (pls make the phrase “Island In The Sky” a link to the map of that area)

There are numerous vista points and short hikes to amazing views in both Arches and Canyonlands. You don’t need to wander far from the parking lot to experience incredible scenery everywhere you look. If you have the time to do some of the 1 to 2.5 mile round trip hikes and are able to cover 8 to 12 miles total in 1 day you’ll get to see all of the major sights.