Closest Airports to Moab
Located just North of Moab, Canyonlands Field Airport is serviced by Boutique Air and has a number of daily flights to the area. Other nearby airports include Salt Lake City Airport (4 hour drive), Denver Airport (5.5 hour drive) and Albuquerque Airport (6 hour drive).
Meet Jeff VanCleve: He’s an outdoor enthusiast who moved to the Moab area of Utah in 2009. A native of Portland, Oregon, Jeff frequented Moab for the annual Easter Jeep Safari event. “I always told myself if I ever had the chance to move here, I would,” he says. When he lost his job seven years ago, Jeff decided it was time to make the move. “I came with 300 bucks and my Jeep and found a job immediately,” he says.
Lucky for Jeff and Utah visitors, his job entails sharing his love of the area and exploring Moab with travelers. He works at Arches National Park’s visitor center, the Moab Information Center and the Moab Tourism Center, in addition to leading his own area tours. “I really enjoy showing people this beautiful place where I live,” he says. “I’m just very, very lucky to live and work here.”
We asked Jeff to recommend the top spots for travelers to the Moab area and to share a few local secrets.
Hit the Parks
Jeff suggests first-timers visit three parks: Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park. These three parks preview the area’s scenery, which Jeff describes as “out of this world.” For example, Dead Horse Point sits 2,000 feet above a gooseneck curve in the Colorado River and Arches boasts more than 2,000 natural stone arches.
But Jeff says there’s more to Arches National Park than just admiring the arches. Travelers can also experience the landscape through canyoneering, hiking or taking an auto tour. “It’s all about the beautiful rock formations you can drive through,” he says. “It’s a different, otherworldly landscape.” Travel tip: Jeff advises visiting Arches before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m. to avoid large crowds.