Girls’ Weekend in Moab, Utah – Food, Running, & Outdoor Adventure

In October of 2022, some of my favorite runner friends and I were in Ontario, Canada, for a race. Two of them were chatting about an ultramarathon in Utah, and I was intrigued. Fast-forward a couple of months, and we were all signed up to run the Behind the Rocks Ultra 50k in Moab, Utah, in March of 2023. 

I was deep into my running journey at that point, but the most I had run was a 30k, so I was a bit intimidated but still confident in my ability to get it done. Leading up to the race, it was the race that took up most the space in my brain. I hadn’t thought about the actual weekend in Moab and how much fun we’d have adventuring outside of the race. Of course, I didn’t expect much less when I’d be there with two of my favorite people. 

I drove from Idaho and met my two girlfriends in the Salt Lake, Utah area. One lived locally, and the other had flown in from the East Coast. We packed up my Utah friend’s Jeep and road-tripped it down to Moab. As we got closer to our destination, the views got more mesmerizing, and I was thrilled at the sight of Arches National Park as we made our way into town. 

Once we got our stuff all settled into our Airbnb, we wasted no time exploring. During our weekend in Moab, we ate at some great restaurants, visited some of the cutest local shops, and explored our hearts out.

Where to Explore

There are tons of places to explore and things to do in Moab. We were only there for a quick weekend trip and spent most of our Saturday in Moab running 31 miles, so we didn’t have a ton of time, but we definitely made the most of the time we did have by exploring the nearby national park, checking out the cute downtown area, taking a short recovery hike to a waterfall, and checking out dinosaur tracks and petroglyphs on our way out of town!

Arches National Park

This was at the end of March, and we expected the weather to be fairly warm. Surprisingly, we ended up getting hit with a snowstorm the night before our ultramarathon. The storm started rolling in while we explored Arches National Park, but of course, a little bit of cold weather wasn’t going to stop us from having a good time. 

This park is huge and requires driving from one stop to another. While you’ll definitely want to check out the main well-known arches and balance rock, there are also a lot of other cool rock formations and trails to explore. Most of the trails are short out-and-backs and accessible to people of various abilities. The main arch attraction even has some ramps for wheelchair accessibility.

We took a lot of pictures of and near the arches and other red rock formations and got some great shots. It’s an awesome photo op. I will say I think we got pretty lucky because the weather seemed to have scared off the crowds near the main attractions, so it wasn’t crazy overcrowded, making it easy to maneuver through the area and take pictures without people in the background. 

I would love to go back and explore again someday. Since we were running 31 miles the next day, we didn’t want to spend too much time on our feet. As much as we wanted to hike all around the area, we stayed close to the road and main attractions so our legs would stay fresh for our ultra the next day. There are a lot of cute local rentals to stay at. 

Downtown Moab

I love exploring the downtown area of any place I visit, but smaller town downtown areas are my favorite, and Moab is no exception. In this case, ‘downtown’ is simply the main street, which is lined with various local shops and eateries. We went into some cute local shops to buy souvenirs and check out local arts and crafts. Simply Moab and Pinyon Gift Shop are both cute stores if you’re looking for things like coffee mugs and sweaters. 

We also checked out Arches Trading Post, which had more local and handmade items with some of the traditional souvenirs you find mixed in. There was a really cool art shop as well that we checked out. It was loaded with turquoise pieces and handmade dishes.

In fact, there were a few art shops I really enjoyed looking around but I can’t remember the names. I feel like we just popped into every little shop off Main Street. That’s one of my favorite things to do. I love finding local little shops, preferably ones selling locally made goods. 

Mill Creek Waterfall Trail

This little trail is a simple 1.6-mile out-and-back and is suitable for hikers of all levels. Mill Creek Waterfall Trail has a couple of spots that require some very beginner rock scaling (if you can even call it that). It’s more so just an area of the trail that’s on the rocky hillside and doesn’t really have a flat walking surface.

This hike is short but sweet and was a perfect post-race recovery activity. There are some water crossings, so bring water-friendly shoes or prepare to take yours off and carry them a bit if you don’t want to hike back in wet shoes.

The waterfall honestly isn’t anything spectacular, but we enjoyed the hike, and it would be great for families. I imagine in the summer months, it would be extra enjoyable. It would be a great area for a picnic. 

Potach Road Dinosaur Tracks & Petroglyphs

I felt a bit like an 8-year-old, given my desire to go see this monument. When I was in like 3rd or 4th grade, I wanted to be a paleontologist after reading the book The Enormous Egg and spending some time learning about paleontology. I’m glad we went because it was honestly pretty cool, even for adults. 

It’s not necessarily just one spot but rather a stretch of area where tracks and petroglyphs have been uncovered and marked with nearby signs. You can see a lot of the ancient artwork from the road, but you can also park and hike up to some cooler stuff (which is what we did). It’s neat to see the art of our ancestors up close. People also go off-roading in their Jeeps and rope climb in this area, which is not my thing, but it’s cool to see people gearing up to do it. 

I would recommend doing a bit of research prior to arriving at the Potach Road Dinosaur Tracks & Petroglyphs site so you know what you’re looking for and exactly what areas you want to see, especially if you want to go climbing or off-roading in the area. 

Where to Eat

I am a bit of a foodie. I love cooking, and I also love trying new foods and new restaurants. I’ll be honest and admit that I do have a habit of complaining when I eat out because I expect something that I couldn’t make better at home. I am who I am. That being said, we enjoyed some really great food while in Moab. 

We carb-loaded for our ultra with some delicious pasta and pizza, and post-race, it was time for drinks, burgers, and ice cream, which did not disappoint. We topped our visit off with some tasty coffee and breakfast burritos before leaving town as well. 

Pasta Jay’s

I got ‘The Hagan Option’ when we ate at Pasta Jay’s in Moab, and I chose tortellone with chicken parmigiana baked in the tomato cream sauce and oh my goodness. My mouth is now watering just thinking about that dish. The sauce was sooooo good. I loved the whole dish so much.

The accompanying garlic bread absolutely didn’t disappoint either. I don’t remember what pasta dishes my friends got, but I do remember that we were all very pleased with our selections. 

Zax Restaurant

We went to Zax’s for lunch, and I had a club sandwich, which is one of my favorite lunches. They have a variety of food options, but their variety of burgers and pizzas is pretty impressive if you want to eat lunch here. For dinner, they have steak, salmon, and pasta dishes if you are hoping for something to really fill you up.

Antica Forma

We ate at Antica Forma for our pre-race dinner meal and got pizza because what else would you get the night before an ultramarathon? They offer Neapolitan pizza that’s made in a wood-fired oven with all homemade ingredients. Their dough, pizza sauce, and mozzarella are all house-made. 

We shared some arancini because I had never tried it and had been wanting to. This is a rice ball appetizer with ham and smoked mozzarella filling, and it was absolutely delicious. My pizza choice was the prosciutto because, well, prosciutto is life, and much like truffle, if it’s on the menu, I’m getting it. I was very pleased with my dinner and would 100% go back. 

Dewey’s Restaurant and Bar

After our 32-mile race, we were starving, and a burger and fries always sound delightful when you’re totally depleted, so we decided this place was perfect. Dewey’s has a hearty menu with a good variety, which is exactly what we needed.

We shared a plate of their nachos, and then I ordered a Bloody Mary and the poblano burger. The burger totally hit the spot with the juicy burger and jalapeno aioli. Their burgers are ½ lb, so make sure you’re hungry if you’re going with that option. 

Dewey’s also has multiple pasta dishes, sandwiches, and tacos, as well as dinner-style chicken and beef entrees. They truly have something for everyone. Of course, they also have many craft beers on tap and some cocktails available. We ate outside and it was lovely. 

Bonjour Bakery & Cafe

If you need to cool off with an ice cream cone or warm up with a cup of coffee, then this cafe is the spot. They have delicious baked goods, a coffee bar, ice cream, and light breakfast and lunch options as well. You can even find an affogotta here to enjoy any time of day. 

We didn’t eat a meal here, but their menu looks so good, and I wish we had time for another meal so that we could have tried it out. They offer a variety of brunch sandwiches and also have flatbreads and salads for lunch. For breakfast, they have a simple but appealing menu with things like avocado toast and creamy coconut oatmeal. 

Moab Coffee Roasters

Moab Coffee Roasters is the perfect place to hit on your way out of town. They have a full coffee menu, gelato, and large breakfast burritos that you can get to go. They also serve goodies from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. This is not only a great place to snag a cup of coffee and a bite to eat, but it’s also a great place for quick and local souvenirs like mugs, coffee beans, and candy. 

What to Pack

If you plan to do some outdoor adventuring, make sure you pack some good hiking shoes. Some of the rocks in the area can be slick. I am a big fan of Altra shoes, and they have something for all environments. You’ll also want to pack water bottles or a running vest and electrolytes if you plan to be out and about during the heat of the summer. Oh, and snacks- always pack tasty snacks for your outdoor adventures.  

We also ended up grabbing some panchos and emergency blankets since we were running an ultra and the weather forecast was not looking promising. Luckily, we didn’t end up needing them. I recommend having clothing for every weather condition if you are going in the spring or fall because you don’t know what to expect!

Takeaways

I am so glad that we chose to run an ultra in Moab. This ended up being the perfect place to eat, explore, and enjoy each other’s company. My only regret is not having had more time because there is truly so much to do in the area. I would have loved to get more hikes in and eat at even more of the local restaurants. 

There is also so much to see in Arches National Park, I feel like we hardly made a dent. I would highly recommend visiting Moab for outdoor activities, especially as a family. And don’t sleep on it for a girls’ weekend if you are outdoor lovers and adventurers. 

Some of my best travel memories have been the result of going somewhere for either an athletic event or outdoor adventure, and I would encourage everyone to travel to places that allow you to explore the outdoors.