About Moab
Many of the trails and routes you’ll explore on your Moab adventures have been used for thousands of years. In a region made up of deep canyons and vast vistas, the Moab valley provides the only major crossing point of the Colorado River for miles.
According to the National Park Service, nomadic Indigenous groups have traveled through what’s now Moab for nearly 10,000 years — and they began settling in the Four Corners region roughly 2,000 years ago. These early agriculturalists, known as the ancestral Puebloans, left the region about 700 years ago. They were followed by the nomadic Shoshonean peoples, including the Ute and Paiute, who carved their stories into petroglyph panels and were in the area when the first European settlers arrived. Countless tribes migrated through and settled in this area; today, we consider these lands the homelands of tribes including the Ute, Navajo, Paiute, and Hopi.
Moab grew slowly through the early 1900s: the journey to Moab was arduous, and required patience. Rough double-track and primitive wagon roads, including roads used along the Old Spanish Trail, extended through Moab; the journey often required a ferry-ride across the Colorado river. Moab became more accessible to travelers after the first bridge over the river was constructed in 1912. Roads throughout the region were mainly used to transport cattle.
In 1952, Charlie Steen discovered one of the country’s richest uranium deposits just outside of Moab, creating a uranium “boom.” The town’s population grew 400%, and Moab crowned itself the richest town in the USA. As thousands of mining claims were staked across public lands in Grand County, prospectors needed vehicle access for their mining operations—so the Atomic Energy Commission expanded and built thousands of miles of gravel roads, creating better accessibility throughout the region for miners and visitors both.
By 1970, the uranium mining industry was in significant decline—government contracts to buy uranium only lasted until 1966. Just two years prior, in 1964, Canyonlands National Park was established just outside of Moab. Arches was a burgeoning national monument (established 1929) , and Dead Horse Point State Park was quickly becoming a favorite camping spot (established 1959). The town of Moab looked to tourism as a viable economic path: in 1965, Canyonlands reported 19,400 visits, Arches reported 143,900. Tourists and locals alike were finding that they could explore mining roads outside of the parks in their vehicles—the first “Easter Jeep Safari” took place in 1967.
Today, millions of visitors come to this place to hike, bike, raft, off-road, and experience our amazing natural scenery. When you’re here, take a bit of time to immerse yourself in our town: shop local, hire a local guide, and attend a local event. Moab is a special place, and we’d love to show you around.
About the Moab Office of Tourism
Discover Moab is run by the Moab Office of Tourism, a department of Grand County, Utah and the official destination management organization of Moab. The MOT is responsible for promoting and encouraging local tourism to help broaden and strengthen the county’s economic base. We seek to accomplish this through promoting visitation experiences that are welcoming, extraordinary, and sustainable for the small town that supports them.
Visitors are encouraged to visit the Moab Information Center when they arrive in Moab.
Community members can learn more about how to engage with the office on Grand County's site.
