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Utah, USA · North America · northern hemisphere
Moab — Arches & Canyonlands is at its best for lakes & coastline in May to June and September. Good but not prime in April, July, August and October.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hiking | 7 | 45 | 67 | 90 | 90 | 22 | 18 | 18 | 72 | 90 | 62 | 39 |
| Lakes & Coastline | 12 | 13 | 42 | 72 | 91 | 89 | 62 | 66 | 91 | 70 | 18 | 11 |
No reliable monthly crowd data for this destination — the proxy used elsewhere did not pass its checks here, so nothing is shown rather than a guess.
Swipe the table sideways for the rest of the year.
Two national parks and the Colorado River from one town, in a desert that runs to 38°C in July and drops below freezing in January — spring and autumn are not a preference here, they are the season
Short desert walks on slickrock and sand, no shade anywhere. No guide needed — but the Fiery Furnace needs a permit.
July and August on the trails. Shade is close to absent, and the Park Service discourages walking between 10am and 5pm, with two to three litres of water a person. The Fiery Furnace stays open — it needs a permit, not a closure.
May and June, then September and October — never quite the midsummer peak you would expect
Delicate Arch is a 5km round trip with no shade and a slickrock slope with a drop beside it. The Windows section is short and gives most of the payoff, though it has steps and uneven ground.
Moab town is the only real base and it is not cheap in shoulder season. Camping is the local answer — the BLM sites along the river are spectacular — and Green River is an hour away for a third of the price.
No shade anywhere in Arches. The Park Service line is four litres of water per person per day, and it is not an exaggeration.Jun · Jul · Aug
Monsoon season floods the slot canyons; the Fiery Furnace closes.Jul · Aug · Sep
Kept out of the score on purpose. Averaging a rare catastrophe into a monthly number would tell you something false; the warning is the honest form.
Slickrock is unforgiving in the wet and lethal in the heat. The Fiery Furnace needs a permit — $4 an adult, seven days ahead, with an orientation film — or a ranger-led tour. Carry four litres of water a day; that is the Park Service line.