Where to Stay for Your Moab Desert Elopement | Unique Lodging in Moab, Utah
Where to Stay for your elopement or adventure wedding in moab, utah
We’re The Hearnes, adventure elopement photographers based in Moab, Utah! We have been spending a majority of our time in Moab while living on the road for almost five years now, and have been official “locals” for a year after buying our house last winter! We spend a lot of time in Moab, and honestly I get so many messages on Instagram asking for Moab recommendations that I figured I’d create a blog post with everything I send people! I hope this is helpful for you, and definitely let me know if you’ve been to Moab and you think I missed anything! A few other relevant posts we’ve written:
MOAB, UTAH RESTAURANT GUIDE
WHAT TO DO WHILE VISITING MOAB, UTAH
Finding lodging in Moab can seem intimidating if you’ve never been here before. Utah is known as the wild wild southwest, and there are a lot fo misconceptions about what it’s actually like out here! I’ve had people ask where we get groceries when we’re living in Moab, once someone even asked if my house was in a neighborhood or if we had built it in the middle of nowhere! Moab is a small town, but it IS a town, with common amenities and access to anything you might need! We have a City Market, multiple coffee shops, a few great reqtunruants, a brewery, and a plethora of hotels and lodging.
As adventure elopements become more popular, people are starting to learn that they can do things differently when they get married. At this point, if someone is booking with us, they’re well aware that they can break the norms for where they get married, how many people they invite, what they do on their wedding day, where they put their wedding budget, and so on, but there are still a few things we want to remind you of! For instance, when you travel to a new place, the natural tendency is to search hotels, find a place in town, or book with a chain resort that’s worked with you in the past. While that can be super convenient and consistent, I wanted to use this blog post to show a few unique options for lodging in Moab! Moab is such a quirky little desert town, and while it certainly has it’s fill in chain hotels and more traditional lodging options, there are some really unique gems among them — some right inside of town and some miles away seemingly in the middle of nowhere! I’m also writing these from a photography perspective, each of these places photograph really well and would be beautiful for wedding day getting ready photos, or a chill morning breakfast the day of your elopement, or a relaxing place to have a little take-out picnic between hikes. It’s also worth noting, prices vary for these places and I’m trying to include spots all along the scale!
While I’ve worked with a lot of these Moab lodging options, I am also including places I’ve come across but don’t have experience with, so if you have any thoughts to add please do! I will note, Moab has a highly competitive hotel/lodging market, so it’s pretty safe to assume anything that’s been around for a few years is pretty great.
Under Canvas Moab
14 minutes from downtown, 10 minutes from Arches entrance, 25 minutes from Canyonlands entrance
Under Canvas Moab is such a cool place to stay! It offers a really amazing “glamping” experience for people visiting Moab, and honestly feels like you’re staying in a safari (think Taylor Swift’s Wildest Dreams music video). It’s a great option for more adventurous couples that want to stay somewhere a bit more luxurious than the usual campground and tent. They have restrooms and showers, electricity, and most amenities of a hotel room with beautiful styling and amazing views of Arches National Park. Don’t miss their campfires and s’mores most nights!
Sorrel River Ranch
30 minutes from downtown, 30 minutes from Arches, 55 minutes from Canyonlands
Sorrel is set in one of the most beautiful valleys near Moab, on the banks of the Colorado River and surrounded by iconic sandstone mesas and towers. It’s one of the most beautiful resorts we’ve seen — and the all-inclusive nature of it means you could spend your whole trip in/around Sorrel and still have a full Moab experience! They have a full-service spa on site, a high-end fitness center, and tons of guided activities available. They also offer on-site babysitting and pet-sitting! Bonus, the drive from Moab to Sorrel is one of the most beautiful drives we’ve ever done!
Kokopelli Lodge
Walking distance from downtown, 15 minutes from Arches, 40 minutes from Canyonlands
Kokopelli Lodge is a great option for places to stay in town! This place is definitely more budget friendly, but still such a cool property, just a few blocks from downtown. We’ve had a few couples stay here in the past and they all had great things to say — plus we love their hot tub 😜
Red Cliffs Lodge
30 minutes from downtown, 30 minutes from Arches, 55 minutes from Canyonlands
This is a great option if you want the beautiful setting of Sorrel River Ranch without the resort-like amenities (and the price tag they bring)! Red Cliffs Lodge is nearby, also set in the beautiful valley along the river, and you stay in cute little cabins! The setting out here is absolutely gorgeous, and a fun perk — they have a live webcam so you can check the weather, or feel transported back to Moab after your trip!
Talking Mountain Yurts
Location and distance varies by season
These yurts are absolutely amazing! They move locations between summer and winter, and while most of the summer locations are drive up, the winter locations are only accessible by snowshoeing or cross country skiing! We did a ski trip out to one of the yurts with some friends last winter and it was such a blast. Most people think of Moab as a desert destination, but you’d be amazing by the back country skiing and winter adventure options if you’re willing to put in the effort (no lifts here!). In the summer, these yurts are a great option for cooler temperatures and mountain vibes when the desert is baking at a cool 100 degrees.
Find a Unique AirBnB
Honestly, our first place we look anytime we’re traveling somewhere new is AirBnB! We love the unique places you can find there, and because they’re being rented by individuals, the pricing is typically more competitive than the typical lodging! We also love that it means interacting with and supporting a local. Here are a few AirBnB listings in Moab I think look amazing:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/9258526
Pretty indoor and outdoor styling, convenient location, and holy cow that gorgeous sauna!!
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6037972
This large house would be perfect for an intimate wedding where all your guests could gather in one place. I love that it’s well out of town, and in one of my favorite valleys ever!
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/31834469
Another awesome location, and this yurt is so cute!! I could see sunrise coffee photos, or a chill sunset dinner with portraits right on the property. Those views are to die for!
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1055383
These are so cute! I love the rooftop deck and the colorful property.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/23883181
Great light on the inside (perfect for getting ready photos), convenient location, and a really pretty exterior for portraits!
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6493400
I love the tiny-home feel, this would be super cute for photos out front and in the yard!
I’ll be sure to update this blog post as I discover new lodging locations in Moab, or find cool AirBnB listings that stand out to me! I hope this was helpful, whether you’re planning a trip to Moab just for fun, or you’re eloping out here!
If you’ve found this blog post by looking for lodging in Moab, Utah and you’ve never heard to adventure elopements — hey there! I’m Abbi Hearne…it’s great to meet you! My husband Callen and I live in Moab half of the year (we just got a house this past February after three years on the road full time!). We absolutely love the Moab area and are so thankful to call it home. We are adventure elopement photographers, and we help couples have the epic adventure wedding of their dreams. If you’re planning to get married, or know someone who might be interested in an adventure wedding, feel free to look around our site and reach out to us with any questions you have!
