Have a trip planned to Moab in July (I know it will be hot)with spouse and 12 year old son. Flying into Grand Juction, Co then renting a car. Staying at Red Cliffs Lodge, 5 days. Any info on family friendly hikes, rafting and other activities. Also, may be intersted in canyoneering. All suggestions appreciated.

dcslb,

There is a very helpful Visitor's Center right on Main Steet in Moab. There are also many companies in town that do rafting, 4x4 and mountain biking tours.

Do you realize that the Red Cliffs Lodge is a 30 minute drive one way into Moab, then further on to the 2 Natl Parks?

Personally, I much prefer to stay in town (if not camping) where I can walk to all the restaurants and shop a little if I want. Staying in town will also put you closer to most of the popular hiking trails, except for the Fisher Towers area which is further east than Red Cliffs.

Red Cliff Lodge has a neat "old movie-westerns museum. It's a pretty ride into town but it is far. They will probably help you arrange rafting trips/kayaking or whatever. Moab is a fun town. Lot's of great restaurants and very nice people. We stayed in a b and b with a pool-which we really used. It's hot! So coming back to the pool was welcomed.

The Klondike Bluffs trail is a good intermediate bike trail just outside of Arches. You can check out petrified dinosaur footprints along the trail.

We loved our stay at Red Cliffs Lodge, precisely because it was NOT in town. We recommend going to the ranger station at Arches on the first day to register for a guided tour of the Fiery Furnace. Also, another highlight was our boat/jeep tour with Tag-a-Long tours into Canyonlands Nat'l Park. Other families we met on the trip used them for guided hikes in remote locations and had a fabulous time.
Red Cliffs Lodge can also arrange kayak or rafting trips, horses, and bikes.

www.deserthighlights.com
This is canyoneering. You will be with a guide and the group is usually only 3 -7 people. It will be a big highlight of your trip. Cateract Canyon would be my pick for rafting. I personally would not want to be that far out in Red Cliffs, you won't really see much of Moab. Hike Delicate Arch, and Primitive Loop to Landscape Arch. Do these in early morning as it will be much cooler.

D,

The Firey Furnace hike in Arches is one of my favorites. You must sign up a day or two ahead, extra fee, and go with a ranger. Your kids will LOVE it. Plus, it's 20 degrees cooler on the hike (mostly shade of the cool fins), so it's a good one to do in the afternoon when hotter.

When we visited Moab it was also in July. Be prepared for sudden thunderstorms that happen almost every late afternoon. Do not mess around. If you are on a mountain trail, get off it as soon as you can when you hear the thunder in the distance. Try to plan your hikes for the morning to early afternoon. The best hikes are in Arches but there are some places worth seeing in Canyonlands. I recommend taking the jeep or rafting options for the most part in Canyonlands. Also, there is supposed to be some great mountain biking there (not my thing so I don't know much about it). There is a FANTASTIC bed and breakfast right in town that you might want to consider, here is the link: http://www.sunflowerhill.com/