Ever come across an incredible hotel that stops you mid-scroll and makes you think, Wow, wouldn’t it be something to stay there?We do, too—all the time. Welcome to Friday Fantasy, where we highlight amazing hotels, lodges, cabins, tents, campsites, and other places perched in perfect outdoor settings. Read on for the intel you need to book an upcoming adventure here. Or at least dream about it.
In late November, I ran a 50K trail race in Moab, Utah. I planned to spend most of the week posted up with my family in a campsite on the outskirts of town, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wanted a nice shower and a comfortable bed before and after the event.
Which is how I ended up staying the weekend at , the coolest new hotel in this popular adventure town. The property opened in April on a 2.6-acre lot just north of downtown with 139 rooms and seven sites for van campers who want access to amenities like Wi-Fi, showers, and the outdoor hot tub and pool. Owned by the same group that runs AutoCamp (a national chain of Airstream glamping resorts), Field Station Moab was the perfect base camp for a tired runner like myself.
Completely redesigned with a minimalist, industrial feel, not to mention a welcoming, easygoing vibe, this is a place where you can walk through the bustling lobby and grab an espresso in muddy bike shorts without getting any stares. In fact, the lobby itself resembles more of a chic outdoor gear shop than a hotel, with local topo maps spread across tables, shelves stocked with guidebooks, and a store where you can pick up energy bars, a reusable water bottle, or a rain jacket in case you forgot your own.
When I checked in, the friendly woman behind the counter was wearing a name tag that read, “Ask me about skydiving,” and she immediately greeted my dog with a treat. We were able to bring our mountain bikes right into our room—a nice feature for security—and she pointed us toward the bike-tuning station out back if we needed it. A gear-rental closet has loaner daypacks, children’s backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags, as well as a luggage room to store your stay-put belongings if you’re headed into the backcountry for a few days.
Accommodations are simple but thoughtful, appointed with quiet nods to the outdoors, such as sporty coolers instead of fridges, bite-size energy bars left on your bedside table, and climbing rope looped through the roll of toilet paper. After running 30 miles, I soaked my sore legs in the hot tub and struck up a conservation with another guest, a woman who had spent the day mountain biking for the first time ever. In that moment, Field Station felt like exactly what an outdoorsy hotel should be: a community gathering place to swap stories about your adventures. Instead of hanging out in our room, I found myself drawn to the outdoor fire pit to enjoy a post-race beer, and the next morning, I lingered over coffee and a breakfast sandwich in the lobby’s comfy seating area. If you like the concept here, Field Station is scheduled to open a second outpost in Joshua Tree, California, in May.
ϳԹ Intel
Moab has an endless array of options for outdoor adventures, from canyoneering to rafting. It’s a mountain-biking and rock-climbing mecca and the gateway for exploring nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. I came to Moab mostly to trail-run and mountain-bike, but I did spend time wandering around Arches with my kids.
“If you’re going to do one thing in Arches National Park, go to the ,” Stephen Wojciechowski, Field Station’s assistant general manager, told me. “Everyone who goes into Arches wants to go to Delicate Arch, the busiest spot in the park, but there’s a lot more to see.”
I took Wojciechowski’s advice and got a to visit the Fiery Furnace, a maze of deep canyons with steep walls and hidden arches, and it was my kids’ favorite activity of the week. (During the busier season, you can also reserve a two-hour ranger-led hike; both it and self-guided permits are available up to seven days in advance.)
Wojciechowski also recommended exploring Arches’ , at the end of the park road, walking the Primitive Trail in a clockwise loop. “You can do up to eight miles of hiking and see up to ten arches,” he says. “That gives you a perfect afternoon in the park.”
You can spot arches outside the national park, too. Wojciechowski likes the three-mile round-trip hike to , west of Moab, which we did. It was both dog- and family-friendly. My kids scrambled up a metal ladder while gawking at the amazing view of the arch.
Fascinated by ancient petroglyphs? For a history lesson, we headed up Kane Springs Road and stopped by what’s called the , an accessible boulder with petroglyphs on all sides that’s thought to be sketched by Ancestral Puebloans and Native Ute Tribes more than 800 years ago.
The mountain biking in Moab is incredible in its vastness, offering a wide range of technical rides and more flowy singletrack. I rode the relatively new Trail twice, and with my kids I pedaled a section of the and a loop of the . If you want a guide, Bighorn Mountain Biking leads private guided rides of varying lengths in Dead Horse State Park, or you can book a lift with Hazard County Shuttle to the start of downhill trails like the new or the classic .
Choice Room
At Field Station, my husband and I opted for a spacious group-friendly room with two queen beds and bunk beds for our two kids. If you don’t need much space, standard rooms with a queen bed or two are also available. And starting this fall, Field Station is debuting select rooms with king-size beds designed with built-in portaledges, so you can get a feel for how big-wall climbers sleep.
Eat and Drink
Field Station Moab has a convenient grab-and-go café in the lobby, with breakfast pastries, coffee, smoothies, and snacks. Otherwise, is just up the road and offers an extensive burger menu, which is where we ate our first night in town. After the race, I refueled on tacos at the , and later in the week, we had lunch on the ’s outdoor patio. Sit-down breakfast at is hard to beat. Woody’s Tavern is a legendary dive bar with live music, and about once a month or so, local scientists show up to share their insight on anything from mosquitos to climate change during a series called .
When to Go
Spring and fall are busy in Moab, as visitors tend to avoid the scorching heat of midsummer. If you plan to visit Arches National Park during peak season, from April to October, you’ll need to reserve a time-stamped entry ahead of time. Better yet, come in the off-season, from November through March, and you’ll be treated to smaller crowds and more room to roam. Winters here are mild in terms of weather and snowfall, but temperatures can get chilly; expect averages in the forties in December and January.
How to Get There
Most travelers fly into Salt Lake City, then drive four hours south to Moab. Field Station is located a mile and a half north of downtown. Hotel staff can help book you a seat on one of the mountain-bike shuttles to the popular area trails, but most likely you’ll need a car to get around to various locales.
Don’t Miss
Watching the sun set at is a Moab highlight. This lesser-known state park has plenty of trails for hiking and mountain biking, and fewer visitors than the nearby national parks. Another worthy mention is Back of Beyond Books on Main Street; it’s just the place to pick up a travel-inspiring novel and browse its impressive collection devoted to local history and quirkier aspects of the outdoors.
Details
To Book:
Price: Rooms from $159; van sites $29
Address: 889 N Main St.
Moab, UT 84532
Megan Michelson is an ϳԹ contributing editor and avid traveler who’s originally from a small town in Northern California. She loves visiting desert landscapes in the Southwest because they are so different than the environment she’s used to, and because the sunsets are so much more colorful.