I took one of my bestie’s 18-year-old son to Moab so he could start checking off the national parks he wants to hike in. When looking for a place to stay I found Moab Springs Ranch. Having been to Moab multiple times, I can tell you its location on the north side of town is perfect. It’s close enough to run into town for food and, being on the north side, it’s easier to head to Arches National Park and Island in the Sky unit of Canyonlands National Park because you don’t have to deal with town traffic. Moab Springs Ranch has stand-alone bungalows and 1-3 bedroom townhomes nestled into the side of a mountain with lots of shade from cottonwood trees.
I arrived late afternoon and checked-in with my friend Jenn, assistant manager of the property. Next to the office is Horsethief Coffee. A great property with a delightful coffeehouse is right up my alley. Both the office and coffee shop are in a historic ranch house. I drove up to Bungalow #35 just in time to catch sunset. I did a very short hike to an overlook on property and enjoyed a beautiful desert sunset. We stayed three nights and on our last morning, we got an amazing sunrise of pink and orange hues filling the sky. The property’s front yard is an amazing view. It’s backyard is the Slickrock Mesa Wilderness with a lovely trail behind the bungalows you can hike down to the Meadow area.
As soon as I entered our bungalow I knew I had found the right spot for us. I like that the bungalows are free-standing and you don’t have to worry about hearing noisy neighbors through a shared wall. Have a private porch hit big bonus points with me too. You also have drive-up access and parking next to your bungalow. Our had the covered porch in the front. Some of the bungalows have the porch on back.
Inside, the bungalows are studio style living. Ours was a premium double bungalow with two beds (king and queen). I was pleasantly surprised with how much space there is in the bungalows. As you enter, there’s hooks to hang your gear next to a large television. There’s a chair and ottoman next to the queen bed and a loveseat at the end. The small dining table and chairs is the perfect size for the bungalow. It gives you a place to eat without taking up a ton of a space. In the kitchenette there’s a cooktop, mini fridge, microwave, coffee pot/kettle, basic cooking accesories, dishes, and silverware. There’s local coffee grounds, creamer, and teas for you to enjoy, which I did! When I needed a little more cream and tea, I filled out a form in room and left it under mat. When we came back from adventuring, I had a small bag of replenishments hanging from the door handle. I really loved that kind of housekeeping instead of people walking into your space while you’re out. The bathroom is huge. Some bungalows have bathtubs or shower/tub combination. Ours had an oversized walk-in rain-head shower next to the spacious vanity area. The toilet is in a small room, which is always nice to have that seperate from sink space. This bungalow easily accomodates 2-4 people. We loved ours and left wishing we had more time in the best bungalows in Moab.
Our bungalow had a couple of extra special touches I really loved. The first was a box of homemade treats for us to enjoy. Second was the colorful artful. The two pieces over the beds are titled “Time Was” and “Birth of Beauty.” They are the creations of local artist Yrma van dear Steenstraeten, who lives in Castle Valley. The third one made me laugh. It was a tiny dinosaur on top of the soap in the shower.
Moab Springs Ranch has an interesting history too. It is the oldest continuously occupied settlement in Moab. Ancestral Fremont Culture First Americans settled along the springs followed by the Elk Mountain Band of the Ute Nation. The Spanish Trail, which linked Santa Fe to California passed through here in the early 1800s. Moab’s first permanent non-native settler, William Grandstaff, built stone cabins here in the 1880s. The Ranch House was build by Moab’s Taylor Family in the 1890s. They used locally fired brick for the large home now on the National Historic Register. Moab Springs Ranch even has Wild West tales and a connection to the Kennedys. After robbing the San Miguel Bank in Telluride, Colorado, in 1889, Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch camped here. In 1950, Robert and Ethel Kennedy honeymooned in the Ranch House.
For best rates and less crowds, visit Moab in the late fall, winter, or early spring. For itinerary details on this trip, check out Jennifer‘s post on How to Spend Two Days in Moab Visiting Arches and Canyonlands.
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