Moab is a small town with enormous scenery. Arches National Park starts about five miles north of Main Street, Canyonlands Island in the Sky is roughly forty minutes away, and Dead Horse Point State Park sits on the same road. You do not need a complicated plan, but a few decisions made in advance will save a lot of time, especially if you visit in the cooler months when daylight is short.
What to book ahead
Start with lodging, because Moab fills quickly in spring and autumn. Next, decide which activities need a reservation: a Hell's Revenge off-road tour, a scenic flight, a guided mountain bike ride and a stargazing tour all run on set departures and sell out in busy weeks. Arches has used timed-entry reservations for daytime arrivals in recent peak seasons, roughly spring through autumn, and not in every year or month, so check the park's site; when none applies you can enter during operating hours with a valid pass. Reservations are still required for the Devils Garden campground and for Fiery Furnace hikes. Everything else, including Delicate Arch, Island in the Sky and Dead Horse Point, can be done without advance booking, though busy weekends still bring lines and full parking lots.
Shoulder-season reality
In the cooler months, the season changes. Colorado River rafting is mostly finished for the year, nights are cold and ice can form on slickrock trails, including the Delicate Arch route. Daylight is short, so start your hikes early and carry a headlamp. The upside is calm crowds, cooler hiking weather and excellent light for photography. Island in the Sky has winter visitor center hours, and the dirt Shafer Trail is often impassable in snow and ice.
Getting around
You need a car. There is no public transport to the parks, and the distances are real: Arches is a short drive, Island in the Sky about forty minutes, and Highway 128 along the river another half hour. Fill your fuel tank in Moab, carry water (the parks suggest about a gallon per person per day) and download offline maps because mobile signal is patchy. If you prefer not to drive, a guided tour covers the highlights.
How many days
Two days covers the essentials: one for Arches, including the Delicate Arch hike, and one for Island in the Sky and Dead Horse Point. Three days lets you add Corona Arch, a Hell's Revenge tour or a mountain bike ride. Four or five days allow a scenic flight, a stargazing night, the Highway 128 drive and a slower pace.
How the sights fit together
Think in clusters. Arches and Corona Arch are the north-and-west cluster. Island in the Sky and Dead Horse Point share an access road, so do them together, ideally with Dead Horse Point at sunset. Hell's Revenge and the Slickrock Trail are on the Sand Flats side of town, and Fisher Towers and the river are along Highway 128. Save the Delicate Arch hike for a morning or a weekday if you can, since sunset draws hundreds of people.
Fees and passes
Arches charges a per-vehicle entrance fee, Canyonlands has its own entrance fee and Dead Horse Point State Park charges a per-vehicle day-use fee. If you plan to see both national parks, an annual park pass is the best value for US residents, and non-resident fees apply at some parks, so check the park sites before you go.
Safety
The desert is unforgiving. Carry more water than you think you need, stay on trails, avoid exertion in extreme heat and watch for ice in winter. Do not climb on arches, and keep children away from unfenced rims. Pair your sightseeing with a hearty dinner on Main Street and an early night, and you will be ready for sunrise.
