Moab is isolated. There is no passenger rail service and no commercial airport serving the town directly. Almost everyone arrives by car.
By air: The nearest large airports are Salt Lake City (SLC, 230 miles) and Grand Junction, Colorado (GJT, 110 miles). Grand Junction is the closer option but has fewer flights; Salt Lake City has more options but a longer drive. Both are connected to Moab by US-191 — the 3.5-4 hour drive from Salt Lake is scenic through the Wasatch Range and Spanish Valley.
By car on US-191 is the standard approach. From Salt Lake City, take I-15 south to US-6, then south on US-191 through Price and Green River to Moab. From Denver, I-70 west to Crescent Junction (US-191 south) is the most direct route — about 4.5 hours in good conditions.
By bus: Greyhound does not serve Moab directly. Shuttle services operate seasonally between Salt Lake City and Moab; book through companies like Arches Shuttle or Bighorn Express. These are useful if flying without a rental car.
Car rental is essential once you arrive — without a vehicle, most of the surrounding parks and trails are inaccessible. High-clearance 4WD is useful (and required for some backcountry roads) but not necessary for the main parks.