Moab Mindful Running Retreat (Lev I)

Program Start/ End Times 

Our program begins on Thursday at 2 pm, so we commend arriving no later than 1:30 pm. (Official check-in time to rooms at the Red Cliffs Lodge is 3 p.m., though you may sometimes be able to check in early.) Our program ends on Sunday at approximately 1 p.m., after lunch.

Many people opt to fly in the evening before the retreat begins, and drive to Moab on the morning of Day 1, and then fly out on evening of the last day (depending on where you're going to). Sorry, Run Wild Retreats does not book airfare. 

Where to Fly To

Option 1: We recommend the Grand Junction, Colorado, Regional airport, which is a 90-minute drive northeast of The Red Cliffs Lodge, located 17 miles from Moab. There are shuttles available from this airport to the Red Cliffs Lodge (see below for our recommendations) as well as rental cars.

Option 2: Another good choice is the Salt Lake City International Airport (a 4.5-hour drive from Moab) and renting a car.

Option 3: The Moab Airport (called Canyonlands Field Airport) is located just 10 miles from Moab, and currently has flights from Salt Lake City and Denver.

Getting From the Airport to the Red Cliffs Lodge 

We offer retreat participants a sign-up sheet through which they can coordinate ride shares with others who are on a similar travel plan as you for either rental cars (which are in short supply) or shuttles. This will make it easy to split the cost of a private shuttle shuttle or taxi from the airport to Red Cliffs Lodge, which doesn't have scheduled shuttle service. Shuttle services are available between Grand Junction or the Moab Airports and the Red Cliffs Lodge through these providers:

Moab Express https://moabexpress.com/

Moab Taxi Cab https://moabtaxicab.com/

Our program begins at 2:00 pm at  Red Cliffs Lodge. After checking in and settling into your room, we’ll have an official welcome orientation meeting, during which your retreat leader will review what’s in store for the upcoming days and answer your questions. After the meeting, we’ll carpool (kindly asking for volunteers) to a nearby trail for our first group run. After a short warm up, we’ll pause and practice the key elements of the Power Posture, after which we’ll put these tips into practice during our relaxed shake out run. After freshening up back at the lodge, we’ll enjoy a fresh-prepared meal at the Red Cliffs Lodge’s Cowboy Grill.

Time on trail (including breaks and clinic): 90 minutes (approx)

Meals: D

We begin the day with breakfast at the lodge, then drive to the Dino Trail. Part three of the Natural Running Form Clinic will give you the secret to using breath to regulate pace and efficiency while running on trails. Discover the ease of managing your effort level with this simple technique during today’s scenic and rewarding trail run that takes us along a scenic loop trail featuring “slickrock” (which is actually grippy sandstone) and vast desert views.

Near the trail’s end, we’ll search for real petrified dinosaur bones embedded in a rock face, then return to the guide vans for a picnic lunch provided by a local cafe. Before we leave you have the option to explore the Dinosaur Tracksite interpretive trail, where you can see footprints dinosaurs left behind hundreds of millions of years ago! Upon return to the lodge, you'll have a few hours of free time before we again ask volunteers to carpool into town, where we’ll enjoy a restorative yoga class designed for runners (no experience needed!), then dinner at a fabulous downtown restaurant.

Time on trail (including breaks and clinic): 2 - 3 hours

Meals: B, L, D

After breakfast at the lodge, our guides will drive us to a local trailhead at the Navajo Rocks Trails. After an easy warm-up section of trail, we’ll pause for our second Natural Running Form clinic that will give you the tools and tips to run more efficiently. Our run contours along the base of massive red cliff walls on fun, rolling terrain. After about an hour, you have the option to end your run here, or continue another hours (approximately) on an out-and-back section of trail.

Once we return to Red Cliffs Lodge, we’ll have lunch on the River Deck, followed by free time to freshen up before our afternoon sharing circle. Tonight we’re in for a special treat at a neighboring ranch (asking one last time for a few volunteers to help with the 5-minute drive), where we’ll enjoy a farm-to-table feast.

Time on trail (including breaks and clinic): 2 – 3 hours

Meals: B, L, D

After eating breakfast and checking out of our rooms (you can store your luggage in your vehicle or with the front desk), it’s a short drive with our guides to the final out-and-back trail run that is truly a celebration in the simple joy and adventure of running for our own health and happiness. While it begins with a bit of an uphill hike and some brief exposure to heights (even a short ladder!), this rewarding run is worth the effort to soak up the views and see the soaring Fisher Towers. You can choose to all the way to the trail’s end or turn around at any point along the way.
Upon our return to the lodge, you will have some free time to shower and change before we enjoy a catered picnic lunch before our final Sharing Circle, reflections and farewells, wrapping up by 12:30 p.m., leaving plenty of time for your airport transfers or travels home.

Time on trail (including breaks): 2 – 2.5 hours

Meals: B, L