ARCHES
As a part of our first National Parks road trip in the spring of 2017, Arches was one of the major stops we planned for. Located near the town of Moab in southeastern Utah, it is one of the first parks we visited where we found that most of it could be viewed just through driving. But we found ways to ensure that hiking was high on the priority list for our time within the park. When we first arrived we were greeted with a long line of cars at the gates, which seems to be typical as this is the only tourist entrance into the park. After driving up to the top of the mesa on a somewhat curvy road, we could see many of the arches and landmarks in the near distance. We took the road all the way out to its terminal point at the Devil’s Garden trail head. Here we spent the afternoon hiking through one of the best hikes you could hope for, a giant rock jungle gym with amazing views and landmarks to see along the way (including seven arches). After this hike we back tracked on the road to see three additional arches before heading into Moab for the evening.
Early the next day, we got to the park just after sunrise to make a trek out to Delicate Arch, which is probably the most photographed arch in the park. Going early was a great thing to do because it meant that it was quiet and secluded, allowing for unobstructed views of this beautiful landmark. This hike also gave us a bit of exercise as we drove to Turret Arch, the Windows and Nosebridge, and Double Arch, which were all short distances from where we parked the car. The last little bit of hiking the park gave us was a jaunt down Park Avenue, where high walled landmarks make you feel like you are on a street in New York City.
Arches National Park is on the traditional and stolen land of the Ute people.
Listen while you look! These buttons will link you to the podcast episode(s) for this park and gallery.
