Arches
Arches National Park contains more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches, the greatest concentration of them in the world. You will find giant balanced rocks, towering spires, pinnacles and fins in every direction.
The park is conveniently located 4 miles north of Moab, Utah. The visitor center can be easily spotted from highway 191, making it hard to miss if you’re in the area. Convenience does come at a price, the park can quickly become crowded from 10:00-4:00 during the peak summer season.
Pro Tip- Beat the crowds by visiting in the early morning or early evening.
Arches Scenic Drive
The majority of iconic views and landmarks are easily accessed on the Arches Scenic Drive. The 18 mile road will take you passed dozens of viewpoints and hiking trails throughout the park. Giving you a well-rounded glimpse of everything Arches has to offer.
One of the first look-outs will be the La Sal Mountain viewpoint, which was one of my favorites due to the mountains in the background. It was eye opening to see such a drastic landscape change in such a short distance. (This viewpoint is great for sunset photo opportunities)
I found the Petrified Dunes viewpoint to be intriguing since a few days prior I had explored Great Sand Dunes National Park, which seemed so much more alive than the ones here at Arches.
Petrified Sand Dunes
The parking area at the Balanced Rock viewpoint was nearly full when I arrived but the trail taking you closer was not too crowded. I recommend making the quick loop, it gives you multiple perspectives and a variety of photo opportunities.
No caption necessary for this one.
Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch is the parks most prominent feature and is located passed the turn off for Wolfe Ranch. There is a 3 mile trail that will take you up the ridge and get you up close and personal. However, there are two other viewpoints that are much shorter and still provide good but distant views (Lower and Upper Delicate Arch view).
Delicate Arch from the Lower Viewpoint w/ a zoom lens. (The dark speck is a person!)
The Fiery Furnace viewpoint, in the middle of the park provide a unique display of spires and pinnacles throughout the valley.
The scenery will become more rugged once you reach the north end of the park, known sinisterly as the Devil’s Garden. Which happens to be where the scenic drive ends. Don’t turn around just yet though. Take the Devil’s Garden Trailhead head for .08 miles down a graded path. It will take you passed numerous named arches before eventually leading you right up the the base of Landscape Arch, in my opinion the craziest arch in the park. The span is measured nearly 300 feet across!
Landscape Arch!
Rest assured, Arches offers plenty of hiking opportunities for those looking to get off the beaten path and venture deeper into the park. The trails range from .03 miles (Balanced Rock), to mid-range 4.2 miles (Double O Arch). If you are really looking for a challenge check out the 7.2 mile Devil’s Garden Trail which combines the the Double O and Landscape Arch by a primitive trail.
Camping
Arches National Park only has one camping area, the Devil’s Garden. Half of the sites are first come first serve and the others are available for reservation.
Pro-Tip: There are 7 different BLM campgrounds right on the banks of the Colorado River less than 10 minutes from the park. I stayed at Goose Island and found it to be a pleasant place to stargaze. Below is an aerial view of my spot!
Goose Island Campground (just outside the park)
Overall,
I found the park to be well designed and suited for the increasing number of visitors. The easy accessibility makes visiting Arches a no-brainer. If you were on a time crunch you could hit most of the viewpoints in half a day but I would encourage you to set aside a little more time. It is always best to fully immerse yourself in the environment and not be in a rush.
Planning a visit one of the National Parks? Learn more here.
Bonus: The Moab area of Utah is known to have dark skies. Below is a picture I took at the campsite pictured above.
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