Arches Park is a true wonderland, containing more than 1500 recognized natural arches, ranging in size from just a few feet to the 305 foot span of mammoth Landscape. This is the world's largest concentration of natural stone arches,as a result of erosion and weathering over thousands of years.

The first thing to do is stop at the Visitors Center which is just a few miles from the center of Moab. (route US 191) Here at the Center you can watch an orientation film and have all of your questions answered by a ranger.Pick up a self-guide booklet.

From the Visitor Center the main road climbs into the heart of the arches. Your first experience will be Moab Canyon, a multi-hued example of geological slippage. About six million years ago activity along the Moab fault caused one section of the canyon to shift resulting in rock formations on the bottom of one side that are identical in age with those on the far side of the canyon. Further along you'll see South Park Overlook...giant sandstone rickfaces that rise sheer on either side of a dry creek bed. Appearing as though it is defying gravity is Balanced Rock, a formation that looks like it might fall down at any moment. And on and on...so many arches, so many wonderful sites to see and experience. Don't miss this.

Details:

Admission to Arches National Park is $10/car. Admission is included if you have a valid National Park Pass.

There is a visitor center at the entrance to the park. However, there is no food or fuel available. My recommendation is to fuel up (on food and fuel) before entering the park.

Hikes:

There are a lot of good hikes for people who do not normally do a lot of hiking (like me!)

We never such large boulders as the ones we saw on the Park Avenue hike. Some had to be over 12 feet tall!

The Windows Loop Trail is a one mile round-trip trail that takes anywhere from 30-60 minutes. On this trail, you can hike to North and South Windows and Turret Arch. Across the parking lot is the Double Arch Trail. This is a .5 mile round-trip trail to two giant arch spans which are joined at one end. This flat, sandy trail takes about 15-30 minutes. While we were at Arches, there were ranger-led hikes to Double Arch. This proved to be a good opportunity to learn more about the animals and plants in the region.

We also hiked from the Delicate Arch parking area to the Delicate Arch Viewpoint. This is nice alternative to the popular trail to Delicate Arch, as it is short (100 yards round-trip) and accessible.

We would have liked to do more hikes in Arches. But unfortunately, our time in Moab was limited, and there was a lot to see.

Moab is an amazing place to be situated between Arches (see other journal entry) and Canyonland National Parks.

Canyonlands NP is about 10 miles south of Moab. The park is divided into sections by rivers. We visited the "Island in the sky" district.

Awesome scenery abounds, and it is accessible by trails, roads, and even some four-wheel-drive road which were fun.

My daughter and I loved four-wheel driving (allowed with permit) in the creek beds, but my wife wasn't impressed. You do need to be careful, because you can become remotely stranded, and rescue/tow can cost thousands of dollars.

Arches National Park is a must-see if you are in southeast Utah.

It has breath-taking scenery, with red rock formations and natural arches everywhere. The park is well-organized and accessible so even short easy hikes are extremely rewarding.

Arches is the kind of park you can see in a day, but you could stay much longer, since it is so awesome.

Entrance fee was $10 per car....and you will need a car, unless you are very, very hardy. Of the national parks I have been to, Arches is my favorite. Absolutely incredible and must-see.

The park is located 5 miles north of Moab. Arches National Park features the largest concentration of natural stone arches in the world. There must be a minimum of a three foot opening in order for it to be considered an arch; the largest in the park 306 feet from base to base at a height of 105 feet.

There are over 1,500 cataloged arches in the park, and most are accessible via road, hike or unpaved road. The paved road (21 miles) takes the visitor through the Windows Section, Skyline Arch, Fiery Furnace, Double Arch, Delicate Arch, Balanced Rock and Park Avenue. Delicate Arch can be reached by a 3-mile round trip but an observation area is within walking distance from the parking lot.

A great area to hike is through Devil’s Garden, which has a great number of arches. The hike is 2 miles from the parking lot to Double O Arch. The drive right after the entrance gates is absolutely wonderful. It is a winding road cut into the sheer sandstone wall. Once at the top, there is a pullout area, which has tremendous views. Once you turn the next stretch of road, the road opens up to an almost flat red desert scene. This desert scene is broken by dramatic vistas of arches, balanced rocks, spires and pinnacles.

There is no food or lodging in the park, but there is a campground in the Devil Garden area. Reservations are only taken for parties over 10 people. There is no water or chemical toilet from November to mid-March, but once the water is turned off the campsites are free.

Some of the activities in the park other than hiking are backpacking, technical rock climbing and biking. Pass for overnight hiking are free and must be obtained at the visitor center. The park and visitor’s center is open year round. One of my visits to the park was a few days after the Christmas holidays and the images were almost surreal. The snow nestled on the red rocks made for dramatic views.