National Parks are the gems of America. They are uniquely American. There really aren’t other places in the world where huge swaths of the natural landscape are preserved for tourists to enjoy in an accessible way. The idea of preserving these amazing natural wonders is part of the conservative mindset that many Americans have when it comes to land. Founded in 1929, Arches National Park boasts over 2,000 arches and acres of unique rock formations, fins, and soaring pinnacles. You’ll be in awe as you drive through!
While in Moab, Utah it was my goal to visit Arches National Park. I started of at 5.30 am in the morning and didn’t leave until 10.30pm at night to get the entire park done which was well worth it.
I started of with the Delicate Arch which is the landmark of Arches National Park. The hike to Delicate Arch is 3 miles round trip and is estimated to take 2-3 hours. It’s one of the more strenuous hikes in Arches National Park. With that hike taken off the list, I decided to go for seeing more things with the time I had.
Here are some of the other attractions/arches to check out.
Balanced Rock
This is such an easy hike and stop to see! You can walk around the entire feature too. Easily identifiable while driving, this huge rock formation is called “Balanced Rock” because the foundation under the large rock is eroding faster than the top, so eventually, it will crumble. Definitely worth a quick look and photo op!
Double Arch
I think this is a must-stop! These are the tallest arches in the park and are incredible to hike around! It’s a short walk from the parking lot and you can hike up into these arches! It’s hard to describe just how massive they are until you’re next to them. This is a very popular spot, so just know you’ll encounter people! I was fortunate that during our time around the park, there weren’t too many people because of the time of day and season.
North and South Window Arches
From the same parking lot as Double Arch, you can hike on over to the Window Arches. These are two arches that just look like they were punched out of the rock face. The North Window is accessible by trail, but the South one is not. This arch is super fun to explore and as a photographer, if you do it just right, you can take a photo of Turret Arch through the North Window.
Turret Arch
Accessible from the same parking lot, it’s just across from the Window Arches. This arch is quite a bit smaller, but a fun one to see while your close by. Be sure to hike up to viewpoint between the arches to get a cool look at the La Sal mountains!
Delicate Arch Viewpoint
The trail to the Upper Viewpoint of Delicate Arch from the parking lot is quite the uphill climb. You might be a bit winded after, but the view is great and there’s a lot of slick rock area you can hike around on to get different angles. The good news is that the hike back to the car is all downhill.
Devil’s Garden
There are multiple ways to experience Devil’s Garden. From the parking lot, it is an easy walk, if a little bit longer than some other trails. This one is cool because you get to walk through some red rock walls and feel like you’re in a “canyon” so to speak. This was also one of the spots where we saw the most distinct striations in the rock faces. Looking at Devil’s Garden though is just so different than the other scenery you find in Arches. It’s a really neat spot.
Fiery Furnace Viewpoint
A very easy and accessible trail to see these unique rock formations! The valley is said to become burning red near sunset.
This is just barely scratching the surface of what is available to do in the park. I think it would be amazing to camp here a few days just to explore everything you can! There are a few tips and resources that I found helpful for our experience at Arches.
- Make sure you have enough water! Moab is a desert landscape, so it is very dry! Also wear lots of sunscreen as the atmosphere is thinner there so you’ll burn more easily.
- Take time to just stop and “ooh” and “aah” over whatever you come across! There are dozens of pull off spots on the main road to take in the stunning scenery you’ll see.
- Timing is key. If you’re a photographer like I am, the timing of seeing all the features is key for getting more dynamic photos. I love late afternoon light, but some of the features were so backlit that it was hard to get good detailing if you want that. I also found that going later in the day was great for temperatures and there weren’t as many people around.
- Do some research! The site for Arches National Park has some great info and resources.
- Wear hiking shoes! It’s just so much more comfortable and stable for you if you want to climb some of the slick rock under the arches. Plus you don’t have to worry about stubbing toes or getting sand between your toes.
- Follow all rules! They are very particular about where you walk and don’t walk because the soil there is actually alive! It’s full of microbiomes and organisms and that are apart of the desert ecology.
For info about the Arches National Park visit :
