Our Visit to Arches National Park:
A few short miles from the town of Moab, Utah, on a bright sunny day with deep blue sky, we pulled up to the entrance station of Arches National Park. The rich, red color reflected the afternoon sun off of a cliff, with a road that went to the top of the cliff before it disappeared behind a bend. We could not contain our anticipation of what’s to come.
Red Park Avenue
The car strained a bit as we drove up the side of the cliff, the buildings and cars below became little dots and the vista expanded. It felt like we went up a long uphill ramp of a roller coaster, with the roar of the engine instead of the click-clacking sound of a coaster chain. When we reached the top and came around the bend, we were greeted with tall red sandstone formations aptly named Park Avenue and Courthouse Towers. A short walk got us in the middle of tall rocks soaring some 600 feet into the air with names like The Gossip, The Courthouse Towers, and The Organ. Are these formations taller than the buildings on Park Avenue? Officially, no, because the tallest building on Park Avenue in New York is an ugly skinny looking building more than 1300 feet tall, but these formations are much grander and beautiful. These rocks burned with fury, stoked by the afternoon sun. This was the opening act of Arches, full of color and dominance.
Hanging in the Balance
Balanced Rock made me wonder if this was God suspending the laws of physics. There was the usual geological explanation on how the formation happened but that’s not what I focused on. Intellectually I knew this hasn’t moved for thousands of years, but I couldn’t help but wonder if it will tip over in the next hour. A short hike took me up close and personal to the rock. I walked all the way around the rock. The different vantage points, with different lighting and shadow from the sun, gave dramatically different shades and feelings. I really liked the view when the sun is directly behind the rock, which created a silhouette that appeared to have a ring of fire from the side of the rock.
When will it fall down?
The Delicate Arch overlook trail took us to a viewpoint with the much photographed and impossible looking arch in the distance. To get closer required a moderate hike but we chose to admire it from a distance. How does nature do this? How can this not be man made? Did the Gateway Arch in St. Louis get its inspiration from the Delicate Arch? The arch looked fragile. It stood alone. Would a strong gust of wind blow it down? It’s been there far longer than people have been around.
Double Trouble
We went on a couple of good hikes in the Windows and the Double Arch area. These were relatively short hikes that were very satisfying. One path led us past the rock formation that looked like several elephants following each other like a circus, before we reached two arches back to back. We looked up from the bottom of the arches and felt the enormous scale of the arches. We are tiny creatures in the scale of these rocks.
Window to the World
The other path from the same parking area took us to several “holes in the wall” that looked like giant windows of a house. The red rock framed the deep blue sky that created the perfect color combination and a feeling of depth. We sat in front of the North Window, refreshed ourselves with water, banana, and nuts as we soaked in the beauty that is beyond description in words and photos. Although we waited patiently on a not-so-crowded day for the people to disperse in order to take a photo, the stream of people kept coming and I gave up. Strangely, even with the people around, the space still felt wide open and uncrowded as the blue sky through the window mesmerized me and forgot about the people around me.
Fragile Bridge
The Landscape Arch greeted us after a short hike. This looked more like a bridge than an arch. The “bridge” that spanned 308 feet looked so thin it could collapse just by walking on it. In fact, there was a trail that went above and under this arch until 180 tons of rocks fell in 1991 with a thundering crack. Fortunately, people heard the crack and evacuated before the rocks fell. The dilemma for the Park Service: Should they reopen the trail after 26 years of stability? Safety or enjoyment? I advocate reopening the trail with a stern warning to explore at your own risk. Which side are you on?
Broken and Sand Dune Arches
A flat hike over a sandy path took us across a meadow to an arch called Broken Arch but there appears to be nothing “broken” about this arch. It was named Broken Arch because of the crack in the middle of the arch. This was an easy 1.4 mile round trip walk, and a fun climb under the arch to get to both sides for fantastic views.
Sand Dune Arch, from the same parking area as Broken Arch trail head, was also fun to visit. A very short trail got us past a slit slot in the rocks that was barely shoulder width, and got us to a small arch on very sandy ground with tall red rocks surrounding it. The tall red rocks had the red glow of the afternoon sun, but the arch and the sandy area was in the shade. It was perfect to just sit back in the shade, relax and take a nap!
Time to Reflect
The arches invited me to spend time just to observe and reflect. I thought about the larger picture, the larger context. The right mix of rock density at the right location had to be in place before the process of erosion over millions of years created these beautiful and improbable formations. Were these really just random events or were they planned by God to play out over millions of years? Human time scale measured in decades and centuries are inconsequential compared with nature’s time scale measured in millions of years. What does that all mean? I concluded nothing man made can compare with the beauty of nature.
Thought for Arches National Park:
Variety leads to the unique, just like the variety of rock density forms the base to create the uniquely beautiful arches. Build variety in your life to create beautiful results.
Impressions of Arches National Park:
Arches National Park has one of the highest enjoyment per effort. It’s easy to visit with an excellent scenic drive. The park is compact where excellent trails lead to rewarding scenes that are close to the arch for a close look. Some even pass right through the arch. The beauty is up close, and personal. The scenic reward is well worth the effort expended on the hike.
Have you visited Arches National Park? Leave a comment below on your experience.
Arches National Park Rating:
(Note: Ratings are on a bell curve, which means there are as many 5 star ratings as 1 star ratings. All National Parks are wonderful, which makes this a very strict rating scale)
| Element | Rating (out of 5 Stars) |
|---|---|
| Scenery | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Variety | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Accessibility | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Touring | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Hiking | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Wildlife | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Overall | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
Guide to Arches National Park:
Top Attractions at Arches National Park:
- Delicate Arch
- Balanced Rock
- Windows
- Landscape Arch
- Double Arch
- Park Avenue
- Sand Dune Arch
- Broken Arch
- Skyline Arch
- Courthouse Towers
- Devil’s Garden Trail
- Fiery Furnace (if you can get on a ranger led tour)
One Day Visit Plan:
- While it’s possible to visit Arches National Park in one day, two days would allow you to enjoy the park much more.
- Drive all the way to the Devil’s Garden. Hike the Devin’s Garden Trail to Landscape Arch
- Start the drive back. Stop at Skyline Arch. Hike the trail
- Stop at Sand Dune Arch parking area. Hike to Sand Dune Arch. Hike to Broken Arch if your planned day is long and have the time.
- Take the turn at Delicate Arch drive. Go to the end and hike the Delicate Arch View Trail to get a distant view of the famous arch. If you have more than a day, hike the Delicate Arch trail to the arch itself.
- Continue the drive back and take the Windows spur to the end. Take the Double Arch trail to Double Arch and the Parade of Elephants. Then cross the parking lot and hike the Windows Trail to visit the North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch.
- Get back on the main road and stop at Balanced Rock. Hike the trail that goes around the famous rock.
- Continue back and stop at Courthouse Towers viewpoint.
- Stop at Park Avenue. Take the hike if time allows.
Practical Info for Visiting Arches National Park:
- National Park Service implemented a timed entry reservation system from April to October, between the hours of 7 am and 4 pm. See the NPS web site to get the reservation.
- This park can be visited in one long day, or a couple of shorter days.
- Arches Scenic Drive is 17.7 miles from the entrance gate to Devils Campground. There are two spurs. Delicate Arch viewpoint is a 2.2 mile spur and Windows section spur is 2.5 miles. This park is compact and you won’t spend a lot of time driving.
- Start early. It’s not as crowded and the morning sun makes the red rocks more colorful than at mid-day.
- Summer can get very hot. Visit after 4pm for cooler temperatures and better light, especially for photography. See traffic tips page
- Take as many hikes as you can. The view from the car is nice but the real beauty require hikes. Most of the hikes are short and has great reward to effort ratio.
- The town of Moab is the gateway to both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, with excellent services.
- Bring ample supply of water. This is desert climate and you will need water to say hydrated. Water is available at the visitor center.
- Pack lunch and snacks. Relaxing by an arch with some food surrounded by beauty is highly enjoyable. Be sure to pack out everything. Do not leave anything behind except your foot prints.
Arches National Park Facts:
- Size: 76,519 acres, ranked 42nd
- Visitors: 1,482,045 in 2023, ranked 21st. Record year was 1,806,865 in 2021
- Peak Month in 2023: 172,114 in May
- Low Month in 2023: 31,427 in January
- Entrance Fee: $30 per vehicle; $2 reservation fee for timed entry.
