Arches National Park is located 5-miles outside of Moab, Utah and is one of the 15 most visited National Parks annually to explore the sandstone formations and arches galore. Arches oversees an average of more than 1.5 million visitors each year!
This picturesque desert landscape of sculpted rock gets eroded away by the powerful forces of both water and ice, paired with both extreme temperatures and the movement of underground salt. Scientists believe it took around 100 million years for erosion to create the arid and rocky landscape that is seen today. Thanks to these forces, Arches boasts an incredible catalogue of towering spires, pinnacles, balanced rocks, sandstone fins, and eroded monoliths.
There are over 2,000 catalogued arches ranging in size from a 3-foot opening (the minimum to be considered an arch) to the expansive, 306-foot Landscape Arch. The Landscape Arch can be found in the deepest reaches of the park, the Devils Garden. However, the most famous arch is Delicate Arch, which is easily recognized as the Arch that’s featured on Utah’s state license plate.
This desolate landscape was once called home by several different Native peoples. The Archaic peoples were here first, followed by the ancestral Puebloans, the Fremonts, and the Ute peoples. Each one of these groups have all scoured the vast desert in search of both animals and wild plants for food. The National Park is home to several well-preserved Petroglyph and Pictograph sites, providing the evidence of the different Native people’s presence here.
I spent a full day in Arches National, arriving just before sunrise. This turned out to be one of the best possible outcomes, because, as previously mentioned, Arches is one of the busiest National Parks in the NPS system. The line can extend for miles and can take several hours to pass through the entrance gates. It is advised to arrive as early as possible to avoid this stress.
I spent the morning driving to the Windows section of the park to watch the sunrise. As the sun crept over the horizon the golden rays of light stretched painting the red arches with a golden hue. The North Window transformed into a glowing cat eye. The eye was similar to that of Sauron’s from Lord of the Rings, who was always watching.
I spent the day driving the entirety of the scenic drive and stopping at any viewpoint or hike I could find. The drive is 19 miles from the entrance station to the Devil’s Garden. The drive features several pull offs that include exhibits, explaining the view and the terrestrial terrain that lies beyond.
22.5 Miles, One Desert in One Day
I hiked just about every trail that the park has to offer, finishing the day with a 7.9-mile roundtrip hike about an hour before sunset. In total I’d hiked about 22.5 miles. Each stop was just as rewarding as the last. My favorite stop turned out to be along the final hike of the day. I was close to not hiking this due to the exhaustion of how far I’d already traveled through the dry desert.
After a short deliberation I decided that I still had plenty of water and snacks so it should be worth the effort. The Double O Arch trail offers the largest variety of landscape out of any of the hikes in this National Park. The trail brought me to seven different arch formations and the Dark Angel rock formation. My favorite, however, was the Double O Arches. It should be noted that this trail is not for beginners as it is primitive, traversing steep ledges, narrow drop-offs and requiring a touch of rock scrambling. As these imposing arches come into view, I could see one large arch stacked on top of another with a thick sandstone layer separating the two. The larger of the two arches was on the top and measures in at 71 feet across, while the smaller one measures 21 feet across.
I was able to knock out everything this Park had to offer in one day, but easily could have spent a week exploring. This was a bucket list National Park. I’d heard, many times, just how beautiful it was and it did not disappoint. Arches National Park should be on everyone’s list. I cannot wait until the day when I get my chance to return!
