If you guessed that Arches National Park was known for well, arches, you might be right.
We spent a month just outside of the park exploring it, Moab, and nearby Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park.
There are a number of hiking options within the park, some jam-packed with tourists (Delicate Arch) and some well off the beaten path (Tower Arch).
We’d advise going mid-week in a non-tourist time, because we saw the wait at the entrance stretching all the way out to the highway, probably 3/4 mile! Luckily we found a back way into the park, you just need a high clearance 4wd and a passenger with a strong constitution 🙂
Dark Angel
This is supposed to be an impressive sight by how it differs from the surrounding terrain, but I thought it was a waste of hiking time overall.
Double O Arch
I can see the Double O’s, and I can see the tourists lined up in the lower O!
Landscape Arch
The 5th longest arch in the world, after 4 in China. 290 feet makes for a very impressive view!
Delicate. Arch.
The span of rock above me doesn’t seem so big or strong from this angle!
Utah Icon
Delicate Arch is the singular iconic symbol of Utah’s red rock country. In fact, if you look on Utah license plates you’ll see this very arch.
Arch Walk
Taking a stroll under Delicate Arch
Magic
It’s a magical world out here among the many layers of colorful sandstone.
Sinister Eyes
With the right light, the Windows look like very sinister eyes coming out of the earth.
Geometry
Only in Utah!
Perspective
I have a ton of photos titled ‘Perspective’, but it really takes something like this to show the sheer scale of these arches.
Natural Geometry
The geometry of Double Arch makes it amazing for photos when you can avoid the crowds.
Gossiping at the Organ
A view of the Three Gossips and The Organ from the La Sal Mountains Viewpoint.
Tower Arch
A very nice thing about Tower Arch is that it’s just not very convenient. A long drive along a bumpy dirt road, then a hike up to it – this keeps the tourist crowds away! We hiked into it from outside the park up a sandy wash, and we certainly enjoyed the solitude.
