Arches National Park

July 27th and 28th

We decided to take the advice of the Visitor Center person regarding seeing Arches in the mornings and saving Canyonlands for afternoon.  However, we did not take her advice regarding hiking in to see Delicate Arch, which is one of the well-known arches in the park.  The hike in was 3 miles round trip, with a moderate elevation change, the most difficult portion on ledge.  However, preparation is everything- water, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and walking shoes- all set!  We were on the trail by 7:45am, the temperature was 81 and it was sunny.  We did not have much difficulty, although I was a little concerned by descriptions of the last portion of the trail, which was on a narrow ledge.  I was picturing a 2 foot wide ledge with a steep drop on one side and a wall on the other.  When we reached that area, the ledge was wider than a city sidewalk.  However, there was a steep drop and there was a wall on one side.

The close view of Delicate Arch was really worth the hike.  It is out there by itself, with one side (or leg) looking as if it could collapse at any moment.  It took us about 2 hours for the round-trip hike.  We took a side trail at the end to view some petroglyphs.  We were back in the car at 10 am, the temperature was up to 88.  It was a smart idea to hike early!

The next morning, we were on the trail to Landscape Arch at 8:15am.  The temperature was a wonderful 72 degrees with a nice breeze. The trail to Landscape Arch, another of the iconic arches in the park, was about one and one half miles round trip.  The arch, at 308 feet from base to base, is the longest known freestanding arch in the world.  The trail was pretty easy, primarily gravel path with only a very minor elevation change.  The arch was spectacular to see.  One end was very thin, appearing as if it could fall at any moment.  As a matter of fact, in 1991 it came close to it.  Hikers were sitting under the arch and saw some gravel and sand falling from the arch, followed by cracking and popping noises.  As they scrambled from underneath the span, a 65 foot piece suddenly broke off and fell to the ground.  There area is now fenced, and visitors are no longer allowed under the arch.  I'm just glad it was still there for us to see!

The Gossips

Delicate Arch

Pictographs

Yikes!

Landscape Arch

We returned to our vehicle and continued to tour the park.  We walked in to see Sand Dune arch, trudging through soft sand on our way through the fins.  We then drove down to see Double Arch and walked a mile round trip to see the North and South Window, as well as Turret Arch.  This park was truly spectacular.  Although several of the well-known arches require some walking, much of the beauty of this area can be appreciated by anyone from the viewpoints and from the road, so add it to your list!