Arches National Park

by Albert Vandervelde

We travel each year to Moab for the Easter Jeep Safari but if you make the trek, the area has amazing geological features and a rich history with native Americans that should not be overlooked. From Arches National Park to Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point the area offers some of the most unique views and history on the planet.

Arches National Park is home to Delicate Arch the stone arch you will see on most Utah license plates. The park entrance is a stones throw from the center of town and the looping roads inside the park take you to some of the most amazing rock arches (the highest concentration of natural sandstone arches in the world) you will ever see. Not to be out done there are 4x4 trails, though very mild ones, inside the park to take you to some of the more remote locations. Some sections, like the Fiery Furnace formation, require a guide while other trails loop in and around most of the large rock formations. We took the walking trail around Double Arch in the Windows formation area and at every turn each formation takes on a different shape and colour.

An 18 mile long road takes you to the back of the park but some arches do require longer hikes than other such as the hike to Delicate Arch (1.5miles each way) only seen in the distance from the roadway viewing points.

If you find yourself driving over rocks in Moab take the time to walk and drive the parks as well – you will not be disappointed!

http://www.discovermoab.com/archesnationalpark.htm

Read the full story and photos in Volume 14 Issue 1