Arches is a fantastic NP that is located a short distance from Moab, UT. This is in SE Utah, about 1.5 hours out of Grand Junction, CO.
Arches has a number of great hikes. Most are only 1 or 2 hours long, but there are several day-long hikes.
I only had time for one day-long hike. I did the big loop at Devil's Garden, which is at the end of the road as far back in the park as you can drive. I took several of the little side-hikes, but not all of the side hikes associated with this loop. (I didn't have time. Part of that was because I spent a lot of time elsewhere in the park in the 1.5 days I spent there.)
This hike also takes you past landscape arch. This is the one that a park visitor caught part of it collapsing on video in the 1990's. It is a very long, very thin arch and looks as delicate as it does beautiful. See this one while you can! It may last until the Second Coming, but it looks like it could go next week!
It's beautiful. Take a good pair of hiking shoes. There is a fair amount of vertical exposure on this hike, and a little climbing. (maybe 12 ft vertical climb in one or two spots) Take a camera with lots of film or lots of memory. A tripod also comes in handy, but probably only for the dedicated photographers--you'll be hauling it around for hours on end and knocking it about some heavy trails.
Prepare for the elements and remember that you will be out in the desert for 5 or 6 hours minimum. TAKE WATER!!! There is water available at the parking lot at the trail head, but that is IT! It's long enough that you'll probably want to eat before you get back out. I sat down at the approximate halfway point and ate an MRE I keep in my trail pack for emergencies. True, it was no emergency, but I was glad to have a meal.
The trail is fairly well marked with cairns. It is difficult to take a wrong turn if you are trying to stay on it. Still, I found myself backtracking once or twice--mostly because I had been distracted by the incredible views and walked right past an obvious cairn.
This hike can be hard for someone not used to a lot of walking or hiking. However, it is WELL worth it. You will be rewarded with views the likes of which are seldom encountered by most people on this earth.
At some point, I will try to post a photo or two I took on this hike.
Arches has a number of great hikes. Most are only 1 or 2 hours long, but there are several day-long hikes.
I only had time for one day-long hike. I did the big loop at Devil's Garden, which is at the end of the road as far back in the park as you can drive. I took several of the little side-hikes, but not all of the side hikes associated with this loop. (I didn't have time. Part of that was because I spent a lot of time elsewhere in the park in the 1.5 days I spent there.)
This hike also takes you past landscape arch. This is the one that a park visitor caught part of it collapsing on video in the 1990's. It is a very long, very thin arch and looks as delicate as it does beautiful. See this one while you can! It may last until the Second Coming, but it looks like it could go next week!
It's beautiful. Take a good pair of hiking shoes. There is a fair amount of vertical exposure on this hike, and a little climbing. (maybe 12 ft vertical climb in one or two spots) Take a camera with lots of film or lots of memory. A tripod also comes in handy, but probably only for the dedicated photographers--you'll be hauling it around for hours on end and knocking it about some heavy trails.
Prepare for the elements and remember that you will be out in the desert for 5 or 6 hours minimum. TAKE WATER!!! There is water available at the parking lot at the trail head, but that is IT! It's long enough that you'll probably want to eat before you get back out. I sat down at the approximate halfway point and ate an MRE I keep in my trail pack for emergencies. True, it was no emergency, but I was glad to have a meal.
The trail is fairly well marked with cairns. It is difficult to take a wrong turn if you are trying to stay on it. Still, I found myself backtracking once or twice--mostly because I had been distracted by the incredible views and walked right past an obvious cairn.
This hike can be hard for someone not used to a lot of walking or hiking. However, it is WELL worth it. You will be rewarded with views the likes of which are seldom encountered by most people on this earth.
At some point, I will try to post a photo or two I took on this hike.