Arches National Park

Arches National Park contains the largest concentration of natural stone arches in the world – more than 2500 at last count. By comparison, the Red River Gorge Geological Area in central Kentucky has only a little more than 100 natural sandstone arches, but still has the highest concentration of arches east of the Rocky Mountains.

In addition to a plethora of stone arches, the park has hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins (vertical slabs of rock), balanced rocks and lofty monoliths:

Even if you have a strong preference for the mountains, Arches National Park should be on your bucket list. I would recommend visiting at least one full day, but two days would provide a much better opportunity to soak in everything the park has to offer.

Best Easy Day Hikes Canyonlands and Arches National Parks: this fully updated and revised edition includes trail descriptions and maps of the best short hikes that venture into some of the most scenic sections of Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.

Jeff
Hikes in Glacier National Park

Delicate Arch

If not the best known arch in the world, Delicate Arch certainly qualifies as the most iconic rock formation in Arches National Park.

The hike to the arch begins from the Wolfe Ranch parking area, located in the east-central portion of the park. If you wish to go home with some great photos the park recommends hiking the trail in the late afternoon. However, summer afternoons are usually quite hot. You may want to consider hiking in the morning or in the evening when temperatures are a little cooler and the crowds are a little thinner.

The first stop on the trail is the Wolfe Ranch. John Wesley Wolfe settled at this location in the late 1800s, and was joined by his family in 1906. Although the cabin they built on this 100+ acre homestead was a little rustic, it was still stocked with fine china ordered from the Sears Catalog.

Beyond the cabin is a petroglyph panel depicting bighorn sheep and Ute hunters on horseback. It was carved sometime between 1650 and 1850. The side path leading to the petroglyph re-joins the main trail further up-trail, and can be taken on your return trip from the arch if you prefer.

The first three-quarters of a mile are relatively flat as the trail passes through desert scrub, but then turns sharply up a steep, slickrock slope. Hikers should keep an eye out for rock cairns to help guide the way for most of the remainder of the route (or just follow the crowds - see photo below!). After climbing for roughly a half-mile the trail levels out. However, just before reaching Delicate Arch, the path traverses a rock ledge for about 200 yards while passing over a fairly steep drop-off.

Once past this section Delicate Arch comes into view for the first time:

Delicate Arch stands 65-feet high, and has an opening roughly 46 feet in height and a width of nearly 32 feet. In the background, roughly 35 miles away, are the La Sal Mountains.

With virtually no shade along the way, this can be a very hot hike. You should take at least 1 quart of water per person.


Trail: Delicate Arch
Roundtrip Distance: 3 Miles
Total Elevation Gain: 535 feet
Max Elevation: 4820 Feet

Best Easy Day Hikes Canyonlands and Arches National Parks: this fully updated and revised edition includes trail descriptions and maps of the best short hikes that venture into some of the most scenic sections of Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.

Jeff
Hikes in Glacier National Park

A Walk Down Park Avenue

Earlier in the week I mentioned that I had just returned from a three-week tour of the southwest. After spending more than a week in Rocky Mountain National Park, Kathy and I paid a visit to Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. It was Kathy’s first venture into this park, and my second.

One of the first stops along the main road in the park is the Park Avenue Trail. Although the overlook at this stop may appear to be a little touristy, you really shouldn’t pass this hike up, even if you’re only spending a couple of hours in the park. The trail travels one mile through an incredibly beautiful red rock canyon, and can be done as a one-way hike if you have another car parked at the Courthouse Towers parking area.

From the Park Avenue overlook the trail drops roughly 320 feet onto the canyon floor, and continues down a dry wash bed towards the Courthouse Towers. Along the way you’ll have commanding views of massive fins (vertical slabs of rock), balanced rocks and lofty monoliths, including the Three Gossips, The Tower of Babel, and the Courthouse Towers.

As you might expect, the inspiration for the trail’s name comes from the towering spires, which to early visitors reminded them of Manhattan's famous skyscrapers:

If you wish to go home with some great photos the park recommends hiking this trail in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Trail: Park Avenue
Roundtrip Distance: 2 Miles
Total Elevation Gain: 320 feet
Max Elevation: 5000 Feet

Best Easy Day Hikes Canyonlands and Arches National Parks: this fully updated and revised edition includes trail descriptions and maps of the best short hikes that venture into some of the most scenic sections of Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.

Jeff
Hikes in Glacier National Park