Monday, our 3rd day in Utah, we headed out to Arches National Park nice and early. In fact I think we were through the gate by 7:15 or so after taking a quick photo by the park sign.
It's a very dramatic entrance to the park with switchbacks and high cliff walls and as soon as you turn the last corner all signs of civilization fall away. It was stunning.
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| I don't think you can see it but there is a car where the light colored rock meets up against the dark- that's the road |
We drove straight to the very back of the park to an area known as Devil's Garden. We only hiked part of the trail though.
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| tunnel arch |
The weather was perfect, sunny but cool and breezy. We saw a deer, a hummingbird, a blue bird, and some beetles and ants.
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| landscape arch |
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| longest arch in America at 306 feet opening; 6 feet in diameter at its narrowest point |
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This is the point we turned around; I refused to climb up the top part of this trail on my hands and knees like we saw so many others doing. It's much steeper looking in person and while I knew I'd be okay going up I could not see how I'd get back down as I hate heights. |
We got the car and drove to Skyline arch.
We piled back into the car and drove to Delicate Arch viewpoint (though it's only a 3 mile hike to the arch it's rated difficult-- it's all sun all the way and after yesterday none of us wanted to do that). By this time much of the breeze had died down and the sun was getting quite hot.
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| the sand here (and many other places in these parks) has streaks of green from the copper in it. |
We were only there for a few minutes then got back in the car to head to the windows section of the park. This actually turned out to be my favorite! These photos loaded in a very random order so I'll try to label the ones I can.
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| double arch |
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| we thought this end of the rock formation looked a bit like a cobra |
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| double arch again |
From there we walked across the parking lots to the windows/ Turret arch trails.
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| north window |
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| turret arch viewed from north window |
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| view through the north window |
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| it was shady and windy and so cool under the north window that we sat under it for a bit and noticed the giant crack in the arch above us |
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| turret arch again viewed from north window |
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| south window |
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| north and south window from turret arch |
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| close up of turret arch |
We swung by Garden of Eden and then drove to the visitor's center right near the park entrance/exit.
We left the park around 12:30/ 1:00 and felt like we had seen pretty much everything. It's a pretty small park but big on beauty.
We spent the afternoon at our rental relaxing and headed out to dinner at Sunset Grill-- it had amazing views and the food was SO good!
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| I had the surf and turf special |
Others in this series:
Our Trip by the Numbers
Day 1: Travel day
Day 2: Canyonlands
Day 4: Capitol Reef
Day 5: Bryce Canyon
Day 6: Zion
Day 7: Red Canyon & Travel home
Linking up with: Spread the Kindness,
Amazing pictures! This makes me really want to see Arches! I'm glad you had nice weather even though it heated up as the day progressed.
ReplyDeleteWe even saw a few drops of rain at one point-- it only lasted long enough for us to notice it was sprinkling but still that's practically unheard of in the dessert.
DeleteLooks like another beautiful day. The landscape is so interesting and feels almost lunar.
ReplyDeleteIt sure does.
DeleteStunning scenery- just incredible!
ReplyDeleteIt really is!
DeleteLove these pics! Arches is one of the National Parks I need to get to.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thank you!
DeleteYour photos are so good! I can see what you took so many - it's just a stunning landscape. That view from Sunset Grill and now I want a loaded baked potato for dinner!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I just could not help snapping away.
DeleteI really enjoyed seeing all your photos! I've never been to Utah!
ReplyDeleteThank you! This was our first trip to Utah.
DeleteOh wow! The scenery is stunning and I imagine even more so in real life. Fantastic photos!!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWe also didn't hike to delicate arch but took far away pictures of it!
ReplyDeleteThe whole no shade anywhere on the trail settled it for us.
DeleteWhat an incredible day. I would have said no to the rock scramble on hands and knees too. How in the world would you come down? Did you change your blog background color?
ReplyDeleteYeah, I've been playing around with my blog since I inadvertently messed it up over the weekend and can't seem to get it back... so I figured why not change it entirely?!
DeleteIt's truly incredible. Doesn't it make you feel so small and wonder about how it all came about? Mother Nature is amazing,
ReplyDeleteXOOX
Jodie
Absolutely!
DeleteHello! Wow! What beautiful photos! Thank you for sharing. I am going to send this to my daughter. She and her husband love visiting the National Parks, and I know she would love to see this. Have a wonderful weekend, my friend.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome!
DeleteSo beautiful! Our daughter had to backpack that for 10 days and stay out there and practice wilderness skills when she was in Colorado doing a program. They took them to all these parks in Utah.
ReplyDeleteOh that would SO NOT be for me. I like a nice warm bed at the end of the day along with a good meal and a nice shower.
DeleteJoanne, these photos are just breathtaking! Each one is as good as or better than the one before it. And, I agree...no way would I climb up something on my hands and knees then try to come back down. You were smart!
ReplyDeletehttps://marshainthemiddle.com/
Aw, thank you!
DeleteSo amazing! And so totally different then what we have here in Europe.
ReplyDeleteIt really felt like something not of this world most of the time.
DeleteI'm so upset you didn't hike the Delicate Arch trail, that is my absolute favorite trails in the park and one of my top five trails I ever hiked. But you're right, it is difficult and sun all the time. Most people hike it at sunset. I remember getting a horrible sunburn from that day. I remember going to Landscape Arch but I also didn't hike Devil's Garden because it was too much rock scrambling. Your post brought back a lot of memories.
ReplyDeleteWith only one day in each park we knew we'd have to make lots of compromises so I mostly left it up to the family on what they wanted to do.
DeleteThe arches are really beautiful and your photos capture them beautifully. I can see painting one of them! SO pretty!!
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you!
DeleteOh my! Isn't it majestic? I've never been to this one (Just Brice and Zion) but I can see why you wanted to go. And a gorgeous day to be there, too!
ReplyDeleteWe really lucked out weather-wise on our trip. I'm not sure how people can visit in July & August when it's unbearable hot.
DeleteAmazing! There is a national park in Kentucky (Daniel Boone, if I remember) that we visited with arches. It was really cool.
ReplyDeletewww.chezmireillefashiontravelmom.com
That does sound neat!
DeleteThose arches are stunning and to see these formations in person mst have been absolutely amazing! It must be unbearable to hike those trails during the heat of summer. You were so smart to make the trip when you did.
ReplyDeleteI can not imagine hiking or visiting in the summer. As it was we were pretty hot by the afternoon when temps reached into the high 80's.
DeleteDid you happen to see John or Clint while on your hike? :)
ReplyDeleteThese images are gorgous. Makes me want to go see these for myself!
Thank you for sharing them all.
Debra @ Life Captured.
PS- You are invited to share this series at My Sunday Snapshot party. Opens ever other week!
Ha! We did not but we could definitely understand why westerns and outer space movies are often filmed here.
DeleteAnother park for the "must visit" list. I absolutely love all the arches and amazing views and rock formations! I too am not a fan of heights especially combined with rock scrambling so I can see why you turned around when you did.
ReplyDeleteYeah, give me a railing and I'm fine but just an open space near me where I feel like I could fall into and I just can't. My vertigo kicks in and I get so dizzy.
DeleteHow beautiful! I've heard the hike up to the largest arch area can be rough on really hot days in summer, so a spring trip was a wonderful time to visit the park, The arches are amazing natural structures!
ReplyDeleteYeah, I can not imagine these parks in the hot summer sun. That's all we all kept saying! But we did mostly luck out with the weather while we were there.
DeleteLooking at your beautiful photos makes me want to go back! Ruth@playworkeatrepeat
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you!
DeleteI've seen so many photos of this park but I bet it's even more incredible in person!
ReplyDeleteOh definitely; they are always more impressive in person.
DeleteArches is my favorite park in Utah. I didn't hike the Delicate Arch trail either. Being exceptionally afraid of height, I still remember the nervous breakdown I had on the Devil's Garden trail when I attempted it the first time. So this time I decided to turn back right at the point. You certainly made the right choice.
ReplyDelete-Soma
Yeah, I tend to shy away from any hike that cautions people with a fear of heights as mine is pretty well developed.
DeleteGosh, so many stunning pictures! I am enjoying following along with y'all on this trip! I've never really had Utah on my radar, but I'm thinking I should add it to my list!
ReplyDeleteAw, thank you!
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