Arches National Park

Watered, educated, and ready for action

Just when you thought you'd seen all the red rocks there are to see...

Arches National Park is a favorite of the Motorcade youth.  This was trip number three.  We haven't been to the Washington Monument that many times. But then again, the National Park Service won't let you climb on the Washington Monument.

The maps for Arches don't really sell the place, and it has to hold its own with other Utah amazements such as Bryce, Canyonlands, and Zion National Parks.  Well, don't get too hung up on the map (read further). If you find yourself out this way, check out the park.  It's awesome, fun, and you can do it in a (long) afternoon.

First stop is the Visitor's Center.  DO NOT SKIP THIS.  This is currently the ONLY place to fill up on water and you will need it.  Lots of it. Fill those bottles and take a gander at the exhibits to learn some of the complicated geology that created this place.  No, we're not going to explain it here.  Look it up or go yourself.

After several short "ooh" and "ah" pullovers, the first real stop seemed obvious enough:  a quick look at Delicate Arch, the famous icon of this park, and the image adorning most Utah license plates.  Having been here before, it also seemed a fun stop because this arch is crazy far from the road, so it's just an itty-bitty thing unless you really trek out to it.  Given Delicate's iconic status, the view is a bit silly. We parked and piled out and consulted the map.  This map, actually:

Map NOT to scale.

Having viewed Delicate Arch before from the Lower Viewpoint, we thought we'd give Upper Viewpoint a shot.  Look at the map.  The difference to either View Point from "You Are Here" doesn't seem much, does it?  Well, if you READ the map, you'll learn that it's 100 yards (300 feet) round trip to the Lower Viewpoint and 1 MILE (5280 feet) round trip to the Upper Viewpoint.  And that's one mile up steep hills and steps, then back down again.  We did not read the fine print before embarking.  But we did get a better view of this famous landmark.  See?

Delicate Arch.  The little squiggles below and around the arch are people.  

Yeah, well... We still had half of our water left, so it was off to see more arches! First lunch in Devils Garden.  The name makes it sound inhospitable, but it's actually a lovely picnic area, with a fair amount of shaded tables.  Lots of slick rock to climb on, too.  Arches is full of cryptobiotic crust (look it up) which is very delicate.  It's important to stay on trails, or to try to clamber up any slick rock (bare rock) areas you can find.  Everyone did their best to comply.

They're alive!  Lizard on cryptobiotic crust.
Don't step here!

Climb the rocks instead!

After lunch it was to be a hike to Landscape Arch.  This arch is over 100 yards long and it is starting to deteriorate.  A big chunk came off in 1991.  To get to it, you start on a path through some big fins and pass lots and lots of French people. 

Devil's Garden

This hike wasn't terribly long, but it was hilly and it was, by now, very hot.  It was not our best motorcade experience.  We got within sight, snapped some photos and turned back.  Ta-da:

No, it's not a great photo.  But we won't likely forget this hike.

Finally, finally(!) the motorcade turned back down the road and pulled in at Double Arch, our favorite spot.  The Dresen gals had to hang with the Motorcade, but the boys and Aunt Wendy went up and had a blast.  It's a relatively short walk and the views and the skampering/climbing are the best in the park.

The path to Double Arch is easy.

The view from under Double Arch.

We would never advocate just spinning through a National Park, but if you are going to do any one thing here, get out and wander around the Double Arch/Windows area.

Afternoon was turning quickly to evening and the Motorcade had a date with Colorado, so we had to say goodbye to Arches.  A quick final stop at the Visitor Center restored our water supplies.  (Remember, still in the desert.)

To travel east from Arches, you can return up Highway 191 to Interstate 70, or you can take little Highway 128 around the park and up to Interstate 70 farther east.  The locals call this the River Road, and with good reason.  The road hugs the Colorado River for most of the 45-mile trip.  What a serene way to end the day and say good bye to Utah.

Colorado River, desert mesas.  Taken from the car window along Highway 128, Utah.