Arches National Park

Arches National Park has great hikes & photo opportunities...
Discover personally-selected recommendations !

Arches National Park is located 5 miles north of Moab, Utah.  Hiking is a must... to see most of the sites. 

The most famous landmark in Utah is Delicate Arch located in Arches National Park. 

"Delicate Arch" copyright 2007 by Howard Knudsen

There are three ways to view Delicate Arch in person.  One requires a short walk from the parking lot.  From the same parking lot, you may hike up towards the Delicate Arch for a view-at-a-distance (as seen in the photo below). 

photo by Howard A. Knudsen (Copyright 2005)

The more difficult hike is a 3-mile round trip.  It leads you right up to the arch, so you can even touch it.  The view is amazing and most people who can walk 3-miles with an incline will find the hike moderately difficult. 

The trail passes through Wolfe Ranch.  It was interesting to read the story about the Wolfe family and see their "hut."  But, I kept thinking...  With all this stone around why didn't they use it to reinforce the walls of their cabin and use it for stone flooring? 

"Wolfe Ranch cabin" copyright 2007 by Howard Knudsen

I guess they had no mortar.  (At the time, I was installing stone flooring in the kitchen and red sandstone, like you see in the Moab region on my back yard patio.) 

Wolfe's Ranch is at the beginning of the hike next to a stream with large bullfrogs (they must be transplants).  The trail has some markers, but it is easy to lose track of the trail and find yourself on the wrong side of the viewpoint.  By mistake we came to this vantage point that I found appealing (see picture below).  What a dramatic drop off on the back side of Delicate Arch!

"Delicate Arch from a profile view" copyright 2007 by Howard Knudsen

We hiked straight toward the arch and around the bowl to the left to find our way to the typical viewpoint.  Even on a Tuesday evening there were about fifty other photographers ready to make that "unique" photo of Delicate Arch.

"Most photographed landmark in Utah?" copyright 2007 by Howard Knudsen

So this is what you have been seeing on the Utah license plates for the last decade!

More pictures

"The Three Gossips" copyright 2007 by Howard Knudsen

"Balanced Rock" copyright 2007 by Howard Knudsen

"Park Avenue" copyright 2007 by Howard Knudsen

In 2005, we camped outside of Arches in tents.  My wife and I and our three kids carpooled into the park with my brother and his family.  We were told by relatives that it would cost $25 per car.  The entrance fee was actually $10 (good for 7 days, this fee included all occupants of our vehicle). 

When went to the park with the family the first day and went on a few short hikes with the kids.  We went to Delicate Arch viewpoint with the kids the first day... easy hike.  The next day, my brother and I returned to hike to the arch.  We both brought our cameras and plenty of hiking snacks.  We left a little too late.  The brochure said that the best pictures are taken at right before sunrise.  So, we missed the best photo op.

"Hike to Delicate Arch" copyright 2005 by Howard Knudsen

Next visit, I will make sure I get there before dawn to get the best photo.

I have a real affinity for cherokee red sand stone in Arches NP... That's why I used it (the flag stone variety) to cover our old cement patio in the back yard.  I must say it looks great. 

"Narrow Canyon at Arches Nat'l Park" copyright 2005 by Howard Knudsen

Make sure you book your accommodations as soon as possible as campgrounds and hotels will have no vacancies during holiday weekends from spring to fall.  We found out the hard way!  We contacted every one in the surrounding area and found only one spot available for camping (with showers and bathrooms available).  We were told that we could camp out in a field but is ended up being a hard dirt parking lot for RVs with no fire pits.  The dirt was so hard we couldn't put our tent stakes into the ground. 

"Small Arch" copyright 2005 by Howard Knudsen

"Dead Tree at Arches Nat'l Park" copyright 2005 by Howard Knudsen

Suggestions:

1.  Plan to hike if you want to see the sites at Arches National Park.

2.  Bring plenty of drinking water as this is an arid climate (one gallon per day per person)

3.  Get a map of the park and plan your itinerary.

4.  Bring your camera to take some great pictures.

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