At the start of our Fall 2016 trip, we visited Arches National Park in Moab, Utah. This was the first real trip for our 1998 Yellowstone Class-C RV after we brought it from from Georgia. We had done a few things to the vehicle before going and had our first issue during the drive from Mt Crested Butte to Moab. We started losing air pressure in the front driver side tire. The recently installed TST 507 tire pressure monitoring system alerted us to the problem but also had played a part in the issue. IT seems that the tire stem that had been installed when we put on new tires in Georgia had not been installed tight enough to handle having the tire monitors installed. This required us to stop and air up the tires on the drive to Moab. When we got to Moab, we visited the local tire center and they diagnosed the problem and installed a different valve stem and tightened to the right setting.
For this first trip, we were not yet towing a vehicle so we got a local rental car and then checked into the Moab Valley RV Resort, which is located just south of the entrance to Arches National Park. This resort is a nice, clean and fairly spacious park and would gladly stay there again.
Once we were set up at the RV park, we decided to drive into Arches NP and see some of the sights. After visiting a nice Visitor’s Center, we drove up from the valley onto the plateau that a majority of the park is located. The first stop on the main park road is Park Avenue. It is a valley with towering walls and views into the distance. Like with many of the sights in the Park, parking is at a premium. I would not suggest driving a large vehicle or RV into the Park for sightseeing.
Moving on down the road, we traveled to the next scenic point along the road. This area provides views of a monuments known as The Organ and The Tower of Babel. Both of these monuments stand alone.
Just beyond Balanced Rock you come to a road on the right that will take you to the Garden of Eden and The Windows Rocks and Turret Arch. This area is really a line of ridges, arches and fins that extend from Garden of Eden to The Windows (in the middle of this area is Elephant Butte).
As you continue down the main Park road, you will arrive at the feature known as Balanced Rock. A large rock sits atop a slightly smaller spire.
Just down the road from Balanced Rock, a right turn takes you to another set of amazing sights. You will drive along a series of features starting with the Garden of Eden by Elephant Butte, Double Arch, The Windows (two arches near each other) and Turret Arch.
Well, that was the end of day one. The sun was setting and it was time to drive back to the RV for the night. The next day we will continue the tour of fabulous Arch National Park.
Day Two
The next day we resumed the tour and decide to hike to the overlook for iconic Delicate Arch instead of hiking to the arch itself. My knees were part of the decision has walking on tilted slickrock were not sounding to good. So we drove to the overlook that is across the valley from Delicate Arch. Delicate Arch is one of the most iconic symbol of not just Arches or Moab but the State of Utah. So we drove past the parking lot for Delicate Arch trail to the end of the road and the trail to the overlook. This trail is not slickrock but is a trail that winds up a slope to a point where you can look across at the arch. Being so iconic, the arch is the most visited trail and there are people all around the arch itself. Thank God for Photoshop and the Spot Healing Tool.
Although the next spot is further down the road than Delicate Arch, the next photo was taken from a panoramic overlook just before dropping into the valley where you turn for Delicate Arch. This area is an ancient shoreline and marks the start of an area know as the Fiery Furnace. It gets its name from being a very hostile place to visit and one that takes great care, especially when temps climb toward the nineties. This panoramic overlook also yields a great view to the east toward the La Sal mountains.
Next stop along the way for us was the Sand Dune Arch. This arch is not visible from the road because it is buried within a group of rocks and one must hike through some narrow slots filled with soft sand. Once you get there, Sand Dune Arch is a small arch that is even more hidden in an alcove.
Continuing the travels toward The Devil’s Garden and the end of the road brings us to another beautiful arch – The Skyline Arch. In doing some research, I found that Skyline Arch has changed over time, like many of the features of this park, as a large portion of the arch fell away from the main span opening the arch to its current state.
Finally, at the end of the road, we come to the Devil’s Garden. Although there is a large number of parking spots, this area is always crowded and we had to park off the road outside the actual parking area. There is the only campground located inside the park at this location. Like most National Park campgrounds, it is hard to get into this campground, the size of sites is on the small side and services are limited.
From the parking area, the Devil’s Garden loop trail heads north toward several more amazing arches. The most visited would be Landscape Arch which is the longest span arch in the park. Also along the trail, or via side trails, are Partition Arch, Navajo Arch, Double O Arch, Dark Angel, Private Arch, Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch. This trails is on sand and hard pack but the hike to at least Landscape Arch is worth the effort. We begin much like Sand Dune Arch trail as you pass through a slot canyon to enter the Garden proper.
Along the way you will see more of the ever varied erosion patterns of rock and sand before arriving at Landscape Arch.
After descending into a small valley, you will arrive at Landscape Arch. This beautiful and seemingly delicate span dominates the scene while Partition Arch sits nearby.
After hiking back to the car and some well deserved water, we headed back to town and dropped off the car before going back to the RV and getting ready for our next day of travel from Moab to Bryce Canyon. The sights and grandeur of Arches National Park are amazing. IF you haven’t been there, it needs to be on your bucket list. Just plan on going from Fall to Spring as Summer as truly brutal heat.
Recent Comments