Arches National Park: Hiking, Camping and Hotels

 In south eastern Utah you can find numerous locations that are perfect for hiking, camping, offroading, backpacking, riverrafting, biking, sightseeing and just about anything else you enjoy doing outdoors.  About 8 years ago I was able to explore this area for the first time and came across one of my favorite places, Arches National Park.  Arches is located 5 miles north of the small town of Moab, Utah and is definitely off-the beaten path.  If you end up in Moab you definitely meant to get there or meant to go through there to get somewhere else.

 Arches and Moab both are located in the high desert with elevations ranging from 4000 to almost 6000 feet meaning that the summers are very hot and the winters are very cold.  The first time I visited Arches was on a memorial day and the temperatures exceeded 100 degrees that day.  The thing that makes Arches so stunning is the red rocks that make up the landscape and forms the breathtaking Arches that it’s named for.  If you never have had the opportunity to be in an area boasting red rock and slickrock it is definitely a new experience.   You will often find the red rock sticking to your shoes and turning them red. The rocks also live up to their names and are very slick.  I found myself slipping on these rocks and can’t imagine how much more slippery it would be if it was actually wet!

The number 1 must see for most visitors is Delicate Arch, the one I just mentioned. It is also the one I recommend seeing the most. This is not the easiest trail. Most of it is out in the open so the sun really beats down on you. There is also a 450 ft elevation rise and is 3 miles roundtrip. Note that on the way back when you are going down hill the slickrock gets very slick. Arches National Park suggests that it will take 2-3 hours to do and it took me a little over 2 the couple of times I’ve hiked it. Keep in mind, I was fairly young and had no kids with me so it was quicker. One thing the park recommends is bringing 2 liters of water per person. I can attest that you will need that much water. The 1st time I hiked it I decided that tip was just a nice suggestion. It was not!! You really do need that much water. When you get to the top of the arch you can sit down and relax. You will probably want to rest but it is an amazing view and worth the effort it takes to get to it.

Another popular arch and one I recommend seeing is Landscape Arch. This is a pretty easy hike and has a couple of trails that cut off from it to other arches that are also pretty easy hikes. The trail is about 1.5 miles roundtrip. This arch is a very long, narrow arch and it is a wonder to me how it doesn’t collapse.

The Fiery Furnace is another popular hike that requires you to travel with a ranger or to have a hiking permit (although they recommend traveling with a ranger anyway).  I haven’t been able to do this hike yet.

-Wear shoes with good traction. The slickrock is slick
-Bring plenty of water. Temperatures average in the 100’s during May and August.
-Be aware of the weather. Severe thunderstorms come suddenly and furiously and lightning deaths can occur. Also, the heavy rains that come with these storms can cause flashfloods and dust storms. I have had to drive through the dust storms during one of these thunderstorms. The red dirt will fly across the road and you will not be able to see where you are going. However, they recommend not pulling over in these conditions because of flashfloods and poor visibility for other drivers!

The nice thing about Arches National Park is that there are other things to see besides the arches!
Bighorn Sheep- Arches is home to some bighorn sheep so if you are lucky enough you might get a chance to see them.  However, there are only about 50 in the herd so the chances aren’t extremely high that you will see them.  The best place to see them is the first 3 miles on the entrance road.
Native American Pictographs (pictures) and petroglyphs (carvings).
The Colorado River- The Colorado River is nearby and there are many groups that offer river rafting tours and kayak rentals.    Being on the water might be a refreshing break from visiting the park during the hotter months.
Off-Roading-  Many people love to come down to Moab with their Jeeps and if they don’t have their own Jeep there are many places that rent them out.  There are also numerous ATV trails.
Canyonlands National Park-  If you didn’t feel like there was enough to see Canyonlands National Park is within 40 miles of Arches.

Arches and Moab are major attractions and thus offer many places to kick off those hiking boots for the night. There are plenty of motels, condos for rent and campsites. Some of these motels overlook the Colorado River and others are just conveniently located near main street Moab. There are many different campgrounds and RV parks to choose from as well. Some of the prime camping spots do book up in advance. When you decide whether or not to bring a camping tent decide if you can handle sleeping when it is still very hot outside. Of course, if you did a lot of hiking you might just be exhausted. I find though that no matter how tired I am if it is uncomfortably hot I won’t get very much sleep.

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Would you rather visit another place? Consider Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg near the Smoky Mountains or Enchanted Rock in Texas.

Moab has a lot of great places to eat. There is nothing better than sitting down in a nice air conditioned place and eating a good meal after being outside in the hot sun. One of my favorite places to eat there is a place called Moab Diner. They have done some renovations to it since the first time I was there but the food is the same. I just like to get a nice cheeseburger but they also have a lot of other things and daily specials. They also serve breakfast. If you are looking for something to take with you they have box lunches to go too!

There are also a lot of other restaurants and pizza places.