Arches National Park

Last night we rolled into Dead Horse State Park, after a 9-hour drive from Grand Tetons National Park. We set up camp, fixed dinner, took a short stroll around the campground and turned in for the night. 

Arches National Park has a timed entry system where you have to reserve a spot to get in unless you arrive before 7:00 a.m. So... At 6:56 we arrived at the park kiosk to begin our day. We drove straight to Devil's garden a 7 1/2 mile hike highlighting several interesting red sandstone land forms and arches. It was a challenging hike at times, needing to scramble up rock surfaces, with dizzying cliffs on both sides of the trail. Due to my fear of heights, I had to cut the hike to Double O Arch short- where were the handrails, anyway?! We saw Platform, Navajo, and Landscape Arches. Our timing was perfect, as many times we were by ourselves on the trail, with a cool breeze. 

We traveled down the road a little further, and hiked straight uphill to see Delicate Arch. This was a more popular spot with lots of people making the journey to see this spectacular expanse of sandstone. It was so much fun seeing this world community, hearing so many different languages, all so excited to see these stunning views and enjoying nature.

We continued on and took another short hike to see Double Arch, Turret Arch, and North Window. We even got to take a look at some petroglyphs created by Ute native Americans, in around the 1600s when they first encountered white settlers. This is evidenced by inclusion of horses in the etchings. The contrast between the red sandstone, the sparse green trees, and the blue sky was stunning. As dark clouds began to fill the sky, it added another interesting element to the already surreal scenery.

We left Arches, reminiscing about the incredible sights and scenery- What a privilege to experience this amazing place! 

We continued on to the Moab Brewery where we celebrated with with a delicious dinner and Johnny's IPA, then headed back to the Casita at Dead Horse State Park.Læs mere