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Arches National Park

Arches National Park, Utah, USA

24 hours

$$

hikes, outdoor-adventures, parks

Venture into this Stunning, Unique Park Just Outside of Moab!

Arches is small and relatively manageable for a 1/2 day visit or less.  We had heard Arches can get so crowded (because it is only 15 minutes from Moab!) PLUS it was July and we had triple-digit heat, so we decided to send our kids to bed in their clothes and wake them up to visit the park at sunrise. This actually proved to be a great strategy, as it was cooler, we didn't feel it was crowded, and actually, the light on the red rocks at this time of day was simply stunning.

Once we drove into the park, we headed ASAP to Delicate Arch (at the back of the park). We did not do the hike to right up to it, mostly because the parking lot was full at the trailhead (I believe it is 3 miles round trip to Delicate Arch).  Instead, we went to the second parking lot further out at Delicate Arch and went to the viewpoint instead (there is a trail, go to the left for the better vantage point - it’s just a short walk).

The highlight for us was the "Windows" section of the park at Arches. You can get up in and on the red rock. It was magnificent and not very crowded when we were there. We spent a ton of time there because there was shade when we went and not crowded and we got a great parking spot. 

After these two main stops, the rest of our time we just pulled over for different viewpoints as we saw fit in Arches. 

Note: stop in the visitor center and get the junior ranger books/badges - my kids really enjoy the junior ranger program. The visitor center typically opens around 8 AM and closes at 5 PM.

Features

Good for All Ages Hiking Scenic Views Nature Scenic Walk
Thoughtfully captured by:
The happyly team

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