VIEWPOINT: Arches National Park

LONG STORY SHORT
Home to some of the most iconic sites in the National Park System.

No tour of the U.S. is complete without seeing our national parks and the natural monuments that call them home. In Yellowstone, visitors have to see Old Faithful. In Yosemite, Half Dome and El Capitan can’t be missed. And in Arches National Park, Delicate Arch demands a jaw-dropped stare. But just like all the aforementioned parks, Arches is much more than its signature site.

NATURE: INCROYABLE!
It’s All in the Name

You may be surprised to learn that Arches National Park is known for its arches. (If that’s the case, we’ve written a section just for you a ways below.) Its star, of course, is Delicate Arch, so famous that it’s featured on Utah’s license plates. But also worth seeing are Double Arch, Landscape Arch, and a multitude of lesser-known arches found deeper within the park.

EXPERIENCE: MIGHTY FINE
A Great Place to Bring a Camera

You can hike to all the arches mentioned above, and they all make for breathtaking photos. Delicate Arch in particular is framed beautifully by the landscape, especially at sunset. The only challenge is capturing it without visitors in the shot.
Even if you’re not a photographer, there’s plenty of fun here. For instance, the Devils Garden Trail meanders up, around, and sometimes over massive boulders and rock formations, with little side-trails to nearby arches. So you can just do what I do and look at everything while someone else takes photos.

VISITING: EASY
One Main Road Makes For Simple Exploration

Of all Utah’s parks, Arches is the easiest to get around. Its entrance is right off the highway, just north of Moab, and its one main road directs traffic to all the notable sights. The only amenity Arches lacks is campgrounds. There is one campground located near the end of the park’s main road, but given the amount of open space between rock formations, it’s surprising that none of it’s been utilized for more camping.

STUPIDITY INDEX
The Stupid May Get Hurt

It can get hot in Arches, but fortunately most of the trails are short enough that dehydration only comes to those who truly want it. The other danger lies among the many rock formations that look like they want to be climbed but really shouldn’t be.

CATSBY'S TAKE
It was fine

The humans couldn’t camp inside the park, so I was left at the campground south of Moab. It got windy sometimes, but I also liked watching our neighbors cook outside in the cold.