Arches National Park

We were boondocking in Moab (Click here for Moab blog) and decided to go out our first morning to Arches National Park since it was a weekday and our best bet for the least amount of other people. As we wrote about earlier, we try and stay out of national parks at peak times. 

So, we got up bright and early to drive over to the park. The entrance is quite impressive with a switchback road up a red cliff.

There are many pull-off spots to stop and explore the area. nature was amazing, it has eroded away sandstone to create breathtaking, larger than life sculptures. 

The Fiery Furnace

While we didn’t venture down the whole length of the hike, because permits and ranger guides are required, we did follow the beginning of The Fiery Furnace trail. This park had so many great places to go explore with awe-inspiring views and nature scapes. 

Skyline Arch

I took a quick hike to Skyline Arch. The trail was an easy half-mile walk on a relatively flat path. I had the whole place to myself. It was nice to be able to enjoy the natural beauty alone and in silence.

I find myself drawn to the less popular parts of a park because, generally, there are not a lot of other people there. 

Balanced Rock

No trip to Arches is complete without seeing Balanced Rock. The top boulder is attached to its pedestal, but due to years of erosion, it appears to be a delicate balancing act. 

Arches National Park is a place I would love to visit again. It seemed that there were always more places to explore within the park.

Outside of the park, in the surrounding areas, are Dead Horse Point State Park, Canyonlands National Park, Shafer Trail, and Potash Road, where the final scene of Thelma and Louise was filmed. I could easily spend over a month here exploring and still not feel like I’d seen it all. 

If you have spent time in the Moab area, what was your favorite part? Let us know in the comments below.