“The only way around, is through” – Robert Frost

So, I live in Colorado now and did you know it’s only 5 hours to Moab from Denver? Oh, and the drive is just gorgeous too!

Moab is a small town surrounded by rock formations. About 5 minutes from the main strip is Arches National Park.

Arches truly is a red rock wonderland with over 2,000 natural stone arches! 2,000! Natural! It honestly doesn’t make any sense.

The Details:

We arrived around 11am on a Friday in the middle of June. With that being said, don’t do that. Unfortunately, we waited about 20 minutes in the long line of cars to enter the park.

Arches is a National Park so you’ll need to purchase a day pass (they usually last for up to 5 consecutive days) or just buy an annual National Park pass. This is $80 but worth it for access to the other 60 parks in the U.S.

The map given at the entrance is extremely useful! Take one and have that guide you as service is limited throughout the park.

We worked our way backwards and went to the very end before turning back towards the entrance.

The Sights:

We started at Devils Garden where there were multiple trails to choose from.

The most popular hike is to see the Delicate Arch. This is the iconic arch that is plastered all over Utah. The hike is 3.2 miles roundtrip and climbs 480 feet. It is truly amazing and not to be missed during your visit!

The Windows Section is beautiful as well. We decided to come for sunrise the following morning. The sun rays hitting the rocks as the morning began was breathtaking! We sat in the North Window just completely taken aback.

I recommend a full day at Arches starting with sunrise and allowing you to drive around the park and stop at all the viewpoints and hiking to the notable arches!

We spent the next full day at Canyonlands and man, was that wild!

We focused mostly on the northern part of the park, Island in the Sky. We started with Mesa Arch, one of the more popular spots in the park.

Upheaval Dome is one of the most puzzling geological features of the park. The 1.7 mile hike is along the three-mike wise, 1,000-foot deep crater. It’s absolutely mind blowing!

Green River overlook was one of the most majestic sites I’ve ever seen. Water and gravity carved out the land and for as far as you can see, it’s just layers and layers of cut out sedimentary rock.

Grand View Point is not to be missed and offers a 2-mile roundtrip hike with endless views of carved earth.

We spent two full days exploring both Canyonlands and Arches National Parks. I will never forget how wild the earth looks in Utah. So much beauty and so much geological wonder is found in both these parks. Moab sits in the middle of all this wonder and offers a quaint small town charm. You truly have to see it with your own eyes!

Recommendations

Accommodation

Kokopelli 100 West. Located in the heart of Moab. Super cute tiny houses with a hot tub and grill. 5 min drive from Arches NP entrance. Kokopellilodge.com

Food

Fiesta Mexicana. Cheap and classic Mexican Food. 202 S Main St, Moab, UT 84532.

Recreation

National Park Pass. I recommend buying the park pass upon arrival to either park. It is money saved in the long run!