Arches National Park

Not visiting Arches National Park while in Moab would seem ridiculous, so here I am getting ready to hike and see the sights of this amazing park.

With over 2,000 arches sculpted by wind, rain, heat and underground salt movements this is truly a place of wonder and nature’s bountiful beauty.

Driving through the park there are arches visible from the road like, Skyline Arch.

My first hike today will be in an area called Devils Garden.

The short trail to Pine Arch from the main trail is a must see.

Also off the main trail is Tunnel Arch.

As I continue my hike and approach Landscape Arch I immediately start taking pictures! Landscape Arch is the longest arch in the world at 306-foot wide.

The reason my bandana is around my head is the gnats were bothering me. Always good to have a bandana or bug spray with you on a hike.

Partition Arch can also be seen from Landscape Arch.

After my two mile hike in Devil’s Garden I drive down to the trailhead for Sand Dune Arch, Broken Arch and Tapestry Arch.

Big boulders and thin passages take you back to Sand Dune Arch which is filled with tons of red sand. I think the children playing there thought they were at the beach.

Across an open meadow I trekked over to Broken Arch, which only looks broken as it wears thins along the lintel.

As I continue my quest to Tapestry Arch, I hike through Broken Arch for another mile along slickrock and dry creek beds.

For 15 or 20 minutes I enjoyed the view while having lunch under Tapestry Arch. It was very peaceful as I was the only person there for that time.

Lunch was great and now I am on the 1.6 mile trail back to the parking lot at Sand Dune Arch, for a total of 3.2 miles for this hike.

My next stop in Arches National Park will take me to five different arches, the first being, Turret Arch.

From Turret Arch I continue onto the Windows otherwise known as North & South Arches.

I head back to the parking lot and down the backside to the Double Arch.

The bottom left arch did not have a name so I say Christmas Tree Arch which is to the left of the Double Arch.

As I exit this part of the park I drive past the area called The Garden Of Eden.

Balanced Rock is a 128 foot tall formation that is an easy walk from the parking area.

The Petrified Dunes are actual sand dunes which have turned to rock.

Along the drive through Arches National Park are several rock formations with names, as the one below called Sheep Rock.

You cannot deny that this formation looks like an bunch of people gathering, this one is called The Gossips.

A short walk from the road reveals what is called Park Avenue.

On the main road you can see the Courthouse Towers.

And the Tower Of Babel.

After hiking a good 7 plus miles it was time to head back to camp. I will visit Arches another day with my friend Tracy for a hike to Delicate Arch .

This day Tracy and I will hike the 3 mile roundtrip trail back to Delicate Arch.

To the left after you start the hike is Wolfe Ranch, a one room cabin built in 1898.

The bottom picture is the mound of slickrock one must maneuver to get to Delicate Arch.

Along the trail were Juniper trees and wildflowers.

The top picture is the Canyon behind Delicate Arch and the bottom is an unnamed Arch on the left side of the trail.

Delicate Arch is a freestanding natural arch that stands 52 feet tall.

Clearly one of the most iconic arches in Arches National Park.

Delicate Arch and the slickrock bowl below it. One really must be careful on the slickrock.

Tracy and I are friends for life and I enjoyed doing this hike with her.

There was an unnamed Arch on the trail where you could view Delicate Arch through it if you were able to climb the slickrock.

Also on a side hike off the main trail were some Petroglyphs.

This is Delicate Arch from the lower viewpoint for those not able to do the hike.

My time is up in Moab and it’s time to leave and make my way to Provo where I get to spend some time with my nephew and his wife.

Along the way I drive up through Soldiers Pass and take a side trip through historic Helper,Utah.

Nothing makes for a better day of driving than beautiful scenery.

As most know, I like to seek out the oddities found on Roadside America.Top left: A 44 foot tall pile of blocks in Green River, Utah. Top right: Roller Mills from the movie “Footloose” in Lehi, Utah. Bottom left: “Big John” a glossy black 1964 coal mining Muffler Man and Bottom right: A full-size rendition of the house in Pixars UP in Herrimen, Utah.

I camped at Lakeside RV in Provo, Utah, and not even a quarter mile from there was the biggest collection of gas station signs and memorabilia that I have ever seen.

This is Utah Lake. My nephew Austin and his wife Kaitlyn took me out for a boat ride for an early birthday present!

Mountains surrounded the lake and it was so nice to relax with them.

Today Austin and I are hiking up to Timpanogos Cave. The hike took us up 1505 feet in elevation.

There were markers on the pavement of the different layers of rock in the mountain.

This is the highest I have hiked in elevation above sea level. We even saw a baby Rattlesnake.

Second stop on our small adventure was to Bridel Veil Falls. A 607-foot-tall double cataract waterfall.

The falls were located at the south end of Provo Canyon.

We hiked up to the bottom of the lower falls. It was refreshing to feel the mist on this 90 degree day!

I have so enjoyed my time here in Provo and visiting with Austin and Kaitlyn, and don’t forget, Harlie’s little boy Tesla! Here is a picture of Brother Tesla and Sister Frannie Lou. ♡

My next stop will be more adventure as I visit Zion National Park, Bryce National Park and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Hope you will join me!