Finally – it was the day for Arches National Park to reopen! Knowing they’d get a rush of visitors on their first day back after months of being closed, we had woken up early. Our alarm was set for 5:30am, but I may have needed some coaxing to wake up... so it ended up being closer to 6:00am when we were in the car and on our way to our first hike in the park – the iconic Delicate Arch. We wanted to get this one done as early in the day as we could, knowing that it’s the park’s most popular hike (fun fact: this recognizable arch can be found on Utah license plates). About 3 miles in length, it didn’t take us too long – about an hour total with plenty of time to enjoy the famous arch and catch the remaining last bit of the sunrise. When we arrived back at the parking lot by 8:00am, it had already reached capacity – reassuring us that we made the right choice to start our day with this hike.
Next on our list was Devils Garden Loop Trail With 7 Arches. About 7.5-miles in length and gaining about 1,070 feet of elevation, this hike took us just under 3 ½ hours. Devils Garden Loop takes you to Tunnel Arch, Pine Tree Arch, Landscape Arch (the largest arch in North America and one of the largest natural spans in the world at 306 feet long), Wall Arch, Navajo Arch, Partition Arch, Double O Arch, and the bonus view of the Dark Angel.
We (okay more me than Jordan…) hiked this trail a lot slower than our normal pace. I blamed the previous several days of hiking and the desert heat, which did not result in an energetic Kaylee. We finally made it through (thank goodness for lots of cloud coverage to help with the heat!), finishing around noon. We made a quick lunch of sandwiches with the leftover rotisserie chicken from the night before, what was left of our sourdough bread from home, and mustard/mayo we had snagged from the grocery store deli. After refueling, there were only a few more places we wanted to see in the park – Sand Dune Arch, Windows Loop and Turret Arch, Park Avenue, and Balancing Rock – altogether totaling less than 2 miles.
Thankful we had woken up early and avoided the main heat of the day, we cooled off with a dip in the river before driving into Moab to hunt down what we’d both been dreaming of since that 5:30am alarm went off that morning – ICE CREAM!!
Not too far into town we stumbled upon Moab Coffee Roasters, a coffee shop that also serves ice cream and gelato – heck yes! We enjoyed our well-deserved treat on the patio, then wandered down Main Street to do some window shopping. Around 5:00pm we popped into the grocery store to grab a few more essentials (popcorn, Gatorade, and fresh fruit), before choosing a restaurant to have dinner at (because you know, we were feeling fancy!). We settled on Gloria’s Corner Café along Main Street, where we devoured burgers and fries while people watching. We enjoyed the rest of the evening at our campsite, tucking into some fresh cherries for dessert and being treated to yet another incredible sunset.
Must-sees: Our two favorite arches in the park had to be Delicate and Landscape. Measuring 32 feet wide and 46 feet high, Delicate Arch is the largest free-standing arch in the park. It is one of the most famous geologic features in the world and has become a widely recognized symbol of Utah. Landscape Arch on the other hand is one of the largest stone spans in the world, measuring 306 feet wide but only 11 feet thick at its center. Fun fact: A 60-foot long piece of rock feel from this arch in 1991!
On Reflection: The trail for Fiery Furnace and Surprise Arch was closed when we visited, but if we were to go back, I’d be interested in purchasing the required permit to hike in this area. According to the National Park Service’s website, this physically demanding hike includes climbing on broken and irregular sandstone, along narrow drop-offs and ledges, squeezing through narrow spaces, and jumping across gaps. Sounds like an adventure!