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Devil’s Garden is one of the trails I had set as a goal to finish on my long day at Arches National Park. With an extremely late start and losing two hours in the afternoon by having to return to Moab, it didn’t quite work out the way I wanted, but we were still able to complete a short part of the trail.
We arrived at Devil’s Garden as the sun was setting. After a quick glance at the map, we decided we had enough time to get to Landscape Arch and back to the car. We weren’t able to take advantage of the entire 7.2 mile loop and primitive trail as originally planned.
We hiked a bit faster than usual but were still able to take in some of the breathtaking scenery as the vibrant colors of the desert began disappearing with every minute.
Landscape Arch
After 25 minutes of hiking, we completed the 1.6 miles to Landscape Arch. It’s believed to be the fifth longest natural arch in the world with a span of 290 ft. A trail used to pass underneath it, but a few huge chunks have broken off since 1991 making it dangerous to approach.
Mule Deer
As we began our hike back to the car, everyone on the trail stopped in their tracks to allow a small family of mule deer to pass. The adults darted across the trail but the baby was afraid to pass. Everyone could tell the adults were worried about their young, so we all backed off a bit. The father ran back across the trail and then escorted the baby to where the mother was standing. It was an amazing sight because as they continued on their way, it seemed as if the parents were scolding their child for not obeying orders.
Blood Moon
Finally, the moon began to rise in the east. This wasn’t an ordinary moon. It was a blood moon. We stopped to admire this phenomenon and I was able to snap a few photos. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my tripod with me and they aren’t as clear as I had hoped.
