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.
After the Fiery Furnace, the next two stops along Arches Scenic Drive in Arches National Park are trails to two different arches.
The first stop on Arches Scenic Drive after Delicate Arch Road is the Salt Valley Overlook, where there are sweeping views of the Salt Valley and the Windows Section, one of the most popular areas at Arches National Park.
Delicate Arch is one of the iconic symbols of Arches National Park and the state of Utah. It’s accessible via a difficult three mile round trip trail with a 480 ft. elevation gain. While we didn’t allot any time for the trail during our visit, we did take advantage of the viewpoints.
The Windows Section of Arches National Park was by far the busiest part of the park we visited. Parking was a nightmare. We circled around the lot for at least 30 minutes waiting for a spot to open up. Nothing. Finally, we decided to follow the rebel crowd and park in the no parking zone. We cracked the windows, loaded up on water, and started our exploration.
Balanced Rock is a popular rock formation and short trail at Arches National Park in Utah. It’s the sixth stop along Arches Scenic Drive, just before the turn to the Windows Section.
The entire length of the main road through Arches National Park, from the visitor center all the way to Devil’s Garden, is a scenic drive. There are several viewpoints set up to observe some of the most spectacular rock formations in the park. This entry will focus on the first third of Arches Scenic Drive, where there’s a lot more “stop and look” rather than “get out and hike”.
Arches National Park is one of the most popular parks in the United States. It’s located in southeastern Utah just outside of Moab. The unique rock formations and natural stone arches found throughout the park and the rugged landscape make it a desert wonderland.
On our final morning at Great Basin National Park, we were hoping to have everything packed up and to be on the move by 10am. We had a long drive ahead of us to Moab, Utah, for some time at Arches National Park, and wanted to enjoy the scenery along the way.
The Bristlecone Pine Trail is a 2.8 mile round trip hike at Great Basin National Park that starts at the end of the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. The trail has a 600 foot elevation gain. Bristlecone pines are among the longest-living species on earth, with some over 5,000 years old.