Arches National Park

We had an amazing trip to Arches National Park in Moab, Utah this September. When I found out we were moving to Utah, this is landscape I imagined. I knew that we had to see this place before we moved. Moab is only about a 3 and an half hour drive from our house. However, it is a very mountainous route and involved a two lane road most of the way. We arrived on a Friday and departed on Sunday. We only had one day in the park, but it worked out well since the kids wouldn't have lasted another day of sightseeing! It was tiring for us as well, especially managing the boys!

When I informed Dylan we were touring a national park, he kept expecting to find slides and other playground equipment. I kept having to remind him that national parks are about nature and scenery. Although he seemed to enjoy some aspects of the park, I think he would rather stick to the other kind for now!

On Friday, we dined out after the long car trip. After diner, we drove around town and found a quaint little creamery where we enjoyed ice cream and entertainment from a one-man show playing his guitar on the patio. It turned into a fun spontaneous moment of our family dancing to Brown Eyed Girl while eating ice cream.

On Saturday, we packed a picnic lunch in a cooler and spent the entire day in the park. The scenic drive is approximately 46 miles round trip, with several viewpoints and hiking trails along the way.



Park Avenue viewpoint.











Devils Garden Trailhead. This was our first and only family hike for the day. It was one mile round trip and it would have been too exhausting to try another hike, even a short one. Mike did not want to carry Austin anymore and Dylan complained WAY too much. (And no, Austin is not sunburned. His cheeks are sensitive to heat and turn red easily.)



Landscape Arch. This arch is not visible from a roadside viewpoint, which is the only reason we made the hike.







Here we are making the hike back and Dylan needed encouragement the entire time! I tried to make a game of it and that worked well.



Dylan insists we take a long break.











Almost back!



Austin wanted to walk the homestretch.



Fiery Furnace Viewpoint.







Delicate Arch from the lower viewpoint. This is the most famous arch in the park and appears on Utah's license plate. You can actually hike to the arch from another location, but it is a 3 mile round-trip hike. And, there are dangerous drop-offs near the top.











I was able to zoom in much closer from the upper viewpoint. Mike and the boys stayed in the car, while I enjoyed a solitary hike to this location. They never would have made the trip. I shot some good video of this area as well.















Petrified Dunes.



The Windows Section. This picture was taken from the parking lot. None of us had the energy to make this short hike at the end of the day.



My camcorder could zoom in for a closer shot.








Cove of Caves.



Garden of Eden. This was a nice spot to let the kids run around a little.















Balanced Rock.







Petrified Dunes and La Sal Mountains.



Courthouse area.



Courthouse Towers Viewpoint.







Mike and the boys had a great time in the hot tub after the long day in the park.








This is a short video of some of the park.