Arches National Park

This is a great park. Situated near Moab, which is a nice little town. Plenty of places to eat, drink and get your retail therapy a.k.a. buy more junk.
There are so many Arches to visit here. One of them is Delicate Arch which I was not aware of until I hiked it. I have seen souvenirs of it, in fact countless times, and all of them more than unusually hideous and wondered, wtf is it??? Why all the fuss? The souvenirs does a disservice to its beauty.
We got up before sunrise and hiked towards it. No crowds and easy parking before the crack of dawn. It was an easy hike for the fit and not so easy for the unfit. It was worth it
Other notable arches are the North and South Windows, Double Arch and the list just goes on. It was absolutely amazing how there were so many arches close to each other. Will have to return to visit more arches and revisit to the ones I have already been. Phenomenal is the word for this Park!

Beautiful arches, canyons, formations, etc. Visitor center was nice and staff was helpful. We liked the exhibits. Nice selection of souvenirs.
Bathrooms outside of the visitor center should be checked more frequently. The definitely needed to be cleaned.
If we visit Moab again, I’d love to take more of the hikes. (The delicate arch higher view point was a great well/​groomed trail).

Absolutely incredible! My husband and I are on a big road trip and we chose 2 Utah parks to visit. I chose Zion (which was beautiful) and my husband chose Arches. Now even though Zion was very pretty, I enjoyed Arches much more.
Good supplies to take:
A back pack with plenty of water and a few snacks
Sunscreen
Hiking sneakers or regular sneakers (hiking ones offer more friction for rock climbing)
Climbing gloves (optional, but they helped me a lot)
A hat or jogging hoodie to cover your face (I wore a workout hooding and it kept me cool and protected)
sunglasses
Comfy pants with ventilation (fishing pants or workout pants)
Don’t recommend jeans because they have no ventilation and shorts offer no sun protection
We made 3 stops, first one was The Balanced Rock which is pretty cool. You can climb up to the base of it and get some good pics.
Next we went to the Double Arches and that was awesome. We climbed all the way up to the arch and then sat under it for a while enjoying the shade provided by the arch. The sun was pouring in at such a gorgeous angle so we got a great picture because of that.
Our final stop was the famous and most photographed Delicate Arch. There are 2 ways to see this Arch: the easy way or the hard way.
The easy way I believe is a look out point you can walk to and see it from far away, but if you want to go up close and actually stand under the arch, you’re going to have to do the 1.5 mile (to and back, 3 miles total) hike to get there.
The hike starts out on a paved trail, but then you get to a very very large up hill rock you have to climb. You can walk it all on your feet with no assistance and there are no dangerous ledges, but it is all up hill and your calves will get a work out. Once you’re up that, you’ve gone through the worst of the hike. Just get up that rocky hill and you’re good.
Next there are various points of stairs, sand, a little bit more up hill rocks, and ledges. Yes there are a couple somewhat narrowish ledges but they’re honestly not bad at all. There is enough room for 2 way traffic, but if you have small children, hang on to them tight. Once you get around the second ledge, you’ve made it and it’s worth it! You can climb down into the arch bowl (which is not that steep) and walk right over to the arch and stand under it. Please be aware that people are taking pictures and don’t want strangers in them so please don’t stand there long. Just get a quick photo and move on.
I personally needed to take some resting beaks since my stamina is very low and I don’t sweat much, but my husband pushed me to do it and I’m sooooo glad I did it. It was an amazing hike.
Remember to bring PLENTY of water! You WILL need it. I also suggest trying to visit on a week day. From other reviews, I’ve heard it gets super packed on weekends, so if you want to avoid crowds like we did, go on a weekday.
Overall, Arches was an amazing experience and I had a blast. It’s just so majestic and awe-​inspiring. I can’t wait to visit again one day.

Ok it’s my 3^rd favorite national park. Funky landscape! I felt like I was on another planet. Anyway, my favorite hike was Delicate Arch. 1) It’s a great work-​out hike 2) Coolest arch by far 3) When we got there, it started to sprinkle, and we saw a double rainbow in the background. The other cool part is the court house & 3 gossips area. I initially thought it looked like temples with statues of the gods. Man this park is just remarkable, definitely need to visit here if you are doing the Utah national parks!

Such a beautiful national park! It’s been quite some time since I visited national parks up close and personal (I can be quite outdoorsy) so when the opportunity came and I could spend time with my family I grabbed it!
Arches National Park is the first park I’ve visited and while no I didn’t get a chance to visit Delicate Arch, the Double Arches and the Windows Arch were still beautiful! As with most (all) parks, you’ll have a bit of a wait getting in before being able to park your vehicle.
It’s a hot June day (Happy Father’s Day!) and while myself and my parents didn’t do a crazy a hike we definitely took the time on the trails taking pictures of everything. The places I saw were not crazy crowded so one could take their time getting the best shots.
It’s really a beautiful park. Worth every moment. The park is very big and definitely worth a longer amount then I could give this time. I would love to come back and see the Delicate Arch firsthand.
Note– Parking for all types of vehicle is located in and around the same area.

An amazing comeback, as we stopped around and saw the glory of God’s or natures gift from it to us humans. The breeze is hot, Hot, HOT! ! ! I loved the view. Who doesn’t? Possibly necrophiliacs and introverts. I thought the first arch was spectacular. Don’t drown from the hot sun, and you’ll be alright. Everything else doesn’t normally matter when it’s just you and this fantastic mountain. Maybe you should dump your significant other, and just marry this wonderful establishment and possibly make little arch mountain babies! Would come again.

This park wins for little effort and most crowded. Don’t get me wrong — I still give it five stars. But if you’re like me, and enjoy your time spent in nature not to be swarming with 5,000 people… go on the off season. Or get up at daybreak every day you’re doing the hikes so you can enjoy some peace and quiet with the spectacular arches.
Additionally, the line to get into the park gets REALLY long after around 10 am. Do yourself a favor, and get there before then. It really backs up. Plus, if the park reaches capacity and you can’t get in… just make sure to get there early. It’s worth it. I HIGHLY recommend getting up at daybreak and beating the crowds, but if not, still make every effort to be there early so you have the most time to play around in the park.
I never went to the visitor center, so I can’t really comment on it, but I love that they have drinking water taps outside, accessible ²⁴⁄₇. I’m so happy their doing this, and discouraging purchasing water bottles. Reusable water bottles are great! Was thrilled to have the taps, which kept my friend and I from having to purchase gallons and gallons of water.
Bathrooms are scary and smell horrendous, but there’s not much you can do about that. It’s all worth it, so just go.

Where can you see natural arch formations like these? Arches is a must visit park on your Utah trip. For Bollywood fans, this is where a song from Anil Kapoor’s film Pukar (1994) was shot. All the key points are accessible via car and you really just need 1 night if you wish to simply see the sights. The main arch (delicate arch) is a 3hr elevated hike, so plan for 2 nights if you want to see that up close. Otherwise it’s visible from far.
Other arches like landscape and skyline are easier to access by cars. Moab is a great town to hangout after you see the park.

Words can’t describe the feeling of this place. It’s so beautiful and majestic. A huge tip is to pack sun screen with you even if you’re hiking early in the season when it’s not too hot. You get burn no matter what. If you have limited time here, you can complete a lot of things.
Hikes that is a must is delicate arches (you must go here or else you don’t know Utah). The hike there is a bit difficult but once you reach there it’s beautiful. Another hiking trail I would recommend is Devils garden. Like the name the sun is striking down on you. Basically hiking a dessert with limited shade. Pack lots of water and reapply sun screen like maybe every 2 – 3 hours. Trust me… I thought I had really good sunscreen with spf 50 but with just a 3 hour hike I wan sunburned.
Devils garden is filled with mini hike in between and it’s so beautiful. Reaching the final destination (double o arches) wasn’t that easy, but totally worth it. On the drive out you can always stop at the sand dunes to play in the beautiful cool sand. It’s like a beach there just without the water. The sand is super cool and you can just chill there.
If I lives closer to this wonderful park I would probably hike it a lot more. Great exercise, beautiful scenery, and a breath taking experience.

This park wins low effort /​high reward, of all the dozen or so National Parks I’ve visited. Most of the very rewarding arches are a less-​than-​one-​mile loop from where you park your car. The park is open 24/​7, and if you get there before or after visitor center hours, you don’t have to pay an entrance fee. But you should get a National Park Pass anyway ;-) That said, go early or late. Midday at high season is scorching and there is very little shade. If you’re a photographer, midday is also the worst lighting. We tended to spend 7am-​11am, and 5pm-​sunset at the park, to:
— avoid crowds on Delicate Arch (the most popular arch)
— easy parking at most features
— less traffic
— better lighting for photography
— temperatures 20 – 30 degrees (F) cooler than midday
Pro tip: for the best Double Arch photo, climb as far back into the cavern as you can, and with your wide-​angle lens (16mm on full frame) the larger of the arches frames the Window Arches in the background. Wear grippy-​soled shoes to put your mind at ease.

We came here on Monday Memorial Day, arrived just before 9am. We were really worried that it would be packed because we’d heard from other travelers that Saturday was super busy & this is one of the busiest weekends of the year.
It was actually really good. We only had a short wait to get in the gate, maybe 6 cars deep and there was plenty of parking at the delicate arch overlook. The double arch/​windows parking was a bit busier around 11am but we were lucky and got a parking easily. You can’t help but have other people in your photo’s, it’s just how it is when people stand right in the arches, but that’s all part of the experience.
We didn’t go out to the farthest section of the park or do any long walks, the longest one we did was up to the upper delicate arch overlook. We were on a little bit of a time frame so we saw some awesome things and left. Even when we were heading out just before Noon, there was still no traffic coming in, if fact, there was less than when we arrived!
P. S. Take your hand sanitizer for the pit toilets. The one we used was out.

Okay, so Arches National Park is fantastic, but I can’t take any more big red rocks.
Everywhere you go in Colorado and Arizona and New Mexico and Utah you see canyons and mesas and lots of big red rocks.
The first time you see them it is amazing. The second time is great. But after seeing red rocks day after day, you get to the point of saying, «No more! I can’t take it anymore!»

This park turned out to be a great place for soul searching and sightseeing. The park was clean and easy to navigate. There are signs posted everywhere so you will definitely not get lost.
The bathrooms and the park were both clean considering the amount of people visiting at the time.
Be sure to stop and fill up your water bottles at the visitors center just as you enter the park. The center provides loads of information and has a model of the park layout as well as information on the flora and fauna to be seen. Make the trip, it’s worth it!

Perfection. Nothing bad to say about this park. It’s so beautifully breathtaking. Very family friendly. The delicate arch hike was moderately hard; no shade and some steep parts with cliffs, but very manageable with kids. The entire 7 mile hike of Devils Garden I would NOT recommend for kids. There is some tough terrain but a very beautiful hike. I would definitely go back again. We saw almost all of the arches in one day; we could’ve gone back and spent another ½ day there but we felt we saw almost everything.

Arches National Park Is GREAT!
So many wonderful rock formations and geological greatness!
I have made several trips here and each time I see new things I had not previously done…
Delicate Arch is a cool hike as are most all the hikes there…
Spend a couple days here and be smart and bring a backpack with water and snacks just in case…

Here is a tutorial on how to do Arches National Park in two days (hiking version)!
What you’ll need:
–Sturdy hiking boots
–Plenty of water and sunblock
–Strong legs/​endurance
–Sense of adventure
Of course you can spend many more days at Arches – this park is vast and spectacular. However, if you’re strapped for time, you can experience the best and most prominent attractions of Arches by following this guide.
Arches was the first stop on my National Parks Tour in Utah. To maximize the number of arches we could see, my partner and I decided to do the Devils Garden hike on our first day, and end with a late afternoon hike to Delicate Arch (the most famous arch of them all).
DAY ONE:
Below are the arches we saw during the Devils Garden hike (7-​mile-​loop):
Landscape Arch — longest arch in Arches NP and on the planet
Partition Arch
Navajo Arch
Double O Arch
Dark Angel — not an arch
Private Arch
Pine Tree Arch
Tunnel Arch
The Devils Garden hike is one of my favorite hikes in UT. I loved the physicality of the hike and the raw intimacy with nature. The first portion of this trail is well-​traveled and relatively easy, but the rest of this route is unmaintained and rugged. Don’t worry, there are plenty of cairns… until the last mile or so. The cairns became harder to find as it got more and more primitive.
After the 7-​mile loop in Devils Garden, we headed toward Delicate Arch. To reach the arch, you’ll need to hike 1.5 miles (3 miles round trip) over a sandstone hill. The trail is well defined and widely used so there is no way you can get lost. You can also follow the masses because there will definitely be lots of people on this trail any time of the day. Despite the crowds, Delicate Arch lives up to the hype.
The next day, we started our morning with the Fiery Furnace hike (2 – 3 hours). This is a very popular and awesome ranger-​led hike. You need to obtain a permit from the NPS website. Due to its popularity, permits are rarely available the day of or even a day prior to your desired hike date (during peak season). Check the website for availability and purchase your permit a few weeks beforehand (I bought mine 2 months ahead of time). I believe during peak season there are two hikes per day (but not daily).
DAY TWO:
Below are the arches we saw during the Fiery Furnace hike (we selected the first hike of the day at 10am):
Walk-​Through Arch
Crawl-​Through Arch
Kissing Turtles Arch
Surprise Arch
Skull Arch
The ranger guides you through a labyrinth of narrow passageways with NO marked trails. Along the way, you learn about the ecology, geology, and history of the surrounding environment and creatures. I didn’t find it strenuous but expect to use every limb to navigate the maze-​like terrain. Highly educational and physical! You’ll jump, squeeze, and crawl through various spaces.
After escaping from the Fiery Furnace, we had lunch and then hiked/​drove to more arches!
Sand Dune Arch
Broken Arch
Tapestry Arch
Turret Arch
North & South Windows
Double Arch
Balanced Rock
The last few arches/​destinations do not require much hiking to reach, and they’re all located in close proximity to one another. Thus, you can drive and dash: park your car and run to take some photos, then run back to your car to hit up the next spot.
Everything about this park is stunning. It features remarkable rock formations, magnificent sandstone monoliths, soaring pinnacles, massive towers, and countless natural stone arches. It’s truly a geological wonderland with distinct landscapes and impressive vistas every turn you take. One second you’re roaming underneath amazingly thin, delicate-​looking arches and the next you’re scrambling in between narrow, exposed sandstone fins.
There is no cover/​shade since it’s desert country so bring lots of water and sunscreen (in the summer months). My partner and I are on the adventurous side so this itinerary might not suit everyone. Nonetheless, this rocky playground has family-​friendly hikes as well. I’d love to return and explore some of the backcountry trails. While adventuring in Arches, please remember to respect and honor our national parks and stay on the marked trails. DO NOT step on the biocrust!

I’m not sure what I could say about Arches that hasn’t already been said by thousands.
AMAZING park. We drove down to Arches from salt lake city in about 3 ½ hours when we were out west visiting family. I was hesitant at first to be dragged away from SLC for some rocks in a park but my mind was quickly changed.
Admission was $ 25 for our car (4 of us) and we were let in. There are a bunch of different stops for you to park your car and to get out and explore the park. We probably ventured 15−20ish miles back into the park altogether and were able to see aaaaa LOT. We made probably 5 or 6 stops and loved every one of them.
People had a lot of campsites set up so it looks like a good place to camp out in some areas the park has designated. There are also hikes for all different levels of adventurer. You can walk around, climb on rocks, or do some hikes that require a license.
If you’re ever in the area and you have a few hours to spare, you’d be remiss to not at least drive in a take a look around.

Amazing place.
Came here this past weekend and boy I can’t wait to return to do longer hikes. We walked in the snow and saw a few Arches but the sun was going down and the temperature was dropping, so we did the famous National Lampoons fast track, stopped looked and dashed…
Do yourself a favor and come and see it live.

When I first got to Utah, I noticed everyone’s license plates: snowboarding, skiing, or the Arches. I told myself, you know what? I’ll go there one day. And boy was I glad I did!
The Arches are a definite must for anyone who lives, visits, or «passes through» (apparently they aren’t the same). A short 3 mile hike in, with lots of scenic views, the path to the Delicate Arch is paved with natural serenity and wildlife. From sunrise to sunset, the landscape surrounding the Delicate Arch will be littered with tourists and visitors.
James’ Tip: Come prepared with water (and extra water), snacks, hats, and walking sticks if you need them. My group and I encountered an elderly photographer who, unfortunately, did not bring water with him on the 3 mile trek. Thankfully I had extra (thus, why you bring extra, and it’s not a bad idea to continually hydrate). Watch out for your fellow explorer, take lots of pictures, and remember to stop and pause to enjoy its beauty.
With that said, enjoy the photos posted for the Arches! Tons of real gems!

What’s not to love about Arches?
Close to Moab and few hours from SLC.
Great trails for every hiking level.
Did the Devils Playground which was pretty easy with a few uphill sections on slickrock, so wear proper shoes or boots. It was COLD at the end of November and windy! Base layers and windproof jacket are key!
Delicate Arch is a must. It’s truly incredible.
Zero regrets visiting this National Park and will definitely return.

Toller Park, super angelegt. Moab zum übernachten perfekt.

Es wurde schon genug geschrieben. Für mich ein absolutes MUST-​SEE in Amerika. Am besten in Moab ein paar Tage einplanen, da dort sehr viel Freizeitaktivitäten angeboten werden.
Ein Tip: möglichst zeitig starten, wenn ihr zum Delicate Arch wollt, da weniger Leute aber vor allem nicht so heiß. Im Sommer kann es schon mal über 110 Fahrenheit bekommen (43 Celsius).und Wasser, Wasser, Wasser !!!

Einer von wirklich vielen sehenswerten National Parks. Wir waren dort auf unserer Rundfahrt die uns von Colorado, durch New Mexico, Arizona und Utah führte.
Im Sommer (wir waren im Juli dort) ist es wirklich sehr heiß, da die Luftfeuchtigkeit aber extrem gering ist, empfand ich die Hitze als nicht unangenehm.
Die Arches und Bridges sind wirklich sehr beeindruckend, der berühmteste ist wohl der Delicate Arch.

Ein Park der auf jede Todo Liste gehört,
die eindrücke sind einfach faszinierend kann man nicht beschrieben allerdings wenn man in Sommermonaten hingeht sollte man immer dafür sorgen ausreichen Wasser mit sich zu führen. Hohe Lage und die Trockene Luft tragen schnell zum dehydrieren bei.
(
) Utah III Arch NP (
)

Sehr schöner Nationalpark (wobei mich der Nationalpark Canyonlands mehr beeindruckt hat (insbes. der Needles District). Ein Muss, wenn man in der Nähe ist.
Besonders zu empfehlen ist die kurze Wanderung zum
1. Delicate Arch (ca. 45– 60 Minuten one Way), besonders schön beim Sonnenuntergang
2. Landscape Arch (so lange er noch steht ;-))
3. Double O’ Arch, toller Weg dorthin!
4. The Windows (ruhig einmal herumlaufen zur Rückseite, da sind so gut wie keine Touris mehr ;-)
5. Balanced Rock, direkt an der Straße, schönes Fotomotiv.
Gute Reisezeit: Wir hatten im Oktober sehr gutes Wetter, nur leider nicht beim Sonnenuntergang am Delicate Arch. September /​Oktober ist nach der Hauptsaison und dadurch nicht mehr so stark überlaufen!

Großartiger Park. Im Sommer unglaublich heiß und trocken, aber landschaftlich ein absolutes Muss, wenn man in der Nähe ist. Von Aussichtspunkt zu Aussichtspunkt fährt man mit eigenem Auto (Nationalpark-​typisch). Leider zu speziellen Anlässen (Memorial Day) eine einzige Autokolonne durch den Park. Mit spezieller Permit kann man auch off-​trail Wandern/​Campen, wenn man Low-​Footprint-​Campen kann. Vegetation im Mai sehr schön (Blühende Kakteen).
Ein absolutes Muss. Und Utahs Nationalmonument, der Arch, ist natürlich sehenswert!

Der Arches-​Nationalpark befindet sich in der Nähe von Moab in Utah im Westen der USA. Er ist bekannt für seine große Zahl an natürlichen Steinbögen, die durch Verwitterung ständig neu entstehen und wieder vergehen. Die Angabe über die Gesamtzahl schwankt zwischen 900 und 2000.
Der Park hat eine Fläche von 309 km. Seine höchste Erhebung ist der Elephant Butte mit 1696 Metern. Der tiefste Punkt des Parks liegt am Visitor Center mit 1225 Metern.
Das Gebiet wurde 1929 zum National Monument erklärt und 1971 zum Nationalpark aufgewertet.
Sehenswürdigkeiten:
Der Delicate Arch (Höhe: 14 Meter) ist ein alleinstehender, sehr bekannter Bogen. Ein Abbild findet sich unter anderem auf den KFZ-​Kennzeichen des Bundesstaates Utah. Er befindet sich im östlichen Teil des Parks, 2,5 km von der Wolfe-​Ranch entfernt (ca. 1 Stunde Fußweg). Frank Beckwith, der Führer der Arches National Monument Scientific Expedition gab 1933 dem Bogen seinen jetzigen Namen. Der Bogen war zu dieser Zeit kein Bestandteil des Parks bis zur Vergrößerung 1938. Um 1950 sollte der Bogen mit einer Art Plastiküberzug versehen werden, um ihn vor weiterer Erosion und Zerstörung zu bewahren. Doch der National Park Service besann sich auf seine ursprünglichen Ziele, die Natur vor den Menschen zu schützen und vor dessen Einfluss zu bewahren, ansonsten aber die Natur sich selbst zu überlassen.
Die Three Gossips (drei Klatschbasen) sind als erste markante Felsgruppe nach der Einfahrt in den Nationalpark links der Straße zu sehen.
Der Babel Tower befindet sich im Süden des Parks direkt gegenüber der Three Gossips und war gemeinsam mit selbigen vor einigen Jahren auf einem Marlboro-​Plakat zu sehen.
Der Sheep Rock am Ende einer Felswand sieht wie ein Widder aus und ist wahrscheinlich der Überrest eines zusammengebrochenen Bogens.
Der Balanced Rock ist ein großer Felsen, der auf einer Felsnadel balanciert. Er liegt in der Nähe der Straße und kann auf einem 0,5 km langen Weg zu Fuß umrundet werden.
Double Arch besteht aus zwei großen Bögen, die beinahe rechtwinklig zueinander stehen. Er ist kurz in den Filmen Indiana Jones und der letzte Kreuzzug und Hulk zu sehen.
Der Skyline Arch liegt fast am Ende der Straße. Als im Jahre 1940 ein Felsen aus dem Bogen brach, verdoppelte sich dadurch die Größe seiner Öffnung.
Der Landscape Arch ist mit 92 Metern Spannweite einer der größten Bögen der Welt. Am 1. September 1991 brach ein Felsblock von 18 Meter Länge, 3,40 Meter Breite und 1,20 Meter Dicke aus der Unterseite des Bogens. Seitdem ist er an seiner dünnsten Stelle weniger als drei Meter dick.
Der Partition Arch liegt einige hundert Meter hinter dem Landscape Arch. Er besticht nicht durch seine Größe (im Vergleich zu den anderen Bögen im Park ist er eher klein), sondern durch die spektakuläre Panorama-​Aussicht auf die La Sal Mountains, die man von dort hat.
Der Double-​O-​Arch besteht aus zwei übereinander liegenden Bögen. Er ist nur über einen langen ungesicherten Felsgrat im letzten Teilstück des Weges zu erreichen. Die Wanderung dorthin ist daher nur bei guter Kondition und ausreichender Zeit und Wasservorräten zu empfehlen.
Der Wall Arch, zwölftgrösster Bogen des Parks und direkt am viel begangenen Devils Garden Trail gelegen, brach zwischen dem 4. und 5. August 2008 zusammen. (Wikipedia)
Wir waren auch mit einem Wohmobil unterwegs und sind von der einen Stelle zur anderen gefahren, weil alles sehr weit auseinander liegt.
Ansonsten kann man dort sehr gut wandern gehen. Das Panorama ist einfach nur genial. Wenn ihr einmal zum Delcate Arch wollt, müsst ihr wohl oder übel eine 2 stündige Strecke in kauf nehmen, die eigentlich nicht für Anfänger geeignet ist. Wir haben eine andere Strecke genommen. Wir mussten ca. 20 min eine steile Strecke bezwingen, waren aber leider nicht nah dran :(also lohnt es sich sicherlich die 2 Stunden da hoch zu wandern, wer aber keine Zeit hat (so wie wir) kann sich auch damit zufrieden geben :)

Der Beitrag von dnut437 erinnert mich an unseren Besuch im letzten Jahr im Arches National Park. Auch wir waren von den Felsformationen äußerst beeindruckt — deshalb füge ich den wunderbaren Fotos von dnut noch einige von uns ergänzend hinzu.
Wir waren mir dem RV (Wohmobil) unterwegs und bekamen leider keinen Stellplatz im National Park. Er war trotz out-​of-​season ausgebucht und mal empfahl uns am Eingang des Parkes auf der Rangerstation, am nächsten Morgen sehr früh wieder zu kommen, um dann eventuell einen Platz zu ergattern. Da wir keine Frühaufsteher sind, verzichteten wir darauf und fanden einen ebenso schönen Campground im Dead Horse Point, ca. 20 Fahrminuten entfernt. Wir blieben für drei Nächte und machten von dort unsere Ausflüge.
Im Arches geht es nach dem Eingang zunächst steil bergauf auf vielen Serpentinen. Dann empfängt einen die gewaltige, rötliche Felslandschaft mit ihren unzähligen, großen wie kleinen Arches = Bögen, die die Witterung in Jahrtausenden geschaffen hat. Ein Fotomotiv jagt hier das andere. Entlang der Straße gibt es diverse Parkmöglichkeiten, von denen man aus kürzere, aber auch lange Wanderungen starten kann. Leider ist es nahezu unmöglich, alle Angebote wahr zu nehmen. Man müsste dann schon zwei, drei Wochen hier verbringen.
Die Straße endet dann nach mehreren Meilen in einem großen Kreis, an dem der Campground liegt. Hier haben wir geparkt und eine längere Wanderung gemacht. Da wir Anfang Mai hier waren, waren die Temperaturen erträglich.
Es fällt schwer, in Worten zu beschreiben, wie vereinnahmend die Landschaft ist. Ergänzt wird das Panorama von den am Horizont liegenden Rocky Mountains, auf denen der Schnee weiß zu uns herüber leuchtete.
Mit der Fotogalerie von dnut und meinen hinzugefügten Fotos kann man am besten einen kleinen Eindruck gewinnen, warum wir so begeistert waren.
Wobei zu erwähnen bleibt, dass im Umkreis von Moab (das ist die nächst gelegene Stadt) es noch weitere beeindruckende National Parks und Landschaften gibt. Eine ideale Gegend, um mit dem RV flexibel unterwegs zu sein.

Der Arches National Park liegt ein wenig nördlich von Moab und ist von dort am einfachsten zu erreichen. Da Qype es aber seit Monaten nicht fertigbringt, diesen Ort aufzunehmen, als Ausflug von Salt Lake City aus.
Der Park zeichnet sich aus durch durch eine Vielzahl von Bögen, die die Erosion in den relativ weichen Stein gefressen hat. Es gibr zahlreiche Möglichkeiten, sich auf gut befestigten Wegen zu den Sehenswürdigkeiten hinzubewegen (beware of rattlesnake!). Einer der Arches befindet sich auf dem Autokennzeichen von Utah, das ist der Delicate Arch. Besonders gestaltet sind auch Double Arch, Double-​O-​Arch und Landscape Arch.
Zur Geschichte:
Erste Spuren von Menschen im heutigen Nationalpark stammen vom Ende der letzten Eiszeit vor über 10.000 Jahren. Spuren von Ackerbau finden sich jedoch erst 8.000 Jahre später. So wurden Reste von Feldern entdeckt, auf denen Mais, Bohnen und Kürbisse angebaut wurden. Hinweise auf menschliche Behausungen aus dieser Zeit fehlen jedoch vollständig. Man vermutet, dass die damalige Bevölkerung in der Nähe von Four Corners, der gemeinsamen Grenze der vier Staaten Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico und Utah unweit des Parks, gewohnt haben und im Arches-​Nationalpark nur die Felder bestellten. Die Bevölkerung wird den Fremont People bzw. den Ahnen der Pueblo-​Erbauer zugerechnet. Sie wohnten in ähnlichen Bauten, wie sie noch heute in Mesa Verde zu bewundern sind.
Die Fremont People waren Zeitgenossen der Pueblo-​Erbauer, später siedelten Paiute-​Indianer, jedoch ist der Zeitraum der Besiedlung völlig unklar. Erste Begegnungen mit den Paiute gab es im Jahr 1776. Auch fand man Felszeichnungen, sogenannte Newspaper Rocks, die den Paiute zugeschrieben werden, da diese unter Anderem Jagdszenen mit auf Pferden sitzenden Indianern zeigen. (Pferde wurden erst von den Spaniern eingeführt)