Arches National Park had been on our must-see list for at least six years. Each time we were near Moab, we either didn’t have time to stop or we couldn’t get reservations near enough to make it worthwhile. I braced for disappointment again when I called the first RV park on my list. When I heard the words, “Yes, we can accommodate you on those dates,” I felt like I won a jackpot and jumped for joy around the fifth wheel until I made myself dizzy.

But first we had one more stop. On May 5, 2023, we continued traveling west on Highway 50, noticing the difference between prairie and high deserts as we passed through the continental divide. The awe-inspiring scenery captured my attention as the landscape zipped along outside the windshield. Through Canon City and Royal Gorges, advertisements flashed by for helicopter rides and river rafting and historic towns to explore. Budding trees rose above dry grasses, yellow sage brush, and junipers served as the foreground to the distant snow-capped mountain ranges and peaks. Spring is a wonderful time to travel.

We stopped at the Gunnison KOA in Gunnison, Colorado, for the night. Burros, a small horse, and other farm animals had the run of the place, grazed on the grass in between the RV sites, and provided entertainment for the campers. When walking around, we kept an eye out for road apples.

The next day we arrived at Sun Outdoors in North Moab, thankful we had finally made it, and in time to run a few loads of laundry through the washer and dryer. Laundry done, we ate dinner and retired early so we could make our 7:00 am reservation for park entrance. Timed reservations are required from April-October between 7:00 am and 4:00 pm. And even with reservations, the lines to enter the park can be long.

Arches National Park, boasting over 2,000 arches (the largest in the world), became a national park in 1971. Before congress named Arches as a national park it held the distinction as a national monument from April 12, 1929, the date Herbert Hoover designated it as such. Wow! Almost 100 years ago.

We had only a short wait to pass through the Arches gate and begin our tour. After a stop at Balanced Rock, we headed to the top of the park and worked our way back down, stopping at various sites for short hikes to rock formations and views.

Besides Herbert Hoover, two other people deserve our thanks for saving Arches from development: Loren “Bish” Taylor who editorialized the marvels of Moab in the Moab newspaper in 1911, and John “Doc” Williams who teamed up with Rio Grande Western Railroad in 1923 to bring visitors to the area by train and promote Arches as a national park.

Behind us in the photo below was a tight squeeze and slanted, sandy, shale. This was a year after breaking my wrist, so I wasn’t about to tempt fate and risk another slipper slope.

A permit obtained through Recreaction.gov is required for a self-guided tour of Fiery Furnace.

Wolfe Ranch (also known as Turnbow) was a one-room, 17′ x 15′ wood-floored cabin built by John Wolfe in 1906 to house a family of six. A root cellar, irrigation dams, and a corral rounded out the ranch where the family grazed 1,000 head of cattle on the surrounding land.

The Zuni, Hopi, Ute, Paiute and other American tribes are known to have traveled through and camped in the area where they hunted and gathered plants and made their marks on the rock walls.

Beyond the petroglyph panel was a 3-mile roundtrip strenuous trek to Delicate Arch. We opted for a view from Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint.

We arrived at the same time as a small tour group, yet we all had plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the view. Some people took off across the sandstone to the Arch itself. Zoom in close and they look like ants crawling around the foot of castles.

Delicate Arch from the Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint was my favorite view. The rock formations in a row reminded me of a caravan traveling along the ridge with Delicate Arch leading the way.

The rocks and formations in Arches were formed from volcanic ash containing iron. Mostly we see the red rocks, sand, and hills which were created in an oxygen rich environment. The green rocks and hills were formed in a low-oxygen environment typically under water during the Jurassic period.

Claret cup or scarlet hedgehog cactus in bloom. I like the way they cuddle up to each other. The hedgehog cactus is native to the southwest from California to Texas.

Although the reservations are timed, that doesn’t mean no lines. If the park is too congested, park officials will restrict access for up to to 3-5 hours. Come prepared with food, plenty of water, sunscreen, and don’t forget to use the restrooms before lining up and entering the park.

Whew! We enjoyed our visit to Arches and would love to return one day in the future if possible. For now, though, we are satisfied we finally made it.

Next Up: St. George, Utah, then on to California and home.

Safe Travels