The park is repairing all of its roads. The campgrounds are closed and during the week visitors must exit by 7 p.m. so construction can take over. What this means is that lines begin forming early for the 7 a.m. re-opening and it took us a full 30 minutes to get into the park on a Thursday morning.
The long lines slowed the entry for everyone so that meant that the park didn't have its usual crowds until later in the day, but this was offset by the construction equipment parked in all of the turnouts creating a parking problem.
Nevertheless, this wasn't going to stop us from enjoying one of our favorite National Parks.
However.
Delicate Arch is the very symbol of Arches National Park but it also one of the least accessible arches there. On our first visit, we hiked the trail to the viewing area across a chasm from the Arch, but with temperatures close to 90 degrees and humidity at 5 or 6%, we said we would hike the trail to the arch itself on another visit. So we did.
Delicate Arch is the very symbol of Arches National Park but it also one of the least accessible arches there. On our first visit, we hiked the trail to the viewing area across a chasm from the Arch, but with temperatures close to 90 degrees and humidity at 5 or 6%, we said we would hike the trail to the arch itself on another visit. So we did.
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| Note Viewing Area Just Across Chasm |
The temperatures were moderate and the humidity was actually high for Moab following a period of fairly heavy rains. We even saw frogs in the pond under the bridge near the parking lot.
As we made our way toward the Arch, people returning all said that it was well worth the effort, but they were lying. Knowing what I know now, I would never have made this hike.
The trail is deceptive and not really a trail and the final approach actually presents an actual danger, especially when you are surrounded by stupid people acting stupidly. But I made it to the Arch and got my pictures.
The Arch really is a massive thing and while you can walk right up to it, you really need a bit of distance to see it properly. Pictures of people standing under the arch either show the faces and miss the context or show the Arch with tiny figures standing under it.
You can see photos from the hike here: Hiking to Delicate Arch
As we made our way toward the Arch, people returning all said that it was well worth the effort, but they were lying. Knowing what I know now, I would never have made this hike.
The trail is deceptive and not really a trail and the final approach actually presents an actual danger, especially when you are surrounded by stupid people acting stupidly. But I made it to the Arch and got my pictures.
The Arch really is a massive thing and while you can walk right up to it, you really need a bit of distance to see it properly. Pictures of people standing under the arch either show the faces and miss the context or show the Arch with tiny figures standing under it.
You can see photos from the hike here: Hiking to Delicate Arch
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