After visiting Zion National Park, we skipped Bryce Canyon due to cold weather and headed to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. The drive along I-70 from Zion to Moab was beautiful among southern Utah’s red rocks landscape. Sometimes I felt like I was driving the Mars rover. Arriving in Moab, we found a spot to call home at Dalton Wells Road next to a very colorful rock formation on one side and the snow capped La Sal Mountains as a backdrop to some grassland on the other. Arches is about 10 miles down SR191 and Canyonlands is less than 30 minutes from here, making this a perfect spot to explore both parks as well as the surrounding area..
The BLM land near Moab demonstrates what the public land is supposed to be. There were campers scattered about, some with their OHVs and dirt bikes running up and down the dirt roads. A couple mornings, we were woken up by cows mooing outside our camper as ranchers used to land to graze their cattle. One evening, we got to see the ranchers on horseback rounding up the herd. This was probably one of the most entertaining places we stayed with all the activity around us.
Moab
Moab could advertise itself as the Outdoor Adventure Capital of the World. Located in the high desert of the Colorado Plateau, there are so many options and opportunities for just about any outdoor activities. There are miles and miles of OHV, dirt bike, mountain bike and 4×4 roads and trails. Don’t have one of these? There are plenty of places to rent whatever your heart desires. You can even get a hot air balloon ride to watch the sunrise. The Colorado River and Green River come together near here so there are plenty of water activities including white water rafting and boating. Lake Powell is nearby as well. There is a vast array of arches, spires, canyons, cliffs and mesas that make up the unique desert landscape here.
Arches National Park
While there are plenty of outdoor activities to enjoy here, our primary purpose for this trip is to visit the National Parks. First up is Arches. There are over 2,000 sandstone arches in the park ranging in size from a 3-foot opening (the minimum to be considered an arch) to over 300 feet. While the park is known for its arches, there are also hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks. Most of the sights are visible from the road through the park or a short hike from the road. You don’t have to walk far to see a variety of arches and rock formations.
We checked in with the rangers at the visitor center, as has become our habit, looking for recommended hikes and other activities (and get our passport stamped). The ranger suggested taking a drive up Scenic Arches Drive to the Windows Section first, looking at the rock formations along the way. It’s only about a 25-minute drive but we managed to make it a 4 hour journey. There are plenty of turn-outs, viewpoints and short hikes along the way.
Courthouse Towers and The Three Gossips
After passing the visitor center and climbing steeply along switchback roads, the first major area of the park you’ll see is Park Avenue and the Courthouse Towers area. The Park Avenue Trail is the most popular hike in the park. The trail is a 1 mile walk among massive monoliths and towering walls with views of the nearby La Sal Mountains. The sheer walls of this canyon reminded early visitors of buildings lining a big city street, giving the area its name. Nearby is The Three Gossips. The name no doubt comes from a slight resemblance of the formation to three heads “gossiping” to each other. If you don’t want to do the Park Avenue Trail, there is a short, flat, paved trail to a viewpoint.
Balanced Rock
Balanced Rock is one of the most iconic features in the park. What looks like a gravity-defying balancing act is a large sandstone boulder sitting on top of an eroding mudstone base. Eventually, the 3,600 ton rock will meet the same fate of a smaller, similar feature named ‘Chip-Off-The-Old-Block’, which collapsed in the mid-seventies. There is a short, easy loop trail up to, and around, the base of Balanced Rock so you can get a good 360 look.
The Windows Section
The web site for Arches describes the Windows Section as ‘the beating heart of Arches National Park’. Probably because there is a large concentration of arches here and is one of the most scenic areas of the park. And you can get up close to these beautiful arches with relatively little effort as the trails are relatively flat and short. Other named features in this area include Garden of Eden, Elephant Butte, and Parade of Elephants. The best time to take photos in this area is early morning or late afternoon. As you can see from the lighting in these shots, we did neither.
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is an easy area to miss on the way to the Windows Arches. This underrated piece of the geological wonder is called a viewpoint, but in reality, it’s an open trail where people can explore the unusual sandstone features on the smooth wind-polished rock. The smooth rock is called sliprock because when it gets wet – well, you can figure that out. There are a lot of soon-to-be-arches here. You can see medium sized arches and tiny baby arches just starting to form all over this area. Wander around here but you have to stay off the cryptobiotic soil. That’s the communities of living organisms on the soil surface in that are critical to all life in the desert. Owl Rock sits near the parking area and is a popular spot for rock climbers.
The Windows
Also known as the Spectacles (as in eyeglasses), these two arches stand side by side, though separated by some distance, cut from the same sandstone fin. A large “nose” separates the arches giving it the look of a pair of glasses. The Windows can be seen from the road but the perspective changes the closer you get to the arches.
The North Window
The South Window
Turret Arch
A short spur off the Windows Loop Trail leads to the Turret Arch, the smallest of the three arches you’ll see here. It gets its name from the intricate, castle-like rock formation that includes a spire. There are two holes in this formation, one you can walk through and one high up on the rock face. You can step through the arch and get some nice views of the Window Arches.
Double Arch
Across the road from the Windows Arches is the Double Arch. Follow the easy, relatively flat walk to the two massive, soaring arches that are joined at one end. Double Arch is the tallest and second-longest arch in the park. You can view the arch from the parking lot or take the short walk to its base.
Sand Dune Arch
Sand Dune Arch is a pretty little arch squeezed between high canyon walls. As a result, there is always some shade no matter the time of day. From the parking lot, the trail turns right through a short, narrow slot. Before you know it, the sand is ankle deep. After a very short distance, Sand Dune Arch appears on your right. Spanning several hundred feet, the arch has a large pile of soft, wind-blown sand underneath, hence the name. The hike to Sand Dune Arch is only 0.3 mile round trip on flat ground making it one of the easiest in the park to get to. Beyond, the ravine narrows and becomes too steep to follow. Given the short distance and plenty of sand for kids to play in, this is a good hike for families with little ones.
Broken Arch
If you continue on the trail after the Sand Dune Arch, you get to Broken Arch. This arch gets its name from the crack that runs through the top of the span. You can scramble up the slickrock slope to stand under the arch and enjoy terrific views. This is one of the less crowded trails in Arches National Park.
Devils Garden
The Devils Garden is one of the premier locations in the park. This area has it all. There’s camping, backpacking, stargazing, and hiking for all skill levels. There’s arches, spires, and a large concentration of narrow rock walls called “fins.” Fins form when rainwater erodes parallel fractures caused by the uplift of salt deposits below the surface. Fins eventually erode and give way to the formation of arches.
Landscape Arch
Landscape Arch is the crown jewel of Devils Garden. It’s the longest arch in North America with a light opening of 306 feet framing the desert landscape underneath. This awe-inspiring expanse is only 6 feet in diameter at its narrowest. The story goes that several people were picnicking under the arch in the 1990’s when they heard a loud crack. They got out just before a bunch of rock came crashing down. Landscape Arch is still hanging on by a very thin thread but you can see some cracks developing. You better get there to see this soon because there’s no telling how much longer this will last.
The trail beyond Landscape Arch gets much steeper and more difficult so we turned around here. But if you have the wherewithal, a Primitive Loop Trail extends from there starting by scrambling up the sliprock. That gives you access to many of the area’s most spectacular structures such as the Double O Arch and Navajo Arch along with some breathtaking views. You can check out some of the views we missed from this photo gallery I found online. Here’s a couple other arches found in the Devils Garden area. I don’t remember the names but they’re photo worthy.
Tunnel Arch
Delicate Arch
All the literature and pictures you see about Arches National park feature the Delicate Arch. In fact, this particular free-standing arch has become a widely recognized symbol of the state of Utah and one of the most famous geologic features in the world. The light opening beneath the arch is 46 feet high and 32 feet wide, making it the largest free-standing arch in the park. Delicate Arch is difficult to see from the main park road but there are 3 different trails and viewpoints depending on how close you want to get and how much effort you want to expend. The Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint is a short, level 100 yard walk to see the arch from one mile away. Nearby, the Upper Viewpoint is a short half-mile walk up some stairs to a closer, slightly less obstructed view.
If you want to see Delicate Arch up close and personal (as well as walk around and under it), there is a moderately difficult, 3 mile round-trip trail that climbs 480 feet to the arch. The Delicate Arch trail often surprises visitors by being more difficult than they’d expected. The entire trail is sun-exposed, offering little shade, and has multiple steep sections. Along the way, you’ll also pass the Wolfe Ranch cabin, a wall of Ute Indian petroglyphs, Frame Arch, and do some red rock scrambling. Sunset is a particularly busy time along the trail as sometimes hundreds of people will be at Delicate Arch to watch and photograph the sunset.
Canyonlands National Park
The Green and Colorado Rivers carved through layers of sandstone to create two deep canyons. They come together in Canyonlands at what is called the Confluence, essentially dividing the park into four distinct sections with no interconnecting road between any of them. The Needles section is located in the Southeast corner of the park and named for the colorful spires of Cedar Mesa Sandstone that dominate the area. There is an extensive trail system here from short hikes to multi-day backpacking trips. We didn’t end up going there because it was almost 2-hour drive south of where we were staying. We’ll explore that when we do things south of here.
The Mazes requires a high-clearance 4×4 and more than 1 day to explore. You also need to be self-sufficient, which I guess means be prepared to spend the night in the wilderness, something we are definitely NOT prepared to do right now. Maybe next time. Horseshoe Canyon contains some of the most significant rock art in North America. Other impressive sights include spring wildflowers, sheer sandstone walls and mature cottonwood groves along the intermittent stream in the canyon bottom. There is a 30-mile graded dirt road from UT 24 or the 47-mile dirt road traveling south from Green River to get there. Driving time is roughly 2.5 hours from Moab. Again, too far to drive for this trip. Canyonlands requires much more time to fully explore than we had. I guess that means a return trip is in our future.
Island in the Sky
The Island in the Sky section is only about 30 minutes from Moab and is the most popular section of the park so that’s where we spent our time. It’s a mesa that rests on sheer sandstone cliffs over 1,00 feet above the surrounding terrain with each outlook along the 34-mile round-trip scenic drive offering a different perspective on the landscape. This is the easiest section to access if you only have a short time in the area.
The first viewpoint is right across the road from the Visitor Center. My first impression was that Canyonlands is similar to the Grand Canyon but without the crowds. I know, I have already been chided by those that have visited the north rim of the Grand Canyon, but until I visit the north rim, I’m sticking to my assessment. There are many hiking trails for all abilities here. There are also 4×4 roads to access back-country areas. For a day trip, try the Shafer Trail, a 18 mile out and back dirt road into the canyon. For extended stays into the Canyonlands back country, take the West Rim Road, a 100 mile dirt road leading down into the canyon and back out. Either one looks like a lot of fun.
Shafer Trail Viewpoint
Less than a mile past the Island in the Sky visitor center is the parking lot for some breathtaking views of the Shafer Trail. A short, unpaved and uneven trail leads to a fenced viewing area. Towering 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, the overlook provides a breathtaking panorama of Canyonlands’ sculpted pinnacles and buttes. The Shafer Trail is an iconic road that descends 1,500 feet through a colorful, massive sandstone cliff. Originally, this was a route made by Native Americans to access resources on the mesa top and a trail for sheep herders moving flocks to better foraging in winter time. Later, the Atomic Energy Commision widened the trail for trucks moving loads of uranium from the back-country to Moab for processing.
Highlights of driving the Shafer Trail include well marked Indian petroglyphs and amazing natural stone arches. And then there’s the Shafer Switchbacks, a hair-raising climb with expansive views of the surrounding canyon-lands. A very famous stop on the trail is the Thelma and Louise Point. This is where they filmed Thelma and Louise jumping their car off the edge and into the canyon in the movie. The final scene is not the Grand Canyon. Numerous commercials, and more recently music videos, have been filmed here. The view is one of the most photographed scenic vistas in the world. Driving the Schafer Trail is now officially on our Bucket List.
The Grand View Overlook
Grand View Point offers a spectacular view of the Canyonlands area. From the viewpoint at 6,080 feet elevation, you can see distant mountains, canyons, basins, and the White Rim Road. Grand View Point is the southernmost point along the Island in the Sky scenic drive. The viewpoint is about a 15-minute drive from the visitor center.
From here, you look down on a complex network of canyons carved by the converging Colorado and Green Rivers with vast areas of red rock cliffs and ravines at either side, and distant mountain ranges on the horizon. Grand View Overlook is the perfect place to see the geological layers that make up Canyonlands. The Colorado River carves a thousand-foot trench into the earth. The next layer is the White Rim running along the top of the canyons. The coloration is from salt deposits in the soil. And a thousand feet above the rim is the top of the mesa, where you can look out over it all. Like other nearby viewpoints, the scenery, although spectacular at any time, is best near sunset, especially to the east, where Monument Basin casts long shadows over the surrounding deep red cliffs.
The Grand View Rim Trail
If you can only do one hike at Canyonlands, the Grand View Rim Trail is it. The view is as advertised – grand! Fairly easy 1 mile hike out to a point with spectacular views. This 2-mile round trip hike leaves from Grand View Overlook and travels down the mesa’s edge for as far as you can go without running out of real estate. Grand View Point is at the end of the trail and is a great place to sit for a while, have a snack, and take in the beauty. Grand View Point offers tremendous views to the east, south, and west. I’m not sure what forces – geological or otherwise – formed this area but kudos!
To the right of Grand View Point is a fifteen-foot tall boulder formation. For the grandest view of all, give them a climb and have a look around.
Mesa Arch
Mesa Arch is a spectacular stone arch perched at the edge of a cliff with vast views of canyons, rock spires, and the La Sal Mountains in the distance. It’s an short half-mile walk to the arch, making this a very popular trail. With all these people around, you’ll be lucky to get a photo of the arch with out any one in the picture.
Whale Rocks
Whale Rocks is a long, smooth sandstone formation resembling a giant beached whale from a distance. The trail is fun to climb and is much easier than it looks from the parking lot. It’s a one mile round trip ascending 250 feet to the top where you’ll find some outstanding views of Upheaval Dome and the surrounding canyons. There’s a short scramble up a boulder formation at the top for even better views.
Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway
National Parks are located in fantastic scenic settings and these two National Parks are no exception. The Moab area has some great scenic drives for those that don’t want to expend too much energy. One of those drives is SR 128, otherwise known as the Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway. A drive down SR 128 is a must if you’re in the area, taking you through jaw dropping scenery, the sixth-longest natural rock span in the United States, world famous movie locations, beautiful picnic and bouldering areas, a Film Heritage Museum, a large variety of hiking trails and a ghost town.
If you’re heading west on I-70 (or east, for that matter), make this detour down SR 128. First you’ll pass by the ghost town of Cisco. The town started in the 1880s as a saloon and water-refilling station for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad. As work crews and, later, travelers came through, stores, hotels and restaurants sprang up to accommodate them. Nearby cattle ranchers and sheepherders in the Book Cliffs north of town began using Cisco as a livestock and provisioning center. Cisco continued to grow after oil and natural gas were discovered and people began traveling more. The town’s decline coincided with the demise of the steam locomotive. A declining economy crashed when Interstate 70 was built, bypassing Cisco.
Then you’ll drive through rolling cattle range with a view of the La Sal Mountains in the background. The first impression might be that it really wasn’t worth the detour but hang tight. It gets much better. Be careful here as the cows are free roaming and can be in the road around any corner.
Soon the landscape gets rockier with some outcroppings on the side of the road. The Colorado River comes into view on the right. The rocks get higher and more red. Cliffs get higher, canyon gets narrower.
After the Dewey suspension Bridge, things get very interesting. There’s something new and fascinating after each twist and turn in the road – and there are numerous turn outs to get pictures of the awe-inspiring scenery. There are plenty of hiking opportunities along the way, including the breath-taking Fisher Towers. When you get to the end, there are 3 options. You can go right on U-191 and head back to I-70 and continue on your way. You can go left into Moab, get something to eat and look around the shops in town. Or you can turn around and drive U-128 again, which is well worth a second trip.
Fisher Towers 
An interesting stop is the Red Cliffs Lodge, on the banks of the mighty Colorado River. This is home for the Moab Museum of Film & Western Heritage. The lodge is built on the old George White Ranch, a key location for filming some big Westerns including Rio Grande, Cheyenne Autumn, Ten Who Dared, The Comancheros, and Rio Conchas. Dozens of movies have used the ranch and surrounding area as the set and backdrop for their films. We’ll make a visit on our next trip through.
La Sal Mountain Scenic Loop
Off the Upper Colorado Scenic Byway is the La Sal mountain Scenic Loop. This a beautiful 60 mile drive starting at Castle Valley, winding into the Manti-LaSal National Forest and over the La Sal Mountains at over 10,000 feet and ends in Moab at US 191. The transition from low- to high-elevation ecosystems occurs quickly and makes for some marvelous picture taking.
Turning south onto Castle Valley Road, you immediately enter a surreal kingdom of red castles and tall pinnacles of sandstone, including the Priest and Nuns and Castle Rock rock formations. Once you start to climb the La Sals, the geology changes. The brush fields turn to tree stands and then to still snow covered granite peaks. From the lookout at the top, you have incredible views looking out over Moab, Canyonlands, and different mesas carved into the landscape of the Colorado Plateau. From here, the road heads back down to the high desert where you’ll come out about six miles south of Moab on Highway 191. One word of caution – don’t drive this route with a large RV because there are several hairpin turns on the Castle Valley side of the mountains.
Parriott Mesa 
The Priest and Nuns. 
Overlooking the Colorado Plateau from the La Sal Mountains
Dead Horse Point State Park
We met a couple on one of our hikes in Arches National Park that told us we needed to visit Dead Horse Point State park. Dead Horse Point State Park is one of Utah’s most spectacular state parks. The view from Dead Horse Point is one of the most photographed scenic vistas in the world. Towering 2,000 feet above the Colorado River, the overlook provides a breathtaking panorama of Canyonlands’ sculpted pinnacles and buttes.
Legend has it that cowboys used the point as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesas. Cowboys herded them across the narrow neck of land onto the point. The narrow neck, which is only 30 yards wide, was fenced off with branches and brush, creating a natural corral surrounded by the cliffs. Cowboys chose the horses they wanted and left the others to die of thirst on the waterless point. The views of the Colorado River, below the point are amazing.
There are miles of pet-friendly developed hiking trails in the park, including a paved trail which provides easy access to some of the most scenic views. There is a 5 mile rim trail loop starting at the visitors center with all kinds of overlooks. Or I guess since, it’s a loop, you could start it at the point or anywhere along the trail. Mountain Bikers will love the new Intrepid Trail System at Dead Horse Point. With slickrock sections, looping singletrack, sandy washes, and incredible scenery, the Intrepid Trail System provides a great taste of what Moab mountain biking is all about. This is the perfect ride for families and offers spectacular views of the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park.
Wrong Turn
Oops! I took a serendipitous wrong turn heading to Dead Horse Point State Park, ending up on a dirt road which took us through a beautiful narrow canyon. It looks like a popular place for OHVs, 4x4s, dirt bikes, and rock climbers. We got as far as a river crossing before having to turn around. Sometimes a deviation from the original plan is a good thing. The only downside is I may not be able to find it again the next time we’re here.
Grandstaff Hiking Trail
One of our favorite hikes of this winter is through the Grandstaff Canyon to Morning Glory Bridge. The hike is a relatively easy, winding along a sandy, rocky trail that follows a stream that carved out the sheer canyon walls over the years. On the way in, we met a couple groups with helmets and ropes hiking out after repelling into the canyon. The Morning Glory Natural Bridge spans the head of one of Grandstaff’s side canyons at the end of the trail. According to Bureau of Land Management statistics, Morning Glory is the sixth largest natural bridge in the United States. It’s a great place to have lunch before heading back down the trail. Don’t forget to look up and behind you as you hike and beware of the poison ivy that is prevalent along the way. We’ll do this hike again next time we’re in Moab.
Visiting Arches and Canyonlands National Parks was a highlight of our winter travels. It’s hard to pick our favorite area of all the places we’ve been this winter but Moab and the surrounding area ranks near the top. There is so much to see and do here that it definitely warrants a return trip. If this is where you jumped in following our journey, you can check out our winter of being nomads and living off the grid here. For now, though, it’s time to head home and start planning our future adventures. Maybe we’ll see you on the road.
Amazing photography and descriptions, thoroughly impressed.
We visited many of these spots, but the trails were a little too daunting, and we definitely didn’t have the luxury of time that you enjoyed.
We had reservations in Moab that were regrettably canceled by management, due to Covid. We will return, Lord willing.
You guys rock the NP’s