Attractions

Arches is the easiest of Utah's national parks to see in a day, if that's all you can spare. An 18-mile (one-way) scenic drive offers splendid views of countless natural rock arches and other formations, and several easy hikes reveal additional scenery. Allow 1 1/2 hours for the round-trip drive, adding time for optional hikes.

You can see many of the park's most famous rock formations without even getting out of your car -- although venturing out and exploring on foot is always the best way to see them. You have the option of walking short distances to a number of viewpoints, or stretching your legs on a variety of longer hikes along the way. The main road is easy to navigate, even for RVs, but parking at some viewpoints is limited. Please be considerate and leave trailers at the visitor center parking lot or in a Moab campground.

Start out by viewing the short slide show at the visitor center to get a feel for what lies ahead. Then drive north past the Moab Fault to the overlook parking for Park Avenue, a solid rock "fin" that reminded early visitors of the New York skyline.

From here, your next stop is La Sal Mountain Viewpoint, where you look southeast to the La Sal Mountains, named by early Spanish explorers who thought the snow-covered mountains looked like huge piles of salt. In the overlook area is a "desert scrub" ecosystem, composed of sagebrush, saltbush, blackbrush, yucca, and prickly pear cactus. Animals that inhabit the area include the kangaroo rat, black-tailed jackrabbit, rock squirrel, several species of lizards, and the coyote.

Continuing on the scenic drive, some of the park's major formations will come into view: at Courthouse Towers large monoliths such as Sheep Rock, the Organ, and the Three Gossips dominate the landscape. Leaving Courthouse Towers, watch for the Tower of Babel on the east (right) side of the road, then proceed past the petrified sand dunes to Balanced Rock, a huge boulder weighing about 3,600 tons, perched on a slowly eroding pedestal. You can take an easy, .3-mile round-trip walk around the base of the pedestal from the Balanced Rock parking area. You get a great close-up view of the huge and precariously perched rock.

Continuing, take a side road to the east (right) to The Windows. Created when erosion penetrated a sandstone fin, they can be seen after a short walk from the parking area. Also in this area are Turret Arch and the Cove of Caves. Erosion is continuing to wear away at the back of the largest cave, which means it will probably become an arch one day. The North and South Windows are also off this trail. Once you reach them, take the loop around back and see for yourself why they are sometimes called Spectacles -- the scene looks almost like a sea monster poking its large snout up into the air. A short walk from the parking lot takes you to Double Arch, which looks exactly like what its name implies. It is possible to climb right up underneath the arch, just take care not to disturb the delicate desert vegetation. To the right of Double Arch are several alcoves that may one day become arches. If you're visiting in the spring, look for the sego lily, Utah's state flower. It has three lovely cream-colored petals with a reddish-purple spot fading to yellow at the base. From the end of this trail, you can also see the delightful Parade of Elephants.

Return to the main park road, turn north (right) and drive to Panorama Point, which offers an expansive view of Salt Valley and the Fiery Furnace, which can really live up to its name at sunset.

Next, turn east (right) off the main road onto the Wolfe Ranch Road and drive to the Wolfe Ranch parking area. A very short walk leads to what's left of this ranch. John Wesley Wolfe and his son Fred moved here from Ohio in 1898, and in 1907 were joined by John's daughter Flora, her husband, and their children. The cabin seen here was built for Flora's family (John's cabin was destroyed by a flash flood). In 1910, the family decided this was not the greatest location for a ranch, and they packed up and returned to Ohio. If you follow the trail a bit farther, you'll see some Ute petroglyphs.

More ambitious hikers can continue for a moderately difficult 3-mile round-trip excursion to Delicate Arch, with a spectacular view at trail's end. If you don't want to take the hike, you can still see this lovely arch, albeit from a distance, by getting back in your car, continuing down the road for 1 mile, and walking a short trail (about a 5-min. walk) to the Delicate Arch Viewpoint.

Returning to the park's main road, turn north (right) and go to the next stop, the Salt Valley Overlook. The various shades of color in this collapsed salt dome are caused by differing amounts of iron in the rock, as well as other factors.

Continue to the vantage point for Fiery Furnace, which offers a dramatic view of colorful sandstone fins. This is where 2-hour ranger-guided hikes begin in the summer.

From here, drive to a pull-out for Sand Dune Arch, located down a short path from the road, where you'll find shade and sand along with the arch. This is a good place for kids to play. The trail leads across a meadow to Broken Arch (which isn't broken at all -- it just looks that way from a distance).

Back on the road, continue to Skyline Arch, whose opening doubled in size in 1940 when a huge boulder tumbled out of it. The next and final stop is the often crowded parking area for the Devils Garden Trailhead. From here, you can hike to some of the most unique arches in the park, including Landscape Arch, which is among the longest natural rock spans in the world. It's a pretty easy 1.6-mile round-trip hike.

From the trail head parking lot, it's 18 miles back to the visitor center.