Fun things to do in Arches National Park

Devil's Garden is at one end of the scenic road and includes a trail leading to several different arches. To me, the most interesting arch is Landscape Arch which is slightly less than 2 miles roundtrip from the trailhead. Landscape Arch is one of the longest freestanding arches in the world. The arch is 306 feet from base to base, and about 180 feet high. In 1991, a rock slab 60 feet long, 11 feet wide and four feet thick fell from the underside of the arch. The arch is now incredibly thin.

2 more images

John Wesley Wolfe came to this area in the late 1890s, from Ohio. He was a veteran of the Civil War and moved to the drier climate in the west to help relieve the pain in his leg from a war injury. In 1906, Wolfe built a better cabin with a wood floor which is what you see today.

3 more images

Delicate Arch is the most famous feature in the park, and is displayed on the Utah state license plate and numerous Utah souvenirs. The arch's opening is 45 feet (14 m) tall and 33 feet (10 m) wide. The appearance of the arch has also given rise to a number of colorful names like "Cowboy's Chaps" and "Old Maid's Bloomers". You can view the arch from one (or both) of the viewpoints or take the difficult 1.5 mile one way hike up to the arch. Elevation change is 480 feet.

1 more image

The area in front of you has been repeatedly covered by salty sea water. By some 250 million years ago, layers of salty deposits up to 1000s of feet thick blanketed the valley. A series of geologic occurrences resulted in the valley you see today.

1 more image

The name Fiery Furnace is based on the way the reds and oranges that glow in the evening sun. It is actually a series of tall fins made of Slick Rock Member of Entrada Sandstone and cool narrow canyons. Fiery Furnace was formed eons ago through the movement of the earth's crust. Erosion has deepened and widened the cracks. You can view this unique looking terrain from the viewpoint or walk into the formations themselves. There are no marked trails, however, so you may want to go on a Ranger-led hike. This is a pretty popular hike so you may want to make reservations.

1 more image

The Garden of Eden is early on the very scenic 2.5 mile drive out to The Windows Section of Arches National Park. This is a good place to stop if you want a quick view of some of the terrain without any walking. You can also get a view of the Fiery Furnace area from here.

2 more images

Double Arch is actually three openings that began as a simple pothole arch (a depression near a cliff face). The water then seeped down into the cliff face forming and alcove which eventually eroded into the Double Arch formation. This formation is very near the Windows Formation so it is easy and quick to see both. The trail is fairly short and easy.

2 more images

To me it was well worth taking the short spur trail to get a better look at this interesting formation. I liked the little window next to the arch. The trail leading to this arch had a number of steps and was a tiny bit steep; but still pretty easy.