Who decides to leave a 72 degree mountain retreat and head off to hike in the Moab desert in 100 plus degree temperatures? Apparently, we do! When we found out that the famous Arches and Canyonlands National Parks were only two hours away (western geography was never a strength of mine!) we figured we had best go visit- we may never pass this way again.After a two hour journey across breathtaking mountain ranges on winding switchback roads, we arrived in Moab, a small Utah town nestled smack-dab in the middle of a handful of national and state parks.
We were not fully prepared for the beauty of the landscape in the area. Within a few miles of each other, Arches and Canyonlands Parks offer visitors quite different topography. Arches NP, attracts over a million visitors each year- all eager to view its iconic images like Balanced Rock or Delicate Arch. Rangers constantly warn visitors to avoid hiking during the hot part of the day and drink copious amounts of water. On the day we toured, the car touted a temperature of 122 when we returned from our hike. After running the AC, it quickly dropped down to a balmy 99!
Just down the road at Canyonlands NP, we attended a ranger talk on the geology of the park (fascinating!) It makes you realize we are miniscule in the scheme of things when you see what thousands of years of wind, rain & gravity can do to form these stunning canyons, waterways and rock formations.
My big question is, if aptly-named Arches NP has amazing arches & rock formations, and Canyonlands NP has canyons deeply cut by the Colorado River, what is going on at nearby Dead Horse Trail State Park?
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