A Red Rock Wonderland
After enjoying the sights around Montrose, we headed north to I70, with our destination just over three hours and 180 miles away in Moab, UT. We took 191 south off I70 at Crescent Junction. We had never taken this route, as the only other time we drove to Moab from Dillon, CO we took the Upper Colorado River Scenic Byway, 128 south off I70 which hugs the Colorado River.
As you get closer to Moab you start to see the red rocks of Arches on the north side of Moab and the canyon walls to the west start to climb as you descend into the valley. As with many scenes in this part of the country, photos simply do not do it justice, but this one from Google maps is pretty accurate.
We made our way through the main street of Moab to the OK RV Park (recently renamed!), on the south side of town. This is a quiet area, with VERY small sites. This was our second time in Moab, however first without our boys and in an RV.
Arches National Park
We started out with our 9am timed entry to Arches National Park, where we ventured out on two trails - starting with Delicate Arch. A gentle paved climb leads to a fairly aggressive climb over rock structures, eventually leading to Delicate Arch. I opted not to climb down to the arch, waiting to the side instead. It was a beautiful day, and Tim patiently waited in the line to take photos. In the images below, you can see my picture with the queue. The last photo I purchased online - it was simply too beautiful to pass up!
We then drove a bit more into the park, taking on the Sand Dune Arch loop, which also passes by Broken Arch, then Tapestry Arch. Thank goodness for #alltrailsapp as for a while we were all alone on the trail, which can be peaceful but sometimes a bit freaky especially when you can't readily locate the trail - several times! Great views once again and clear blue sky. We finished hiking at about 2pm, when temps were hovering at 98. Time for refreshments and shopping!
After meandering through several shops with the typical tourist fare, we stopped in at Moab Brewery, enjoyed a refreshing tap and shared some nachos.
Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is virtually next door to Arches, yet completely different. For most of your time in Arches, you're looking up at fantastic red rock formations, while the section of Canyonlands we explored is basically on a ridge, looking down into massive canyons. Once again, the camera cannot capture the views but I gave it a shot. We explored the Island in the Sky district, with the main road along the 'spine' of the canyon and amazing overlooks and features. We first drove to the Grand View Point Overlook and took a 2 mile trek along the edge of the canyon. This time I actually completed the rock scramble at the end.
We then drove to the Upheaval Dome area, a 2 mile hike, climbing another rock formation to look down onto the West Basin. Lastly, a stop at the Mesa Arch, one of only a few in Canyonlands. I took a few photos including one with a family that thought they owned the spot. However the really amazing photos of this arch are those taken at sunrise. The first sunrise image is from a print I purchased in Moab, and the last two photos below were found online, credit Meg Atteberry.
We loved revisiting Arches, and our first visit to Canyonlands was well worth the stop. Next up, we return to Zion National Park!Have you been to Arches or Canyonlands National Park? Leave your comments below! Enjoyed this post? Never miss out on future posts by following us.
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