Our current RV park is located in Moab which is very convenient for us on our quest to visit a bunch of national parks. About 5 miles up US-191 is Arches National Park and another 5 or 10 miles will get you to the turnoff to Canyonlands National Park. Based on the terrain we can see from out camping spot they should be spectacular.
Today’s choice was Arches. We knew there were going to be big crowds as soon as we pulled up to the back of the long line of cars awaiting the impoverishment of their drivers to the tune of $25. We soon pulled up to the fee station, produced our nifty Federal Access pass and were told to move along without coughing up the cash. Now that I am 62, I can get an old fart’s pass for $10 for the rest of my life which gets me into any Federal lands for free.
Just past the Arches visitor center the road climbs up some switchbacks offering gorgeous views and certain death for the unaware. Soon thereafter, we entered the gorgeous upper elevations of the park where geology and erosion have teamed up to produce a fantasyland of colored mesas, hoodoos, curtains and many spectacular arches, some up to 300′ across.
We took all the paved roads in the park and were treated to a dazzling array of incredible sandstone formations. Various portions of the park have formations that are unique for that area. There are many short trails offered for fat waddlers like me and each little walk ends up with a magnificent view.
We arrived in Arches fairly early in the morning so the number of other visitors and the ambient temperatures rapidly increased. We decided to chicken out for the midday rush and rode back down the few miles to Moab where we pulled into the City Market, one of two grocery stores in town. We stocked up on produce, meat and some staples (but no liquor – we are in Utah) before heading back to the Barbarian Invader to stow our loot.
Peggy might have taken a nap. I fooled around with the holding tanks and helped myself to some contraband remaining from our recent days in Colorado. We watched some movies. By about 6:30 PM, the temperature had come down to roughly that encountered at the sun’s surface so we piled back into Charlotte and went for our second pass through Arches today.
The line at the fee station was very short. The switchback drive (and all the other drives this evening) were almost without any frightening behavior from the now scarce traffic. The colors of the rock in the late afternoon light were almost magical. Walkways to viewpoints were almost completely free of noisy children, cripples, view-blocking ferners and almost everything else. Best of all, the temperature was perfect for strolling around in this extraordinary place. The late afternoon is best.
You can decide for yourself. We have attached some pictures that have time info printed on them and you can decide what time of day seems best by reviewing them by clicking here