I cannot express enough how much I would love to spend several weeks in the Moab area. Due to our spontaneous lifestyle, I do not make campsite reservations far in advance as we are often unsure when we will be in a particular area. Unfortunately, we run into issues of not being able to secure a site closer to the landmarks we plan on visiting. That was the case when we tried to stay near Moab. The only place I could find was over 40 miles away. We traveled back and forth for three days visiting Arches and Canyonlands National Park. But because of the distance, we did not partake in other activities in the area.
The Moab valley and southern Utah is the ideal location for outdoor activities. Whether you are into sightseeing, hiking, mountain biking, rafting, kayaking, 4x4ing and even hot air ballooning, this is the area in which you can partake in all of these. One week was just not enough and I wish we had more time to spend here. But we took advantage of the time we had and drove through the national parks and did a little hiking.
Arches National Park
Our first afternoon in Arches we made our way to the Delicate Arch trailhead, first stopping at Balance Rock, and did the “touristy” thing and hiked the three mile, strenuous hike. The payoff was well worth it. I twisted Al’s arm to remain on the hilltop until sunset. Honestly, it was not the most spectacular sunset, but it was fun to relax there and wait to see what God would show us.
The next day we completed the scenic drive stopping at The Windows, the Delicate Arch viewpoint and hiked into Landscape Arch, which is the largest arch in the U.S. This park is one of the more popular parks and I understand why. With 2300 arches, there is a lot to explore.
Canyonlands National Park
Talk about WOW! I think this national park is more impressive than the Grand Canyon in several ways. First, the park is split into three sections: Island in the Sky, The Needles and The Maze. We stayed in the more popular Island in the Sky and remained atop the mesa. The Needles is the ideal place for hikers and The Maze is ONLY for the more adventurous and skilled outdoorsmen. We only visited one day at Canyonlands (again, due to the long drive just for us to reach it), but we soaked in the beauty as much as possible.
Again, we followed the scenic drive through the northern end of the park. Our first stop was Mesa Arch and then to Upheaval Dome. This crater of salt is still a mystery to scientists as to how it was formed. We opted for a quick stop at the Green River Overlook before making our way to the end of the drive and quickly hiking to the Grand View Point Overlook before sunset. I was excited to have more color and view a more breathtaking sunset here than the day at Arches. Had we stayed closer to Moab, I would have enjoyed visiting The Needles. Maybe another time.
All I can say is WOW!
Amazing!! Love all the pictures, you and Al look great!
Your adventures were absolutely amazing. Brandee was such a great everything, including a great writer. I still read and reread her blog. Miss you both dearly! Love Deb and Wes