Park 6: Arches National Park, UT:  After leaving Grand Junction, CO and crossing into Utah, we turned onto UT-128, the 2-lane scenic byway snaking 45 miles along the Colorado River near its headwaters.   If you’re ever in this area, forget I-70 for that stretch and take a few more minutes on this small highway. Well worth the diversion and time; it’s a gem.



Scenic Byway and Colorado River

The scenic byway ended just 3 miles from the entrance to Arches National Park. We’re quickly learning two things about documenting these travels – we have run out of adjectives to describe what we’re seeing, and cameras don’t begin to capture the unique beauty and incredible richness of these lands.  Please forgive what might sound repetitious; we didn’t pack our Thesaurus!

The 25 mile drive through this park provided breathtaking landscapes at every turn.  The arches are the last of the evolutionary changes in these rock formations created by the rains and weather. Before becoming arches, these tall, long strands of rock, aptly described as “fins”, were created over hundreds of millions of years after saltwater evaporation, salt domes built up then collapsed under the weight of the red rock, and the interaction of rain with the rock.  Take a geology course if you want more!  Bottom line, the results are spectacular!

Hike to Landscape Arch

Hike to Delicate Arch

We took two hikes today, a 1.5 mile journey to the “Landscape Arch” where you walk amidst several red rock “fins” and a 3.5 mile strenuous hike up to the “Delicate Arch” where the trek literally takes you onto a high rock ledge that winds around a huge formation until the final steps expose the Delicate Arch before you.  The hike becomes a little dicier when the wind picks up as it did for us.  You must experience it for yourself!

Odometer: 3,686 miles.

Balance Rock