Arches National Park
This is the first place we’ve come back to.
It was incredible and so much to take in. We didn’t even make a dent in seeing the park, but yet felt we got to see so much.
If you’ve never been here, put it on your bucket list and pack your hiking shoes. It’s worth it.
After parking the camper, we unhitched the car and headed to the park. It was late afternoon, but we were so close and didn’t want to wait.
And I’m so glad we didn’t.
At first, we were a little concerned and thought maybe the hype was a little overdone. The entrance was magnificent and the rock formations unique and jaw dropping, but where were the arches?
Justin had read there were 2000 arches in the park, but 20 minutes in and we still hadn’t seen one.
Maybe they were counting little arches?
No. You just have to park and walk to most of them or be on a different drive than we were on to see them from your car.
But they are there and they are magnificent!
Not to beat a dead horse, but I still have no clue how all the science works, but I am so glad God figured out a way to give us these incredible formations…over and over and over again. Each unique and majestic in its own right.
Did my kids love seeing the arches? I think so. But what they really loved was the sand.
It doesn’t matter how cool the arch was, my kids just wanted to play in the sand.
On our first go around, we were able to see three arches on one shorter trail: The Sand Dune Arch (kids’ fave), the Pine Tree Arch, and The Tunnel Arch.
Again, if you can make it out here, go!
We headed to the car as the sun was setting and if the kids weren’t with us or I wasn’t afraid of snakes, I’d probably let Justin talk me into staying out in the desert to see the stars. I can only imagine what that night sky would look like out here.
The next morning, Justin drove the camper and I drove the car while everyone else was still sleeping. We got into the park before the timed entry started and it was worth it.
The parking lot was empty. (And for you rule followers like me, we were allowed to be there. The park is open 24-7. You have to have tickets if you’re coming during the busy times.)
Just like the Rocky Mountain National Park, it seemed like we had the park to ourselves for the first half of the day. There were people there, but a minimal amount. You could enjoy an arch with hardly anyone around.
It felt special and just for us. We covered more ground today and saw more arches, but again, the kids really just wanted to play in the sand, so we let them.
Around noon, we called it a day and headed into Moab for lunch before hitting the road again.
We had a fun lunch at the Food Truck Park, a cute outside park set up just for, you guessed it, food trucks. Awnings, tables, and spray mist to cool things off were just what we needed after an active morning.
We said goodbye to Moab and started to make our way to Telluride, the town Justin and I were most eager to get to..
