#54: Arches National Park

Arches National Park is not very large, but it’s like Zion or Yellowstone in that it’s a popular one, with a lot to see. To navigate it most efficiently, I consulted help from a third party called Dirt in my Shoes. I bought a 2-day itinerary (online) from Dirt in my Shoes, and it took the stress out of me having to plan out how I was to do it myself. 

I rolled into Moab - the town which hosts Arches - late afternoon. It was still cold but more manageable than it was in Colorado. On my way to some dispersed camping land, I drove right past the park entrance, so I went ahead and got my park sign photo out of the way. 

My dispersed campsite was good enough for one night. I mean, I really can’t complain about this view. 

As beautiful as this scenery is, I wanted a campsite where I would feel comfortable leaving the Airstream while exploring the park. This one was just not it.

The next morning, I left somewhat early to take a ride over to Goose Island Campground. One site was unoccupied, and I grabbed it. Soon thereafter, I unhitched the trailer and headed into the park. Simultaneously, I found a last-minute Rover sitter for Addie for the following day. There was a hike or two that I wanted to do and couldn’t bring her, unfortunately.

Addie and I ventured into downtown Moab to check out the scene. I grabbed a coffee and a bagel and visited a few shops. Nothing too eventful was happening, and I decided to make my way to the park.

Arches - Day 1:

I was shocked to find the entrance to the park uncrowded. I drove right in and didn’t have to wait in a line. I couldn’t figure out where all the visitors were. It was cold, yes, but not that cold. I asked the ranger at the gate, and she told me that it is peculiar - but not to jinx it! 

Driving in, I was in awe of what I saw. As far as I could see were red rock formations, unlike anything I had ever seen. We stopped at the La Sal Mountains Viewpoint to take it all in.

According to the Dirt in my Shoes itinerary, it's best to visit Delicate Arch first thing in the morning to beat the crowds. But, since the park (oddly) was not busy, I decided to check it out that afternoon.

First, I drove to Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint and Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint - eh. Delicate Arch was still so far away, lacking the "wow" factor. The DA trail was only 3.5 miles, and the weather was cool - so cool that it would not be a problem to leave Addie in her comfy bed in the back seat of the car with the windows opened. She is so good. I also read that DA is best to visit in the late afternoon, so the timing was perfect.

I hustled on the trail, though. I hate leaving Addie. When I turned the corner to find the iconic Delicate Arch waiting for me, I was awestruck. It was breathtaking.

On the way back out of the park, we stopped at a few more overlooks. Beauty everywhere. Including fluffy white beauty.

Arches - Day 2:

I got an early start the following morning. Even though the park wasn’t busy the last few days, I was still playing it safe by getting to the park early. I packed up, left the campsite, dropped Addie off at her sitter, and drove to the most northern end of Arches National Park. Double O Arch hike was first on the agenda for today. 

I hit the trail by 8 am. Once again, it was cold, but it got warmer as I continued moving. This trail had so many arches, including Landscape, Navajo, and Partition Arches. The final and farthest arch to see was the Double O Arch. At times the trail was ambiguous, but I found it with the help of a few hiking buddies I met along the way.

On the way out, I stopped by the Windows Section. Here live even more arches.

The one last stop I made was to Park Avenue and Courthouse Towers - named after what these rock formations resemble.

I finished my second day at Arches earlier than planned, which was fine because I was ready to pick up Addie from the sitter. I scooped her very happily, got back in the car, and was on my way.

Canyonlands National Park was next, and not at all that far away.

#50: Petroglyphs & Canyons

There was more to see in Utah, but I deemed it time to head to Colorado. My "planned" route had gotten off track a while ago, so going off-track a little more wouldn't hurt. I sound like my mom when I say this, but I wanted to catch the Colorado Rocky Mountains' foliage. To do so, I needed to get going promptly.

The next national park I wanted to visit was Black Canyon of the Gunnison outside Montrose, CO. The drive from Salt Lake City was almost six hours, and because I didn't hit the road from SLC until later in the day, I'd stop somewhere on the way.

The first RV park I found appeared booked online. But I swung by there anyway because sometimes, when you show up, you get lucky. I didn't get lucky - it was filled. There was another park nearby in Helper, UT. It didn't look great, but it was just a stopover. It offered water and electric hookups, which was helpful.

I was only planning to stay for one night, but things changed (as they often do). I started chatting with the owner, and she recommended a few local things worth checking out. My ears perked up when she mentioned petroglyphs. I was also intrigued because the petroglyph location she mentioned was not very well-known. I love finding hidden gems. This one was called Nine-Mile Canyon.

I decided to book a second night and take the full day to explore my newly-learned-about attraction. I stopped by the historic town of Helper, before making my way to Nine-Mile Canyon.

I couldn’t put an address into Google Maps to find Nine-Mile Canyon because, well, there isn’t one. There also wasn’t a visitor center or anything like that. I had to navigate myself and figure it out. The RV park lady gave me a paper listing out mile-markers along the canyon road and what to find at each. That was all I had, but I found this map after following the verbal directions to the canyon entrance.

Addie and I were off on an adventure. I reset my odometer at the start to ensure I was on-par with the mile-markers on the "ditto." At first, the petroglyphs were tough to spot, but I got good at it as I got farther into the canyon. It was like a fun game spotting all the rock drawings. Some were right off the road, and some were viewable after a quick hike.

I had never seen such incredible petroglyphs. And to find them in a place I didn't even know about made them that much more special.

Before I knew it, I was crossing the border into colorful Colorado. Having lived there for a few years in the past, it's still "home" to me in many ways. This state makes me happy in so many ways.

I found a free place to camp outside Montrose. This area was not the Colorado landscape I love, but it was close to the entrance to Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

The only thing I knew about this national park before visiting is that it's a canyon - that's it. Addie and I arrived at the South Rim entrance the next morning, heading first to the visitor center. The initial question I typically ask the rangers is, "What are the top things I should see?" The next question is always, "Where can I bring my dog?" Based on the ranger's answers to these questions, we headed out on the Rim Rock Trail. Adde was allowed!

The out and back three-mile trail provided fantastic views of the massive canyon.

I felt good about taking a little hike with Addie. After, we drove the South Rim Road and stopped at some of the overlooks. There were many pull-offs, so we picked and chose based on what the ranger suggested.

The rim was one perspective of this park, but the bottom of the canyon was the other. We headed back towards the south entrance station and took a left onto East Portal Road. Vehicles longer than 22 feet were not permitted. The road was long, curvy, and steep, but it led us down the canyon to the Gunnison River. It was so peaceful and quiet down there.

I was looking forward to what awaited me in the Colorado mountains…mountain towns!