National parks that we have visited.
We visited Mesa Verde National Park several times while staying basically across the road.
The first time was a quick scouting trip on the afternoon of our arrival at the Ancient Cedars RV park.
The entrance sign:
It started raining, resulting in a fuzzy picture of the tunnel:
We stopped at the Far View Lounge for dinner; the view wasn’t all that far, due to a dust storm:
Pretty basic food:
On the way back down the hill, it started to snow!
Once again we went back to Arches National Park, for one last time (for now). This time, we headed to The Windows, a part we quickly visited on the first day. But this time we did some hiking to the various arches.
The entrance sign again:
Animal sculptures by the visitor center:
Info signs for The Windows:
The Windows from the start of the trail:
Heading towards an arch:
A small arch off to the side:
An interesting tree:
North Window arch:
View through the arch:
Under the arch:
Turret Arch:
South Window Arch:
North and South Window Arches:
Turret Arch:
Wedding couple:
A parking lot sign caught my eye:
A fun closer view of it:
North and South Window Arches:
Double Arch trail:
We went back to Arches National Park the next day, driving straight to the end of the park, to do the Landscape Arch hike. This is a fairly easy 1.9 mile (3.1 km) stroll along a mostly flat gravel and sand path, though there were some short steep hills.
The line of cars to get through the entrance station; we continue to believe that all parks should have an express line for people with park passes; most of the holdup is due to people paying and/or asking questions:
Looking downhill at the entrance station and switchbacks:
Rocks:
The parking area for the Landscape Arch and Devils Garden hikes:
Info on the trail, and also how the fins are formed:
Start of the hike:
A first look at the Landscape Arch; a little hard to see against the backdrop of rocks:
Info:
Closer:
Easier to see with sky behind it:
Another nearby arch:
Jenn taking a picture of me:
The path used to go under the arch, but that is closed since part of it collapsed:
On the way back, we took a half-mile side path to Pine Tree arch:
And the Tunnel arches:
Back at the start of the trail:
Afterwards, we had a picnic dinner at a nice spot:
We were rather hot, but had come prepared with cooling headbands; I kinda look like a hippie:
Finally, some fins:
We had an afternoon timed-entry ticket for Arches National Park, so went there a second time, this time going to the visitor center:
Some animal sculptures outside:
Relief map:
Visitor center:
Rocks:
A short hike to Sand Dune Arch, nestled amongst rock fins:
Arch:
Skyline Arch:
We stopped in a nice picnic area:
And had a picnic dinner at a very secluded table:
On a whim, we decided to head down a dirt road (I had previously checked it on the map):
It led to the Tower Arch trailhead:
We then continued along the road, leaving the park via the “secret” back entrance to the park:
Salt Valley Road, via public BLM land; you could avoid the timed entry requirement by coming in this way, though it is several miles of rough dirt road, so not for the faint of heart or non-4WD vehicles:
Back to the highway:
The day after visiting the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park, we went back to The Needles section, “named for the colorful spires of Cedar Mesa Sandstone that dominate the area”.
But on the way, we stopped for a picnic lunch at the Kane Springs rest area, next to the Hole ‘N the Rock tourist trap:
The rest area has nice picnic shelters, where we had our lunch:
Though it was rather overrun with tent caterpillars:
The rest area:
Continuing on down the road, a glimpse of an arch:
Newspaper Rock State Historic Monument petroglyphs:
Continuing on, more interesting rock formations:
Entering the national park:
Visitor center:
What’s in bloom?
Visitor center:
Rocks:
Wooden Shoe rock:
Needles Overlook, a free viewpoint outside the park, with a great view, and nice paths, benches, and shelters:
After visiting Canyonlands National Park, and stopping in Moab for dinner, we did a quick drive into Arches National Park just before sunset.
Arches currently requires one-hour timeslot entry tickets, but is freely open to all after 17:00 (5 PM). We had timed entry tickets for several days, but took advantage of this free-for-all time on this occasion (and another evening).
Here’s a map of Arches; tap or click it to view the NPS map:
Entry sign:
Some nice alpenglow on the rocks:
Balanced rock:
Arches:
The famous Delicate Arch, viewed from the lower viewpoint:
Nice glow:
Back to Arches again soon!
Canyonlands National Park includes four sections. We visited the “Island in the Sky” district first:
Island in the Sky visitor center:
Relief park map:
Rocks:
We also went on the Upheaval Dome hike:
Looking down on the Shafer Trail, a dirt switchback road:
We again went to Capitol Reef National Park, this time to the Goosenecks Point overlook and a hike on the Hickman Bridge trail.
Some pics of Torrey, Utah on the way through:
An old house:
We really like the look of this stone building:
There’s a police car parked by the side of the road, with a mannequin inside:
The road to Goosenecks Point:
A bunch of pics from Goosenecks Point:
Then we proceeded to the Hickman Bridge trail, for a two-mile hike to a natural bridge arch:
We went to Slacker’s Burger Joint in Torrey for dinner after the hike:
And shared an indulgence for dessert:
Finally, a screenshot from the AllTrails app of the trail map:
A timelapse video of driving our truck on Notom-Bullfrog Road, Burr Trail Road, and Utah Highways 12 & 24, in a big loop around Capitol Reef National Park’s Waterpocket District, including many miles of dirt roads and fun switchbacks.
As a fun day trip, we did the “Loop the Fold” scenic drive, using a guide booklet we purchased at the Capitol Reef visitor center.
This 125 mile driving loop goes around the Waterpocket Fold, through the Capitol Reef park, along Burr Trail Road in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, and through Dixie and Fishlake National Forests.
Here’s the “Loop the Fold” road guide:
The included map, with stop markers:
We started from the RV park in Torrey, and continued clockwise, through Capitol Reef:
Chimney Rock, stop number 37 in the guide (see the map above):
Panorama Point (stop 38):
The guide is numbered from the Visitor Center, with total miles given from that point, so the Fruta schoolhouse is stop number 1 at mile 0.8:
At the petroglyphs (stop 2, mile 1.1), Jenn took a survey:
Hickman Bridge Trailhead (stop 3, mile 1.9):
Navajo Dome view (stop 4, mile 2.3):
Historic cabin (stop 6, mile 6.0):
Rocks:
We left the Capitol Reef park at the east entrance (stop 7, mile 9.1):
A historical marker for the settlement of Notom (stop 8, mile 14.0):
View:
Hoodoos (stop 10, mile 17.6):
We had a picnic lunch in our truck at that stop:
Views:
The pavement ends at mile 19.3:
Driving across a wash:
Washboarded road:
Rough road:
The Summerville Formation (stop 15, mile 28.1):
Re-entering the park (mile 28.4):
Ridge:
Our truck parked on the side of the road:
Oyster Shell Reef (stop 17, mile 32.3):
Oyster fossils:
View:
Selfie:
Dirt road:
The road changes color:
Spike:
Morrison Formation (stop 18, mile 39); 150-million-year-old Brushy Basin layer of soft claystone on the left, and Salt Wash layer of coarse sandstone on the right:
Rocks:
Junction (stop 20, mile 42.1):
We took a detour off the route:
Driving across a wash:
The post horse corral:
Back across the wash:
The Burr Trail Switchbacks (stop 22, mile 42.9):
Don’t look down:
At the top:
We stopped for a pie snack:
Pavement resumes when leaving the park (stop 24, mile 45.3):
Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument:
Views:
Singing Canyon (stop 26, mile 66.9):
Long Canyon viewpoint (stop 28, mile 68.7):
Navajo sandstone (stop 29, mile 76.5):
Sub-alpine trees:
Homestead Overlook (stop 32, mile 90.4):
Larb Hollow Overlook (stop 34, mile 101.4):
A fun day trip.