Fun Places | Arches National Park
Hype:
Arches National Park in eastern Utah is home to more than 2,000 sandstone arches, including the world-famous delicate arch.
Time:
Fees: Entrance fee, optional camping
Recommended Ages:
 | 0-3 |
 | 4-11 |
 | 12-19 |
 | 20-49 |
 | 50-69 |
 | 70+ |
Recommended Months to Visit:
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Links: NPS
Navigate to 38.616554, -109.616524.
Closest City or Region: Arches National Park, Utah
Coordinates: 38.616554, -109.616524
By Jeremy Dye
Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Zac Dye, Bryce Ball,
We tried to get a canyoneering permit for the fiery furnace, but they have a policy against taking small children, so were weren't able to go. Instead we took a short hike.
By Jeremy Dye
Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Zac Dye, Bryce Ball,
After hiking to Landscape Arch, we continued on to Double O Arch. The sign says it's a primitive trail with difficult hiking, but we think that must mean for people in wheelchairs because the trail was anything but primitive. OK, so maybe it did involve climbing some rock fins, but nothing that required the use of hands. And if it this was primitive, there wouldn't be nice steps cut into the rock.
The trail gives you the option of detouring to Partition Arch and Navajo Arch, but we saved those for another trip.
One of the coolest things about the hike to Double O Arch was the view into Devils Garden. You're way up high on a rock fin, and you can see the whole valley. It's an awesome view.
The next fin takes you to a view of Black Arch.
We got to Double O Arch after about an hour and twenty minutes. Obviously it could be done a lot quicker, but we were enjoying the view along the way.
Double O Arch is an interesting double arch. There is a large hole at the bottom and an even larger hole at the top. The bottom arch is kind of hard to see in the pictures because there are some trees in the way.
By Jeremy Dye
Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Zac Dye, Bryce Ball,
By Jeremy Dye
Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Zac Dye, Bryce Ball,
We left around 2 p.m. on April 13, 2012.
Zac and Bryce climbed up a dry fall on the side of the trail. Good practice for escaping potholes when canyoneering.
Zac volunteered (against his will) to carry Savannah because my neck was hurting me.
We got to Landscape Arch in about half an hour. We stopped and took several panoramas and an HDR or two (on Zac's camera, not ours) then kept going. We should have detoured to Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch, but we didn't know about them.
We weren't really sure how far we wanted to hike what with Tara being pregnant and all, but Double O Arch sounded cool, so headed that way.
By Jeremy Dye
Jeremy Dye, Tara Dye, Savannah Dye, Zac Dye, Bryce Ball,
Total round-trip time for us was 1 hour 32 minutes.
We hiked to the Delicate Arch on April 13, 2012. On the hike were Zac, Bryce, Jeremy, Tara, and Savannah. The parking lot was completely full, so we had to park on the shoulder of the road in the no parking zone.
The trail passes right next to Frame Arch, which is named because you can frame Delicate Arch. It's also called Twisted Donut Arch - no explanation necessary.
And off in the distance you can see another arch to the left. I can't find the name of it anywhere.
It was pretty windy, so we hunkered down under some rocks while we ate some snacks.
By Jeremy Dye
Laura Dye, Jeremy Dye, Anthony Dye, Ondylyn Wagner, Zac Dye, Jeff Wilson, Brianna Wilson,
We stopped in Arches on the way home from Arkansas. When we climbed up inside the arch for a picture, so European lady chewed us out.
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By Jeremy Dye
Laura Dye, Jeremy Dye, Anthony Dye, Ondylyn Wagner, Zac Dye, Jeff Wilson, Brianna Wilson,
We stopped in Arches on the way home from Arkansas.
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By Jeremy Dye
Laura Dye, Jeremy Dye, Anthony Dye, Ondylyn Wagner, Zac Dye, Jeff Wilson, Brianna Wilson,
We stopped in Arches on the way home from Arkansas.
We decided to hike to the Delicate Arch in the evening when it was cooler. Well, it soon got dark, and we didn't have any flashlights. But we forged ahead. Even when the people coming back warned us to turn around. By the time we arrived at the arch, the sun had already set, and it was getting dark. Luckily the trail was easy enough to follow, even in the dark. Where the trail crosses sandstone, rock cairns mark the way.
I remember bats swooping around us on the hike back and looking for rock cairns in the dark. Great fun.
Hiking: 
Camp Sites: Brides Canyon Designated Dispersed Campsites
Granary Canyon Primitive Camping
Canyoneering: 
Fun Places: Hiking: Grandstaff Canyon to Morning Glory Arch
Rock Climbing: 
National Park
Arches