Arches National Park In Utah

 

Located in southeast Utah, near the town of Moab, Arches National Park protects more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches and other very unique rock formations. One of the most famous sandstone arch is Delicate Arch. Arches National Park is 76,359 acres in size and was established November 12, 1971. View a map of Arches National Park.

Arches National Park Wildlife
The weather in Arches National Park  is hot and the lack of water favors small mammals. Because of their smaller size, these animals are less able to migrate, but have an easier time finding shelter and require less food and water to live. Rodents are numerous: there are eleven species of mice and rats alone. 

Larger mammals, like mule deer and mountain lions, must cover more territory in order to find food and water, and sometimes migrate to nearby mountains during summer. In Utah, around 80% of a mountain lion's diet consists of mule deer, so these animals are never far apart. However, unlike mule deer, mountain lion sightings are very rare. 

 

Arches National Park History

Rocks have attracted visitors to Arches National Park for thousands of years. However, sightseeing has not been the main activity for very long. Hunter-gatherers migrated into the area about 10,000 years ago at the end of the Ice Age. As they explored Courthouse Wash and other areas in what is now Arches, they found pockets of chert and chalcedony, microcrystalline quartz perfect for making stone tools. Chipping or knapping these rocks into dart points, knives, and scrapers, they created debris piles that are still visible to the trained eye.

Popular Activities In Arches National Park

One of the most popular activities in Arches National Park, is the Fiery Furnace hiking tour. These ranger-guided hikes take 3 hours and are so popular, you will need to make reservations. The hikes are offered two times a day from March through October. The hike is somewhat difficult and requires you to have good hiking gear and be in good physical shape. There is a $10 per person fee and $5 for children 6 to 12 years of age and for holders of a Golden Age Pass.

Arches National Park is a great place to hike. There are several loop trails that take a few hours and several longer hikes that can take you all day. A nice short hike is the Delicate Arch Trail that leaves from Wolfe Ranch. You can actually stand under Delicate Arch which is one of the best known of the sandstone arches.

The Devils Garden Trail is a spectacular hike and will take you most of the day. Make sure that you hike all the way to see the Dark Angel spire.

If you are interested in backpacking and backcountry camping in Arches, you will need to get a free backcountry permit at the visitors center. Arches National Park is a fairly small park and it can be difficult to get a truly backcountry experience. When you are in the backcountry be prepared for conditions in an arid environment which includes concerns about dehydration.

Climibing in Arches National Park is permitted on a limited basis. Even though the rocks are sandstone, they still make for great rock climbing. There are several restrictions and closures that apply to rock climbing in Arches. Any named arches or natural bridges found on topographic maps are closed to climbing. Balanced Rock is closed to climbing year round. Be sure to check Arches National Park brochures for additional climbing closures and restrictions.

Arches National Park Camping

Sites at the Devils Garden Campground are $20 per night. Reservations for the campground can be made through recreation.gov. and not through the park.

Arches National Park Lodging

There is no lodging in Arches National Park. Food, gas, and similar services are not available in Arches, but are available in the nearby town of Moab.

Moab Lodging

The small town of Moab is located adjacent to Arches National Park and provides a variety of lodging options. There are about 30 hotels located around Moab with prices and amenities to meet everyones needs.Several Bed & Breakfast Inns, condos, rental houses, and resorts are also available.

Moab Hotels and Motels

There are several of the major hotel chains like Best Western, Days Inn, Motel 8, La Quinta, and Holiday Inn Express in Moab. All of the major hotel chains offer swimming pools and Internet access.

Days Inn At Moab

Days Inn Moab The Days Inn is located at 426 N. Main in Moab. Check the room rates, availability, and make reservations at the Days Inn by clicking on the Buy button.

Holiday Inn Express

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Moab Holiday Inn Express & Suites Moab is located at 1515 N. Highway 191. To check for hotel room rates, availability, and to make your reservations... just click the Buy button.

La Quinta Inn at Moab

La Quinta Inn Moab La Quinta Inn Moab is located at 815 S. Main Street. You can easily check room rates, room availability, and make your reservations by clicking on the Buy button.

Many of the Moab hotels and motels are locally owned and each one offers unique features and levels of solitude. Not all of the locally owned hotels in Moab have pools or wireless Internet access. If those amenities are important to you, be sure to check before making a reservation.

Moab Bed & Breakfasts

There are a handful of B&Bs situated around Moab. Total number of rooms available range from 1 to 12. Only the Bed & Breakfast at Starbuck is handicap accessible and accepts pets, but they only have one room available. Two of the larger B&Bs, The Mayors House and Sunflower Hill Luxury Inn, have swimming pools. All of the Moab B&Bs have Internet access and of course all of them are close to Arches National Park.

Moab Guest Houses, Ranches and Condos

There are over 30 condos, rental houses, and guest ranches that are available near Moab. Most of the condos and rental houses are close to the town of Moab. The guest ranches tend to be within a 30 minute drive of Arches National Park and Moab. The availability of swimming pools, Internet acces and acceptance of pets varies by facility.

Moab Resorts

Two main resorts are located near Moab. Red Cliffs Lodge is the largest with 110 rooms. The second resort is Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Spa with 52 rooms. Both Moab resorts offer swimming pools, Internet access, accpet pets, and are handicap accessible.

Take the time to review the different lodging available around Moab. Like we outlined, there are several lodging options to meet everyones needs.