How to Hike Utah's Natural Arch
Planning a visit to Arches National Park in Utah should include nearby Canyonlands and Capitol Reef as well. Both offer amazing rock formations and scenic vistas that are staples in the Utah outback. Getting there is easy with nearby airports situated in Las Vegas or Salt Lake City. The Arches National Park entrance is off U.S. Highway 191 just north of Moab. The Delicate Arch road is a right turn off the park road with the trail head at Wolfe Ranch. Either stop at or make note of the many arches and rock formations passed along the way. Each arch is of unique design and elicits respect of what elements can do to the land. Read on to learn how to hike Utah's natural arch.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
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Seeing the Delicate Arch from the Backside
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1
The Wolfe Ranch trail head
Prepare for desert terrain in the Utah outback. Be sure to bring enough water to stay hydrated.
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2
Viewing the arch on approach
The hike is 3 miles round trip over slick rock. Loose stone upon the slick rock can be very tricky.
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3
Surrounding scenery
Trekking to Delicate Arch on a summer’s afternoon, your boot soles may seem burning as the slick rock surface feels oven-like.
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1
Tips & Warnings
It is recommended that the trip is made in the cooler time of the year or the cooler time of the day.
A local ranger once said that daily there is a 90 percent chance of rain over 20 percent of the area. Isolated storms appear quickly, produce loud thunder, frequent lightning and fire.
