Arches: Delicate Arch

Distance: 3 miles round trip
Elevation: 4,280 ft - 4,815 ft
Elevation Gain: 601 ft (cumulative)
Dogs: Not allowed
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes
Water at Trailhead: No

The world famous Delicate Arch in Arches National Park. 

Delicate Arch is a superstar destination that half the world can recognize.  It is the centerfold in many a landscape calendar and it seems like every professional photographer has a shot in their portfolio.  It was Delicate Arch that drew me to Arches National Park.  Its ubiquitous image was taunting me.  Here this place was, only 5 hours away and I had never seen it.

The trailhead

Blow up this picture and you will see the trail wind through the desert and up to the sloping slickrock face in the distance.

There are several places where you can view Delicate Arch from a great distance.  Both of these spots require that you drive by the main trailhead.  I did this early in the morning on my way to Double Arch and the Windows.   The view reminded me of pictures of the Klondike Gold Rush with a continuous line of hikers...buttocks to buttocks winding up a long slab of slickrock.  The prospect was not appealing.  Fortunately, by the time I returned in the late afternoon, the crowds had diminished.

Heading up the slickrock hill

Delicate Arch was the last hike on my hiking marathon and I was tired and grumpy.  I had planned it this way however, knowing that there was no way I would bail on this trail.  I wolfed down a couple of chocolate chip cookies I had saved and started up the trail just in time to join a group of bikers who did not look like they walked from their bikes to the nearest bar let alone up a trail.  As tired as I was I WAS NOT about to let this group of strollers beat me up the hill.  There were no worries there, I passed them in the first quarter mile and did not see them again.

Unless there is a blizzard blowing, you will not be alone on the Delicate Arch trail.

The initial part of the trail winds steeply up a wide dirt road that switchbacks several times before transitioning to the tall slickrock hill.  It was here that I met a woman in high heel shoes.  Her perfectly painted toenails were visible in the open toe and she was dressed for an evening out in South Beach.  I goggled aghast.  "Did you do this trail in those shoes?" I could not help but ask.  She smiled proudly and said yes.  It was not their plan but they had just kept going.  "You go girl!" I exclaimed in amazement as her Cuban night club owner of a husband beamed and jiggled his gold chains.  Don't try this at home children, she is lucky she did not break a leg.  The sandstone face is steep.

After the slickrock hill, the route travels through this gully en route to the hoodoos in the distance.

There really is no required route up the face, but it obvious where the millions have gone before. Like the ruts of wagons still visible along the Oregon Trail, the soft rock is being worn down bit by bit and a smooth if not indented pathway is clearly visible.

At the top of the slickrock hill, the route curves to the left and winds between a series of hoodoos and Utah Junipers.  It is worth while pausing here to look back toward the trailhead and the surrounding canyons.  The trailhead is just a dot now.

The approach to the hoodoos is across another sandstone plateau.  Note the cairns heading off into the distance.

A more imaginative cairn.  The initial sandstone bench is just ahead.

Past the hoodoos, the trail climbs up onto a slickrock bench.  The ascent has been carved into the rock but the bench itself is slightly sloped.  I ended up walking along the upper side of it, which was not a good choice.  Keep to the lower side even though it is closer to the edge.

This bench quickly becomes a superhighway carved into the rock.  This section is relatively wide but does travel along a sheer 1000 foot drop off.  Everyone hugs the inner wall, which means continuous games of chicken as hikers fight to retain the inside lane.

Rock steps up to the bench

The rock superhighway.  It leans into the cliff instead of into the drop off so no counseling required after passage.

This rock superhighway is blessedly short but does weave and curve a bit.  At the end, the rock face suddenly peels away like the sliding of a closet door to reveal the arch.  It is so unexpected and so huge that it is shock to the senses.  It takes a second for the arch to retreat across the wild bowl it accents.  There is an area of wide flat rocks to lean again on this side of the bowl and most people lunge forward and grasp them gratefully.

The iconic composition of Delicate Arch with the La Sal Mountains framed by the arch itself.  

The sandstone bowl is very steep.  No one was heading down into it.

After breathing in the view for a while, I grabbed the camera and ventured to the other side of the bowl.  This spot is an amphitheater for the Nature's spirits and waifs.  You can sense they gather there in the dark of the night and during storms that keep prying eyes away.

Sunset is the best time to photograph Delicate Arch, but I decided not to wait nor bring my tripod.  The reality is that I am a hiker who takes photographs rather than a photographer who hikes.  Still, by waiting until late afternoon, I did manage to avoid the crowds and get a little light reflecting off the stone.

The arch from another angle

The arch is out of view to the right.  This is the view into the valley below.  Most people forget to admire the desert around the arch, but it has beauty too.

Delicate Arch is one of Mother Nature's wonders, so if you are in the area, don't hesitate to pop into the park and join the hordes on this trail.  Most people, even the unfit, can manage to struggle up the hill to view this marvel.  Just leave the high heels at home.

Arches: Broken and Tapestry Arches

Distance: 2 miles round trip
Elevation: 5,151 ft - 5,243 ft
Elevation Gain: 240 ft (cumulative)
Dogs: Not allowed
Bathroom at the Trailhead: Yes
Water at the Trailhead: Yes
Date Hiked: 27 April 2012

Broken Arch with the La Sal Mountains in the background

The Broken and Tapestry Arch Trail in Arches National Park is a great way to get out into the desert environment without having to take the more arduous Primitive Trail in the Devil's Garden area. You CAN get to Broken Arch via an open trail near Sand Dune Arch but you will miss out if you do.

The wide trail at the trailhead

La Sal Mountains

The Trailhead is located in the Devil's Garden Campground next to the second bathroom. There is water there, which is unusual in the park so take advantage of it. You can hike out to Broken Arch and return or follow a loop back to the campground. The loop is very pleasant and takes the hiker through a narrow pass between two fins that should not be missed. If you plan to camp, you can take this trail early in the morning or later in the evening, which would be pleasant indeed.

The Tapestry Arch Spur

The route to Tapestry Arch actually goes up and over this log, which is about 4 feet high.

 The signage at the trailhead does not indicate that there are two arches on this trail but there are. Broken Arch is the primary destination of this trail but Tapestry Arch is definitely worth visiting.   You will come across the later first identified by a sign indicating the arch is 300 yards (or 0.2 miles) away.  It sure felt longer than that, but I was already a little grumpy by the time I reached the arch.  The guidebook indicated the Broken Arch Loop was only a mile so I just grabbed my camera and nothing else.  I was very thirsty by the time I reach Tapestry Arch and still had a ways to go.

The route to Tapestry Arch is via a large sandstone bench.

Standing below Tapestry Arch.  From below you would not know it was so thin.

You can climb up to Tapestry Arch, which makes it one of the better arches in the park.  I also had the place to myself, which given its proximity to the campground really surprised me.  There should have been kids swarming all over it.

Flowering Yucca

Leaving Tapestry Arch and heading towards Broken Arch.  The sandstone domes are just out of frame to the left.  The sandy aspect of the trail is typical of the route.

After Tapestry Arch the trail wanders past three sandstone domes before coming to Broken Arch.  This arch is really not broken, but the crack across the span gave that impression and influenced its name.  When I arrived there were several photographers set up with tripods.  You would think these sandstone edifices were Oscar contenders for all the attention they get.  I can't disagree.  I'll take Mother Nature's collection any day.

Approaching Broken Arch

The route after crossing through Broken Arch

The route climbs up between a group of fins

The loop trail continues through the arch before entering into a short space between two fins.  This was a really pleasant park of the route.  The downside of hiking marathon is that you don't get a chance to linger and the Broken Arch Loop is really a trail you can linger on.  It is filled with interesting formations as well and a pleasing desert environment.  I on the other hand, was blowing through on a single minded quest to get back to the car and my cooler of Gatorade.  I had one more hike to do after this and I was ready to be done. 

After the fins, the route travels across a broad sandstone plateau.

Approaching the campground

Arches: Tower Arch

Distance: 3.4 miles round trip
Elevation: 5,055 ft at the trailhead, 5,241 ft  max elevation at the top of the bowl, 4,960 ft at the bottom of the bowl
Elevation Gain: 677 ft cumulative elevation gain
Bathroom at Trailhead: Yes
Water at Trailhead: No
Dogs: Not allowed
Date Hiked: 27 April 2012

Godzilla's Tail dominates the Tower Arch Trail.  Even a 360° panorama would not do this area justice. 

The Tower Arch Trail located in the Klondike Bluffs area of Arches National Park is sublime!  During this hike you will sigh often at its solitude, mildly adventurous route, and breathtaking scenery.  The fact that you can only get to Klondike Bluffs after driving a half-hour or so down a washboard-y dirt road leads to its first quality.  A 200 foot scramble up a vertical bluff and then mysterious journey through a broad valley leads to its second quality.  Mother Nature, in her infinite creativity, is responsible for the rest.

The trailhead

Starting up the Bluff.  The wrong trail follows the dirt path to the left.  The correct trail heads up the rocks to the right.

I confess, I had a hard time with the vertical bluff.  Not because it is technically difficult, but because it is really a large pile of rocks and there was a distinct social trail leading parallel to the bluff and not up it.  After following this route for a while, I realized my error and turned around.  It was then that I saw the two cairns that marked the route UPWARDS and not SIDEWARDS.  On my return trip, I stopped and placed a bunch of rocks across the social trail to prevent others from repeating my mistake.  Once on the correct trail, I was able to scramble upwards with relative ease.  This portion of the route does require the use of your hands as you weave in, around, and over large rocks.  At the top, the trail flattens out but don't be deceived, there is another vertical scramble just ahead.  This segment is easier to follow, however, as it ascends vertically up a long smooth rock face.  Finally, at the top of this segment a sombero-sized cairn indicates you have reached the apex of the climb.  Before you is the desert descending downwards in all directions.

Back on the right trail.  Note the cairn to the left.  There was a smaller out, just out of frame that I never saw.

The second vertical pitch

To the right is a wall a thousand feet high that curves down and outwards like the wall of stadium or the serrated tail of Godzilla.  Dead ahead is a pinnacle with spires, shelves, and a thousand nooks and crannies.  In between and all around is a vibrant desert stretching off into the distance.  The destination is an arch, but guessing where that arch is in this vast landscape is part of the fun.  Spoiler Alert:  The arch is actually beyond the pinnacle, across the entire valley, and up and around Godzilla's tail.  Who knew!  If you hike this trail without reading a description like this one, the route will take you from cairn to cairn on a mysterious breadcrumb trail through an enchanted landscape.  The destination could be anywhere but only through completing the journey will you know for sure!

Almost to the top

The large cairn indicating you have reached the top.  The trail with heads towards the pinnacle in the distance but turn right so it is on your left as you descend into the valley.

From the vantage of this amazing vista, the route curves to the right and travels downwards between the pinnacle and the wall in a long series of sloping shelves.  A few places involve maneuvers down steps a couple of feet high, but for the most part the route is sloping and easy to follow.  At the bottom, the route crosses over to the wall, leaving the pinnacle behind as it travels upwards again on a long-curvaceous pile of sand.  The going is slow here as you slide downwards a little with each step.  Where is that arch is the perennial question at this point.  The arch is only 1.2 miles away from the trailhead, but by this point you will feel like you have hiked all day.  Distances are deceiving when looking across broad vistas.  They really are closer than they appear, but it can still take forever to get there!

You can't tell from here, but the arch is behind the wall in the distance and located near the tower of rock that stands tallest against the skyline.

A few places along the route involve larger steps like this step down into a wash.

Still in sand, the route takes a right turn and continues on the backside of the wall.  It is necessary to pay close attention here because hikers have taken slightly different routes between the bushes.  Eventually, a cairn will appear guiding the hiker down a long fin.  More sand and shrubbery follows and if you are like me, you will suddenly find yourself face-to-face with a wall of rock.   At this point I thought I must have taken a wrong turn and starting looking around.  Eventually, I looked up.  I was actually standing at the base of the arch, which was several hundred feet above me.  If I had not been so busy trying to find my way, I would have seen it from the fin. 

At the bottom of the valley crossing a large wash

Heading up the sandy hill

The only people I saw on this whole trip was a group of screaming "spring breakers" who were visiting the arch from the 4x4 road that curves around the valley from the trailhead.  Fortunately, I saw them in the distance and they were long gone by the time I started up the sand hill.   While shocking to my peace and sense of wonder I could not help but remember similar behavior from a much younger me.  Such is the progression of things. 

Few cairns mark this part of the route but you can follow tracks in the sand.

It is hard to see in this smaller photo, but tracks in the sand are visible on the hill in the distance.

The return trip was just as pleasing if a little less mysterious.  The descent down the sand hill provided a nice view of some collapsed arches, which made for a sobering contrast to the loud frivolity of the youngsters.  Everything dies eventually, even arches.

Heading down the fin.  The arch is actually visible at this point but I was so busy watching my step that I did not see it.  This hike was filled with metaphors about life.  Surely this is another one.

Tower Arch

The Tower Arch Trail was my favorite in the park for the reasons I have already articulated.  Don't let the drive intimidate you.  It is passable by a passenger car.  Bring lots of water and food and if you have time linger at various places along the way and let the mystery, deep reds, and startling greens caress you with the realization that life, like a trail is a journey that should be savored every step of the way. 

The spires in the distance are the remains of arches.  Visitors a thousand years from now will see a very different park as the current arches will have collapsed and new ones formed. 

Arches: Skyline Arch

Distance: 0.4 miles round trip
Elevation: 5,138 ft - 5,160 ft
Elevation Gain: 22 ft
Water at Trailhead: No
Bathroom at Trailhead: No
Dogs: Not allowed
Dated Hiked: 27 April 2012

The short and easy trail to Skyline Arch

Skyline Arch is impressive.  I first noticed this arch driving back from Tower Arch.  It was visible way in the distance and seemed larger than life as it dominated the horizon.  I actually wondered if it was reachable or one of those arches that the park does not take you to.  You can stroll right up to this arch, however, but don't expect to climb on it, it is WAY up there.

Skyline Arch is quite impressive and visible from the distance.

If this chunk of rock was a car, you could put 10 of your closest friends in it.

Everywhere in Arches there is a natural scenery that complements the geology.

A short trail leads to the base of the arch and a pile of rocks the size of VW Bugs.  These chunks of rock fell out of the arch in 1940, doubling its size.  That is of course how arches evolve.  Water seeps into the crevices in the rocks, freezes, expands and creates stresses.  Eventually, gravity works on these stresses and the rocks give way creating openings.  After a millenia or so the entire arch falls.  

Arches: Sand Dune Arch

Distance: 0.4 miles round trip
Elevation: 5,169 ft - 5,198 ft
Elevation Gain: 29 ft
Dogs: Not allowed
Bathroom at the trailhead: No
Water at trailhead: No
Date Hiked: 27 April 2012

Toddlers play in the soft sand beneath Sand Dune Arch

Sand Dune Arch in Arches National Park is a small secluded arch overhanging a giant sand box.  It is surrounded by walls, which makes the area a mecca for parents with small children.  They can play in the sand while the adults lean against the opposite wall eating a picnic lunch.

A soft gravel path leads towards the arch.

A series of fins hides the arch and adds bling to the surrounding area.

On the day I hiked this trail, it was cold but the play area was sheltered from the wind and so warmer and more welcoming.  Even in the heat of summer, this area can provide a pleasant respite from the harsh elements and toddler-terrorizing real world outside.  If you are a family visiting the park, this is great spot to spend a few hours.

A trail junction points towards Sand Dune Arch to the right.  To the left you can reach Broken Arch across a broad flat plateau.  It is much better to hike to Broken Arch from the Devil's Garden Campground, however.

The route cuts through this narrow slot.  I did not have to turn sideways to walk through so it is roughly shoulder width.   I did overhear some other adults talking, however,  that turning sideways does not always present one's skinniest profile, so think before you enter or you might be a permanent part of the scenery!

Adults hanging out against the back wall of the "sandbox" where they can keep and eye on there young'ens. The arch is just out of view where the sunlight is streaming in.

Hikers without children may not find much appeal here unless you want to relive your sandbox days.  Just leave whatever herbaceous or fungal substance you usually use on such trips down memory lane.  There are real children present after all!