Varvel Family: Arches National Park & Moab

Mark and I take a trip to Southern Utah in the spring every year to get our fix of warm weather. This year we spent a weekend in Moab and at Arches National Park. So fun! We covered over 40 miles, and almost every trail in Arches. We also did some really fun hikes outside of the park in Moab. Such a fun area with endless possibilities.

Park Avenue:

We got down there on Thursday night right before dark. We decided to squeeze in a short hike inside the park while we had a little bit of light left. We did the Park Avenue section and saw courthouse towers, the organ, the three gossips, and sheep rock. We got done just as it was getting dark.

Park Avenue

We hiked in jeans; we were racing the sun, so we didn't have time to change.

The three gossips and sheep rock as the sun was going down.

Delicate Arch:

We got up really early on Friday morning and headed into the park in the dark. We hiked to Delicate Arch with headlamps, because we wanted to get there as the sun was coming up. It was so cool to see how the sun changes the arch to red as it gets higher in the sky, and finally hits it.

Our first glimpse of the arch was still in the dark.

It was starting to get light, but the sun still hadn't peaked over the mountains yet.

Getting lighter!

Once the sun was up far enough, the arch really started to turn red.

So pretty!

The sunrise on our way back.

Petroglyphs at Wolf Ranch.

Wolf Ranch

Devil's Garden:

Devil's Garden is one of the longer trails in the park, but you also see a ton of arches. It's about 8 miles if you do the loop, and you see about 7 arches, plus lots of other cool stuff.

Tunnel Arch

Pine Tree Arch

Landscape Arch

Partition Arch
This is one of my favorite spots in the park. You can look through the arch, and see all the other cool red rock through it.

Partition Arch

Mark sitting in the small arch next to Partition Arch.

Navajo Arch

Double O Arch
This is another one of my favorites.

Dark Angel

Private Arch

Skyline/Tapestry/Broken/Sand Dune Arches:

These 4 arches were fun! We went to Skyline Arch the back way so we could actually get up in it. It was very big!

Tricia in Skyline Arch.

Mark in Skyline Arch.

Tapestry Arch

Broken Arch

On the way to Sand Dune Arch.

Sand Dune Arch

Klondike Bluffs:

This is one of our favorite spots in the park. You have to drive quite a ways down a dirt road to get to this area, so it's not nearly as crowded as the rest of the park. We had Tower Arch to ourselves, and we managed to get one of our very favorite pictures from the whole trip. We love sitting under the arches, because it gives you lots of shade, and great views.

Tower Arch

Balanced Rock:

We ended our day in the park with Balanced Rock.

I'm so tiny!

Moab Corona Arch:

After we left Arches, we had enough daylight to do the Corona Arch hike in Moab.

Fun slick-rock trail.

Climbing the ladder.

This is Bowtie Arch. You come to this one right before you get to the huge Corona Arch.

Corona Arch behind us.

Selfie!

We went under the arch and took pictures from the backside. The sun was better and there were a lot less people.

Look how tiny Mark is under the arch. It was massive!

On the hike, there was a spot with a TON of cairns. I mean a TON! So funny!

We were exhausted at this point, but we took a side trip to Pinto Arch.

Once we get overly tired and have been in the sun all day, everything becomes funny! I was laughing way harder than I should have at our shadows. 😂

That's a wrap for Friday. We covered a lot of ground!

On Saturday we got up early again and headed into the park. We only had the Windows section left, and we wanted to get it done before the park got crazy with people.

The Windows:

Turret Arch

One of the windows.

Behind the Windows.

Double Arch
I was having total flash backs from when we brought our kids here years ago.

I love this picture, but you should have seen me trying to get down from there. 😂

The Garden of Eden.

We got a picture with the sign on our way out of the park.

The rest of the day was spent doing hikes in Moab.

Grandstaff Trail to Morning Glory Arch:

This was a fun trail. We followed a pretty creek most of the way and ended up at Morning Glory Arch. It was a cool one.

Following the creek.

Our first glimpse of the arch from a distance.

This arch was hard to photograph, but it was super cool.

Under the arch looking up.

Jeep Arch:

Jeep Arch was one of our favorite hikes. The scenery was beautiful, the arch was unique, and you had to cross through the arch to finish the loop.

So pretty!

It's shaped like a jeep!

Mark standing in the arch.

Tricia inside the arch looking back toward the way we came.

Selfie!

We started and ended the hike by going through a drainage pipe.

Mill Creek Falls:

This was a fun, short, hike for us to end our adventure on. We hiked to Mill Creek Waterfall. There's a fun little swimming hole at the base of the waterfall. Tons of people there swimming, and cliff jumping. This was a little paradise for kids and dogs.