Arches National Park lies 3 miles North of Moab on the East side of Highway 191 although you would never guess this in the absence of the park signs along the highway.

On entering the park gates a series of switchbacks, hidden from the highway, ascend the face of the red sandstone cliffs and eventually deliver the adventurer to the beginning of the main road through the park.

No sign of any arches so far.

Whilst many people will simply drive the access roads, it is necessary to hike the many trails, some relatively short and straightforward, some long and difficult, in order to see the best the park has to offer.

Our first stop is at the Park Avenue Trailhead for a two mile round trip hike to the Courthouse Towers. With an elevation change of 320 feet each way, this is a good warm up hike and provides views of the Courthouse Towers, The Three Gossips and The Organ rock formations.

Having completed the hike we continue deeper into the park, initially passing a field of petrified sand dunes, and the sandstone wall and sagebrush marking the Western boundary of the park.

Leaving the main road at the Balanced Rock formation we pass the ‘Garden of Eden’ towards our destination, an Arch rich target area, known as The Windows Section.

A short hike from the trail head brings us to a curious formation known as the Double Arch, a spectacular formation almost in the shape of a Celtic knot.

Retracing our steps we head towards the North and South Window formations, a pair of arches with a bulbous ‘nose’ between them, creating the impression of a rock troll’s face. On reaching the Windows, Turret Arch is revealed.

The trail optionally continues in a loop behind the South Window, leaving the crowds behind, and revealing the Windows Arches from behind in a bright early morning sunlight.

Visible from the Windows section and with a trailhead just off the main road is the Fiery Furnace, so named because of the intense red sandstone. This is a restricted area of deep north-south running canyons and fins, with no trails, no signposts, no guiding cairns and no water, access is by special permit or by joining a ranger led hike.

Probably the most iconic feature of Arches National Park is Delicate Arch. Access to the Arch is achieved via a three mile hike with 500 feet of elevation change across some difficult and challenging terrain. An alternative approach is to access one of the Delicate Arch Viewpoints. A one mile straightforward hike from the trailhead achieves the upper viewpoint, Delicate Arch is seen at about 400 metres distance across a ravine. The lower viewpoint just off the car park trailhead gives a more restricted, more distant view.

A short distance from Delicate Arch a trailhead gives access to the small, hidden Sand Dune Arch, with the option to cross one mile of desert scrub to access the majestic Broken Arch.

As we reach the top of the main park road we arrive at the Devils Garden trailhead. This area provides a jumping off point for some of the longest and most difficult hikes in the park.

One of the principal trails heads to, and beyond, an area of fins and canyons known as The Devils Garden however before this challenging terrain is reached a number of the parks most spectacular Arches are revealed.

A side trail 400 metres from the start of the trail leads to the free standing Pine Tree Arch, one of the few ground level arches in the park.

Returning to the main trail and continuing on an easy path for about a mile, the gravel path gives way to deep sand and the spectacular vista of Landscape Arch is revealed.

High up and linking the formation to the more inaccessible Navajo Arch, is Partition Arch.

A common myth around the park is that, many years ago, an errant cartographer inadvertently transposed the names of Landscape Arch and Delicate Arch. It is easy to believe this story as Landscape Arch is a beautiful high flying bridge of rock spanning 320 feet and following a rock fall from the main span in 1991, is now only 11 feet thick. Delicate Arch in contrast is a more substantial structure which sits rather starkly in the landscape.

Beyond Landscape Arch the trail deteriorates and becomes more challenging, leading to The Devils Garden and more spectacular Arches beyond.

Visiting Arches National Park has been a lifelong dream, it did not disappoint...spectaclar!