Showing posts with label utah waterfalls. biking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label utah waterfalls. biking. Show all posts
Arches National Park. Moab, Utah
 |
| Arches National Park. South Window |
Arches National Park is one of the most amazing places to
visit in the United States. The entrance to the park is located in the little
town of Moab which is about a half hour south of Interstate 70, between Grand
Junction Colorado and Richfield Utah. Moab is a mecca for bicyclists, rock
climbers and hikers from all over the world. According to the National Park Service website, Arches National Park contains over 2,000 arches. I was only
able to spend a single day in the park. I hiked approximately 8 miles total,
covering 4 of the most popular hikes in the park. I easily could have spent a
whole week in the park just taking photos.
My favorite section of the park is known as the ‘Windows
Section’. It contains a few of the largest and most impressive arches, the
North and South Windows and the Turret Arch. These arches are located just a
few hundred yards uphill from the parking area. They are accessible for small
children and anyone who is physically capable of climbing a few dozen stairs.
If you only had an hour or two to spend in the park, this is the hike that you
would want to do.
The best hike we did in Arches National Park was definitely the
trek to Delicate Arch. This is the arch prominently featured on Utah’s license
plate. The hike is approximately 3 miles round-trip from the parking area at
Wolfe Ranch, but it feels longer because most of it is uphill and the air is
very thin when you’re at 6,000 feet above sea level. One section of this hike
involves navigating up a large rock dome. There are rock cairns placed strategically
along the way to help mark the trail, but we noticed several people getting
lost and heading in the wrong direction. Just follow the cairns and you will be
fine. The reward is definitely worth the effort. Delicate Arch is one of the
most awe-inspiring natural wonders in any of the national parks.
Our final hike of the day was to see the Landscape Arch
located in the ‘Devil’s Garden’ section of Arches National Park. The hike to
Landscape Arch is approximately 2 miles round-trip with only a very slight
elevation gain. This hike should be suitable for even young children. There are
literally dozens of arches located just off the trail in the Devil’s Garden. This
is also the section of the park where the campground is located. I’m sure this
is a very busy campground because it was half full during a mid-week in the
middle of winter.
The weather in the area of Utah varies a great deal, from
scorching summers to brutally cold winters. I would highly recommend visiting this
park in the spring or fall, especially if you plan on camping. The summers here
are especially hard for hiking under the cloudless sky in the 100 degree heat.
You would need almost a gallon of water per person for an 8 mile hike in the
summer.
The off-season hotels in Moab are very reasonably priced. We saw multiple places for 40$/per night on Travelocity.
The off-season hotels in Moab are very reasonably priced. We saw multiple places for 40$/per night on Travelocity.
Bridal Veil Falls. Provo, Utah
 |
| Bridal Veil Falls. Provo, Utah |
Bridal Veil Falls is an impressive 600 foot waterfall
located about ten miles from the I-15 in Provo Utah. Although not worthy of a 9
hour drive from Orange County California by itself, Bridal Veil Falls is a
great way to get out of the car for an hour, stretch your legs and see
something impressive. You can actually ride your bike on the paved footpath
from the parking area right up to the base of the falls and continue further up
the canyon for some exploring.
I've read that route 189 is sometimes closed in the winter due to the snow, so you might want to plan your trip accordingly. I know that Bridal Veil Falls freezes over in the winter and becomes a popular destination for ice climbers.
