MOAB, UTAH AND ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

Monday we moved over to Moab, Utah.  We are staying at the OK RV Resort.  It has full hook-ups.  The sites are pretty close together.  It does have a laundry room.  We are using Passport America and that rate here is $24 a night.  That's a good rate compared to the other RV parks in this town. I think they will let you stay up to 2 weeks at that rate.  They do have a monthly rate that they offer.  It is not on the main highway which is nice because it cuts down on the noise. 

We actually met a couple when we visited a church in Hurricane, UT one Sunday.  They were visiting also.  We started talking to them and they had just come from Moab.  They told us to be sure and stay at the OK RV Resort.  They go to Moab a lot and this is where they always stay.  It is always nice to hear other people recommend a park that you are unfamiliar with.

After we got set up, we did our usual and went to the national park to get familiar with it. 

We stopped at the Visitor's Center and picked up a map and headed off.  We tried to stop at all the viewpoints to check them out and the hiking trails out.  It seems that all of the trailheads are located at one of the viewpoints. 

This is Balancing Rock. There was a short trail to it and then around it.

We stopped at the viewpoint for Double Arches.  These things are huge.  It was a little bit of a steep hike to them but so worth it. I stopped at the first arch.  Mr. W walked up to the second arch behind the first.

Can you see the tiny people? That puts the size of these things in perspective.

A shot Mr. W took from the back arch.

There is one hike here that you cannot go on your own.  You have to go with a ranger.  There are 2 hikes a day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  When we were at the Visitor's Center, the next available hike to this place was Friday afternoon at 4:00.  The name of the place is the Firey Furnace.  It is a maze of slot canyons with high walls and there are no designated trails.  It is very easy to get lost in there so that's the reason you have to go with a ranger.  If you read about the Firey Furnace, it did not get its name because of the heat.  Actually, since you are down in slot canyons with high walls, you are shaded a lot and therefore, in one of the coolest places in the park.  It got its name because every late afternoon the sun shines directly on it and it looks like it is on fire.

The Firey Furnace

The next stop was the trailhead to see Sand Dunes Arch.  It said it was an easy hike in deep sand.  Well, they weren't kidding.  I felt like I was at the beach.  It was really a pretty cool hike and at this point, my favorite of the arches.  You walked through a small slot between high walls until you all of sudden come to an arch.

Where the trail started

The entrance to the arch

Back of the arch looking out

About 1/4 mile from Sand Dune Arch is Broken Arch.  We walked across to get a picture of Broken Arch.

This is Skyline Arch

 

We decided to drive by the Delicate Arch.  If you have ever seen an Utah license plate, you have seen the Delicate Arch.  This is also the most popular hike.  We decided to do this hike but wanted to go to the viewpoint beforehand.

 

Can you see the arch?

After we finished up all the viewpoints, we headed back to the RV park.  Through a website set up for full-time RVers, we found out that a couple we met last year at a rally were camp hosting at this RV park.  Their commitment time for this job was over and they were leaving the day after we arrived.  We wanted to try to say hello before they left.  That evening we had a little bit of time to sit and visit with Dino and Lisa and it was really nice to reconnect and catch up on all of our travels and their travels.  They gave us some info on some good hikes to see arches outside of the national park and some other helpful hints.

A few pics from Arches NP