Arches National Park- June 2021

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 Looks Just Like the License Plate 

There is SO MUCH more to Arches that I need to see, but given the extreme heat while we were there, and the late start the next morning we were going to hike leading to the park being full by the time we got there, this one hike is all I got. But it was absolutely beautiful and if you can only do one, this is the one to do. 

Delicate Arch 

We started off on this hike before sunset, after floating in the river and not hiking that afternoon, drinking a few beers, and eating a bunch of BBQ for dinner. We were not in prime hiking condition at that point, but thankfully it had cooled off a lot and it was a very enjoyable hike. Per AllTrails, this hike is about 3.2 miles and takes an hour and a half. We got to the arch as the sun was setting, and the rocks were a pink color against the orange sky and it was a gorgeous contrast. The hike itself was kind of intense (maybe that's the beer and BBQ talking)- there was a steep incline at the beginning, and a bit of a narrow region approaching the arch that isn't great if you're afraid of heights. I'm thankfully not, so I was unbothered, but not a place I wanted to take any missteps.  

The arch itself really is a work of art. It's SO MUCH bigger than it looks from a distance, and we took some time hanging out on the rocks as the sun set while some of the crowd cleared away, and then headed back down in the dark. I always hike with a headlamp in my backpack, and while I think a couple of my friends may have called me a nerd, guess what came in really handy and guess who didn't roll an ankle. I felt very safe hiking back down in the dark, not a lot to trip over, but pick your steps carefully.



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