Moab Hiking
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Arches National Park
Canyonlands National Park |
Fisher Towers
Road Canyon |
Arches National Park
The highlight of Arches National Park is the short uphill hike to Delicate Arch
Double O Arch
The longest hike in Arches NP is through Devil's Garden (8 miles). Not to be confused with Devil's Garden in Escalante or the nearby Devil's Kitchen.
Skull Rock in Fiery Furnace
The other extended hike in Arches is through the Fiery Furnace, which is by permit or tour only.
The roadside stop that caught my eye most was Balanced Rock
Canyonlands -- Needles District
Chesler Park
A short backpacking trip or long dayhike can be done to Chesler Park. Permits need to be reserved in advance for a campground in this popular area
Utah Trails advice was spot on, "it would be a shame to visit without (1) spending a night in Chesler Park, (2) experiencing the Joint Trail, and (3) seeing Druid Arch."
Druid Arch
Sunset in Chesler Park
A longer backpacking trip is required for the Salt Creek Canyon section of the park in the Needles District
The trail is a combination of overgrown sections and wide open meadows
Arriving at the first spring a few miles into the walk from the trailhead at Cathedral Butte
I did the upper Salt Creek canyon section which is forty miles return from Cathedral Butte to Angel Arch. It would be possible to do a one way hike of similar distance and exit to the north with a shuttle
The flowing streams and lush vegetation make this canyon a unique home for wildlife in the desert. The howling coyotes at night and multiple bear encounters made for a memorable trip. Hard sided bear canisters are required for this part of the park, although water is prevalent near each campsite so there is not too much weight to carry.
The area above SC4 is similar to Chesler Park
Angel Arch and Molar Rock
The nearest campground to the arch is SC4 which meant walking in the dark to see it at sunrise.. I gave myself 3 hours and got there in 2.5 hours. I had the help of a full moon, although this section of trail was difficult to follow at night
Kirk's cabin near the SC1 campsite
Late evening at the final campground in early October
View from Cathedral Butte at dawn on the return climb
Canyonlands -- Island in the Sky
Mesa Arch
Photography group tours line Mesa Arch with tripods at 3AM. Make friends with them and they will let you squeeze in.
Fisher Towers
The skyscraper-like Fisher Towers
Road Canyon
Road Canyon has several well preserved cliff dwellings, highlighted by Fallen Roof Ruin.
The neighbor down the street made his home out of sticks