Location: Moab, UT
NPS Website: http://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm
Major Attractions:
Delicate Arch - most photographed arch in the world
Balanced Rock - gravity-defying rock
Devils Garden - a garden of 8+ arches & tricky trails
Number of Attractions: 7
Courthouse Towers, Park Avenue, Balanced Rock, Windows Loop, Delicate Arch, Devils Garden (Tunnel, Pine Tree, Landscape, Partition, Navajo, Private, Double O Arch, & Dark Angel Arches)
Includes desert, red rock monuments, hoodoos (Fiery Furnace), and overlooks of the distant La Sal Mountains.
Accessibility:
Paved road takes you to all attractions' trailheads or viewpoints listed above. The trail to Double O Arch can be difficult for anyone afraid of heights as the trail narrows to 3 ft wide with 200 ft drops on both sides! The most popular attractions fill to capacity during the day, so prepare to visit those in morning and late afternoon (Delicate Arch & Devils Garden). For example, Delicate Arch is best to photograph in the evening, but least crowded during the early morning.
Maintenance of Roads/Trails:
Main road and overlooks are maintained very well. Watch where you drive off road as ruts are common along the road edges. In the summer, the desert gets very hot in the afternoons, but it's still enjoyable.
(http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/UTNPARCH:13)
Amenities:
One on-site campground at Devils Garden is always reserved, so stay a dozen miles south in Moab. No restaurants, food, or supplies are on park grounds, so use downtown Moab to find what you need. The best respite from hot afternoons is a frosty one at Moab Brewery.
Conclusion:
This park is extremely fragile, especially Landscape Arch and Delicate Arch. A large portion of Landscape Arch fell a few years ago. If you love red rock, this theme park of Arches, Windows, and other rock formations will astound. The photographs really don't do the bright red colors justice. See this one in person!
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