Moab; nothing that some city planning couldn’t have avoided

There are probably several good reasons to consider staying in Moab, UT, although I can’t think of any at the moment. After leaving the Grand Junction area, the Princess and I drove eighty miles to be closer to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Since we weren’t familiar with the area, I booked five nights at Sun Outdoors North, a commercial campground located just south of the entrance to Arches National Park and a few minutes from Moab. While the facility was convenient and clean, it felt more like an expensive and crowded gravel parking lot, costing $97.00 per night. However, we had a great time exploring the National Parks and decided to move thirty-seven miles to Horsethief campground outside Canyonlands for another four nights. This campground, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), offered spacious sites, stunning views, and a dark sky, making it the perfect choice. Additionally, with our federal Senior Pass, the campsite only costs $10 per night.

A reservation is required to enter Arches National Park between 7:00 AM and 4:00 PM. This worked well for Sherrie and me because I wanted to reach my chosen photography location by 5:30 AM. I usually finished shooting by 8:00 AM, allowing Sherrie to select a hike before the crowds arrived. One of the hikes we enjoyed was the loop trail at Sand Dune Arch, which took us across Sagebrush flats to Broken and Tapestry Arches.

An unidentified social media influencer is seen here at Broken Ach.

Delicate Arch, a renowned geological formation in Arches National Park, didn’t always bear that name. It was initially documented in the late 19th century, and the exact year of its naming remains uncertain. However, it is generally credited to early explorer and photographer T. H. O’Sullivan, who documented the area in the 1870s. O’Sullivan originally referred to the formation as “the Chaps” due to its distinctive gaps or “chaps.” Over time, the name changed and was sometimes called “The Schoolmarms’ Bloomers.” By the early 20th century, it became known as Delicate Arch, reflecting its fragile and delicate appearance. This name has endured and is now globally recognized as one of Utah’s iconic natural landmarks. Reaching the arch involves traversing Slickrock and ascending to the viewpoint, where you’ll be rewarded with a breathtaking spectacle. A couple of trails lead to viewpoints, and we opted for the shorter two-mile walk instead of the four-mile hike. The longer path offered a better view, but fewer people were on the shorter trail. While crossing the Slickrock, I was surprised to discover flowers and cacti growing from thin cracks in the surface.

Another famous arch that Sherrie marched us to was Landscape Arch. The trail took us past two well-known arches, Broken and Pine Tree Arches. When you gaze at Landscape Arch, its name might seem perplexing. Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch should almost swap names. Landscape Arch boasts an impressive span of approximately 290 feet, referring to the distance between its two vertical supports. This fragile rock formation is one of the world’s longest natural arches.

On September 12, 1964, Canyonlands National Park was established at the Colorado and Green Rivers confluence. The park encompasses vast expanses of the Colorado Plateau and preserves the canyons carved by the Colorado and Green Rivers. It was created to protect the natural and scenic wonders of the region, as well as the unique cultural and historical resources.

Native American cultures have inhabited the area surrounding Canyonlands for thousands of years. The Ancestral Puebloans were among the early inhabitants, leaving behind evidence of their settlements and rock art. Other Native American groups, such as the Utes and Paiutes, later occupied the region. Following the Native Americans, ranchers, and miners arrived.

The 337,000-acre park is divided into four distinct districts—Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and Rivers. The Island in the Sky district is the most accessible and popular area, offering expansive views from the mesa’s edge. The sheer magnitude of the canyons, cliffs, and buttes stretching as far as the eye can see is humbling.  If you are in a hurry, the Island in the Sky section of the park can be toured in a few hours. We spent four days, and I could have stayed longer trying to catch just the perfect light and clouds moving across the landscape.

The first time I tried to photograph the Mesa Arch on the northeastern side of the park, I arrived thirty minutes before sunrise only to find a film crew in the small parking lot creating content for a film commissioned by the Park Service to be shown in the visitor’s center. The short trail to the arch had a steady stream of people trying to get to the best viewing locations. It was a carnival atmosphere around the small arch. I didn’t bother to set up the camera that morning.  We were the first to arrive about an hour before sunrise the following day. I claimed the shooting location I wanted, set up the tripod and started defending my three-square feet of land. At first, I wouldn’t say I liked the photograph I created that day, but it is beginning to grow on me.

Dennis