Do you want to visit one of the most famous tourist attractions in the entire United States of America? How about visiting Arches National Park in Moab, Utah? Moab is the gateway to Arches National Park as well as Canyon Lands National Park, making it a great place to spend some time. You can combine a visit to 2 of the country’s most famous national parks without having to drive hundreds or thousands of miles. Arches is located just 10 minutes outside of Moab and Canyon Lands is located about 50 minutes outside of Moab (Island in the Sky area).

Arches NP has many great attractions, but one of the most spectacular is Delicate Arch. The Delicate Arch trailhead is about a 25-minute drive from the visitor center. Once you park your car, you’ll need to walk about 1.5 miles up the mountain to get to the arch. This is a moderate hike and you should be warned that I would actually rate this hike in the upper range of moderate, especially during the summer. While the hike is not difficult in itself, the real difficulty comes from the difference in altitude that you have to climb more in the heat during the summer. The heat can be brutal and many people find out the hard way. So plan on good walking shoes and plenty of water. You’ll also need plenty of sunscreen and a hat to protect you from the sun on sunny days.

The Delicate Arch is a free-standing arch structure, so to speak. It was not part of the original National Park when the boundaries were established in 1929 to create Arches National Monument (the park was a National Monument first before becoming a National Park). The boundaries were “corrected” in the 1930s to have this Arch within the National Park. Once you arrive at the arch, you’ll realize why it’s one of America’s most treasured tourist destinations. The beauty of the arch and the miracle that mother nature created is fascinating and impressive. Visit the National Park website for updated information and photos of this great wonder of nature. The US National Park Service can be found at nps.gov on the Internet.