Standing In Front Of Utah's Famous Delicate Arch Was More Awe-Inspiring Than I Could Have Hoped
By Chris Dodge|Published June 24, 2024
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Chris Dodge
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My name is Chris Dodge and I live right here in the great state of Tennessee. My family and I are full adventurers filled with passion to see the amazing things our state has to offer. We are avid hikers and have explored many different places in Tennessee and beyond but we are always thankful to be living in such a glorious state.
Expectations were at an all-time high as we crossed the gates and entered Arches National Park. We had greatly been anticipating this dream park of ours and I am happy to say the expectations were not just met, they were shattered completely. I was blown away by this park in just about every way but there was one must-see hike I had to see while I was there; Delicate Arch in Utah.
We stayed the night in the park camping and woke up the next morning excited to see one of the most iconic natural wonders in Utah. Delicate Arch was very high on our bucket list and after what felt like years we were finally at the trailhead for the Delicate Arch trail.
I like to think of this trail in four different sections and each one gets better than the last. At first, you will be traveling through some rolling desert hills with various colored rocks which is an interesting change from the typical red rock of Arches. I could see how a few people who live in Utah might not be as impressed by this section but I am from Tennessee so everything looked fresh and amazingly new to me. I couldn’t help but feel like a kid in a sweet shop because I was certainly enjoying the eye candy of this park.
The next part of this 3.2-mile hike is something that I didn’t find many people talking about during my research. The large slick rock section is steep and where you will experience a majority of your elevation gain during the trail. It got the blood pumping but out of breath, we crested the top for awe-inspiring views.
The strain was worth it because not only were we closer to seeing the iconic arch but we also enjoyed a little bit of shade at the top. As we sipped our waters we soaked in the stunning desert landscape.
The next section of the trail had a few up and down parts as we found ourselves among rare tree covering and amazing rock formations. The clouds that day made for some really cool photography which made my wife happy since she is a great photographer.
The trail was pretty easy to follow but I could see how if you were not paying attention how simple it would be to wander away. People before us had placed downed tree branches down to line the trail and of course, the cairns helped guide us.
The very last part of the trail leads right to Delicate Arch. After following along the worn path following the side of a massive rock we round the corner to this marvelous sight.
I have seen this arch on license plates and pictures for years but there I was standing in front of it and I had to pinch myself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. What surprised me was how tall the arch was, when I walked closer it just seemed to tower over the surroundings.
What I also didn’t know before going was that Delicate Arch is located in a bowl-like formation which is far larger than expected. It was almost dizzying standing near the edge ogling this stunning rock feature. I had seen several arches in the park the day before but this was by far the best one. Most of the other arches all were carved out of walls but Delicate Arch was the only one we saw that stood on its own.
I was blown away by my time in Arches National Park. Delicate Arch was the highlight but there were many sights that I will remember for the rest of my life. I would say this is a must-see while exploring the park and the hike was filled with beauty. We used our AllTrails app while on the trail and I would suggest getting the map for the Delicate Arch Trail before you go. If you want to see the whole video of this wonderful trail please check out our Adventuring in the Moment video:
On our trip we went to all five of the Utah National Parks and another one that exceeded expectations was Bryce Canyon. If you are planning to tour the mighty Five then make sure you don’t miss the Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail.
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