<Ex-Chesapeake Ranger>

Inside Arches National Park the scenery speaks for itself. Apparently a lot of other people think that too. This park was crowded! Almost every parking spot was taken at each of the lots and several cars were making the rounds to snag the spaces that came available as tourists finished their perusal of a site. We got out of the truck to take a short hike around the north and south windows arches. It should be pretty evident if you go on a hike in the area to take water with you. It's desert, there is no water out there on the paths. There is very little shade too. The windows walk is a very easy one to do with small children. We'd have liked to hike out to the delicate arch, but we didn't plan on staying at the park long enough to undertake that hike and didn't think our 3-year-old would tolerate it without loud complaints.

If you go here you'll see signs at the beginning of most paths that ask you to stay on the designated trail only. The ground has a kind of shell, cryptobiotic soil, made of tiny living plants and animals that support the larger organisms out here, help hold the sand down during windstorms and do lots of other helpful things for the environment that I don't have time to fully explain here. One step onto this ground can destroy the shell for decades. Unfortunately, LOTS of visitors don't heed the signs reasoning that they are only one person so what harm could they alone do? If you get the chance to visit this park please don't be one of THOSE visitors!

There were so many places we wanted to explore here! The park offers tours through an area called the Fiery Furnace, a maze of winding tunnels and tight spots that requires a special use permit to enter. There are several arches throughout the park. Some are visible from the main road but most require a trip down a side road and then a hike of varying lengths and efforts. There is also a campground at the end of the main road in the park in the Devils Garden area. If you intend to stay at the campground contact the park before your arrival. I believe they go through a national reservation center instead of keeping their own reservation system. It was full while we were there and seems busy most of the time.

After a quick look through the campground we were ready to get back to the highway. The northern end of Arches National Park doesn't seem to far from I-70 and we wondered if there was a way to get back there without backtracking through the park back toward Moab. We had noticed a gravel road that left the main paved road in Arches toward the west. I was really hesitant to take it: We weren't in a 4x4, this was the desert in June, we didn't have a whole lot of provisions in case something happened, and no one knew that we were thinking of going that way. Under those circumstances I'd council anyone who asked me NOT to temp fate. My husband is more adventurous than I am though. He used a "toe in the water" technique to ease me down the road. First he just wanted to get a picture of the truck down a desert road in the middle of nowhere and we could go back as soon as he'd done that. Then, since we were down there why not drive a little further and see where it went. We continued down the road, him with a grin on his face because he had his way and me trying not to appear sulky because I had not. After a few minutes he asked what was wrong. I said the typical "nothing." I didn't want to ruin this for him especially after his disappointment back in CO trying to go through Rocky Mountain NP but I was scared out of my mind! What on earth were we doing leaving the comfort and familiarity of the paved road to try out this unknown desert road that had no signs to affirm that it lead anywhere. Sure, as far as we could see it headed in the direction that we wanted to go--but what about what we couldn't see? Well 10 minutes later or so we saw a dust cloud moving in our direction. It was a truck with a local couple inside and we were able to flag them down to ask them about the road. Turns out it does leave the park and connects with route 191. They gave us the sort of country directions that only locals can follow: go about 4 miles past the hollow and hang a left at the old railroad crossing, go another 2 miles to the cowpen and then take a right onto such and such gravel road and then your only 5 miles from the highway and it's a straight shot. We thanked them for the directions and Ron felt vindicated that he had made the right choice. I felt easier knowing that this way would work if we could make heads or tails out of the directions that we were given. And on we went. We did pretty well up to the 'hollow' part but from there we couldn't remember anything of the directions. We just followed the road in the general direction making turns that seemed to bring us to the northwest. We did find our way out of the national park so if you are looking for a back entrance, YES, there is one. NO, it has no gate. However, it is a pisser to find! If you use it without paying you are trespassing and if caught at best will be asked to pay the entrance fee and at worst... whats the penalty for trespassing on government property?

We never made it to route 191 and we got really nervous a few time on the dirt road. there were a couple of places where there were sheer drops on either side of the road. Lots of animals out there too. We had quite a few deer stand in the middle of the road we were attempting to go down. After a while we could see 191 running to the west of us about 4 or 5 miles away but we couldn't find any approach road to get there. Eventually we found ourselves at an entrance right onto I-70 itself just a few miles east of where it intersects route 191. That was a relief!!! (I've never seen so many dirt roads as in Utah. Quite a few of the interstate exits lead directly to dirt roads.) Back on the main road we headed west again and didn't stop until we reached Richfield, UT except for a picture here and there at scenic overlooks.

I'll leave you with some more pictures from Arches National Park and along I-70.