Day 2: Las Vegas to Moab
Make sure to get started early as this is a long day of driving! The drive without stops takes approximately 7 hours, but we made a full day of it as there was so much to see. There are several lookout points along the way, but one of our favorites was the Salt Wash View Area.
Our plan was to go to Canyonlands, but the sun had set faster than we expected so we checked into our Airbnb, which was actually a hostel-like accommodation. I was traveling with my aunt and mother who had never stayed in a hostel, and they loved this place! There was a shared bathroom and kitchen, but private sleeping quarters. There was also a fire pit and picnic tables, great for socializing with other travelers!
That night we drove over to Ken’s Lake to give me some time to play with my new DSLR lens (I am very much a newbie photographer!). The location was quite beautiful, and we all hung out and listened to coyotes howling in the distance until it was time to go to bed.
PRO TIP: If you are into photography, I used the Sony a6000 for most of this trip, along with this ultra-wide lens for nighttime photography.
Day 3: Arches National Park and Canyonlands
This day was one of my favorite days of the trip! Wear comfortable shoes if you plan to do the hikes, although a lot of beautiful scenery can just be seen from the car as well. First things first – you will need a pass to enter pretty much any National Park. The fees for Arches can be found here.
PRO TIP: If anyone in your group is over the age of 62, they should purchase an America the Beautiful lifetime pass (it covers all companions and most National Parks). If the cost is still too much, consider going on a “Fee Free” day, but note that the parks WILL be crowded on these days.
There is basically one main road to follow through Arches National Park, with multiple off-shoots to different attractions. The main scenic road is about 30 miles long and is where you will start once you enter the gates to the park. Just driving along this road is beautiful enough, but if you get out and hike at some of the stops, you will REALLY understand the magnitude of these formations.
The first turnoff you will come to is Park Avenue viewpoint and it’s one of the major viewpoints in the park. There is also a hike here, but we skipped it due to time.
Continuing along the road, there are several other viewpoints (take your pick!), but we decided to stop at Balanced Rock and do the short hike around it.The way this rock has come to be balanced still blows my mind, and walking under it actually was a little bit scary!
Next, we pulled off a side road towards Double Arch and The Windows. Don’t worry, the roads are all well marked so it’s easy to find your way (a map is also provided upon arrival)! This section is regarded by many to be the most beautiful of Arches National Park. First, we took the short hike to the Double Arch. Aptly named, the Double Arch is a unique geological formation in which two arches come together in one point.
If you climb up the Double Arch, you are rewarded with a beautiful view. But be careful, once we got up there, coming down was a bit scary!
Next, we drove over to the Windows, just a short distance away. There are technically 3 main arches in this section, including the North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch. This hike was a bit longer than the Double Arch hike, but by no means strenuous.
Next we drove over to Delicate Arch. This is by far the most photographed arch in the park! However, it requires a 3 mile round-trip hike which can be a bit difficult at times (but definitely do-able, considering my aunt and mom made it!).
At the beginning of the trail near the parking lot, you will find Wolfe Ranch. This is a hut built by an early American explorer, and nearby you can easily find petroglyphs on the surrounding walls. This was an interesting little detour, and didn’t add too much time to the hike.
Continuing along the trail, there are a few sections that are a bit scary, but push through it! It’ll be worth it in the end.
At least we reached our destination – the Delicate Arch! There were LOTS of people in this area, and a line to get a picture under the arch (even in November). This is a great spot to stop and rest though, before your hike back down.
I should also mention that this entire area is shaped like a bowl into a giant dropoff. You will be walking on a sideways incline to get anywhere. This terrified my mom, who had to scooch on her butt to come take my picture (no judgement, it was scary!).
After taking many photos, we hiked back down to the trailhead and hopped in our car. The next stop would be the Fiery Furnace Viewpoint. There is a hike here, but we opted for the view from the parking lot.
Our next stop would be Sand Dune Arch. To get to this arch, there is a short hike (.3 miles) through the slot canyons. There were some narrow spots on this hike, but there were alternative paths marked as well.
The arch itself was a little underwhelming, but I enjoyed the hike very much.
Lastly we drove to Devil’s Garden. There is a nice hike here, but we skipped it due to time. Finally it was time to turn around and head back towards the entrance. On our way out, we stopped at Park Avenue Viewpoint one more time.
Leaving Arches, we drove 30 minutes to Canyonlands National Park. There are plenty of hikes and overlooks here, but it was getting dark so we drove towards the Grand View Point Overlook. We watched the sun set over the beautiful valley below.
We stayed for some time after sunset (I got to practice with my nighttime lens some more!) and the temperature turned to FREEZING. Remember to pack a sweater/jacket, as the temperature can change dramatically once the sun sets. After that, we ventured into downtown Moab, grabbed dinner at one of the many restaurants, picked up some souvenirs and went to bed.
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Always wanted to know what to do in Vegas, will definitely give it a go. Keep up the good work.