“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.” – Isaiah 2:2
Arches National Park is located in eastern Utah near the town of Moab. This park is famous for its more than 2,000 arches, but it also has pinnacles and other massive sandstone formations. The majority of the rocks are affected by weathering and wind resulting in the arches and other structures.
Despite the coronavirus, Arches NP was very busy from the entrance station to the various scenic spots in the park. Our first stop was a pullout where we could see the “Balancing Rock.” It was off in the distance, and later we would be much closer.
“Balancing Rock”
“Delicate Arch”
Our next stop was our first arch of the day. It is known as “Delicate Arch.” Like many of the arches, there was a trail leading to it that we could walk. There were actually three trails, two that were on one side of the arch and the third that took you to the opposite side of the arch.The third trail was much more strenuous than the one that we took to view the arch. The view was beautiful!
As we drove along, we came upon the “Fiery Furnace.” This was a really interesting rock formation, and with a bit of an imagination, it was easy to imagine the three Hebrew children being delivered by the Lord.
“Fiery Furnace”
None of these rock formations are within walking distance. This is definitely a “car park.” There are usually trails that lead to the arches. Our next stop was the “Broken Arch.” This is one we chose to view from a distance. There was a trail, but we only walked about halfway down it. The notch in the center of the arch is the “broken” part.
“Broken Arch”
Skyline Arch is clearly visible from the road, but it had a nice trail leading up to it.
“Skyline Arch”
As we drove to the next group of arches, we passed the “Parade of Elephants.” You can almost “see” the elephants in your mind’s eye as drive by.
“Parade of Elephants”
This next group of arches involved more hiking than any of the previous arches we visited. There was a circular paved path that had several steps to climb to reach three arches. The first was Turret Arch. From this arch, you could peer through it and see the double arches, the North and South Windows. We hiked over to these as well, sitting beneath the North Window Arch for a short rest before hiking back down the hill.
“Turret Arch”
“North and South Windows”
Before finishing our 36-mile round trip drive, we chose to stop at a few other sites on the way out. Here are a few other photographs of sites we visited.
“Garden of Eden”
“Sheep Rock”
“Petrified Dunes”
“Sand Dune Arch”
Would I recommend Arches National Park? Absolutely! God’s majesty is undeniable in the arches and other formations, and with a Biblical worldview perspective the splendor of His creation is astonishing!
