Arches National Park, Utah, United States
Arches National Park may be one of the places in the world
most victimized by Instagram. There’s something about a rainbow of stone in the
sky that appeals immensely to many people. They want the pictures with the
specific landmarks. And corporations only fuel the fire. How many of the arches
in Arches National Park are featured as wallpaper on MS Windows? I can’t really
count, but it seems as though I’ve seen most of the iconic pictures of the Arches
on my computer at some point or another.
I have been to Arches National Park at least five times. The
first was in 1992 on a spring road trip with my friend Nina shortly after I
moved to the West. Most recently was in April 2021. So, I know the park well. I
have to describe Arches as very manageable. It is, of course, possible to camp
in the park and spend multiple days there. On the other hand, it is also
possible to see most of the national park’s main features in a long day with
numerous short to moderate length hikes. That’s the way I’ve always done it and
most of the multitudes seem to as well.
How popular is Arches? Well, the bathrooms with drop toilets all have
signs explaining dos and don’ts for using toilets – sit not stand, don’t shit
on the floor, etc. You’d think the most primitive people from small villages in
India were coming here! Maybe they are.
Rodrigo and I had a full day in the park, hitting all of the
major arches and some of the lesser known ones, and walking about 12 miles in
the process. Each time I’ve been in Arches, it seems to be more crowded. Back
in 1992 it felt like we virtually had the park to ourselves. By 2021 there was
already a long line of cars at the entrance and shortage of parking spaces at
the trailheads. As of April 1, 2025, Arches is the latest national park to
institute a reservation system for entry. Luckily, we beat it. Admittedly, we
were there on a Saturday at a time of year that is neither too hot nor too cold….but
still, the crowds were annoying. Call something a national park and the hordes
will come!
2025-05-22