<h1>Best US Road Trip | Part 3 - Canyonlands & Arches<br></h1>
<h5>150 miles (240 kms) north of Monument Valley is the town of Moab. Home to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Moab is surrounded by some of the most stunning red rock landscapes on Earth. Moab’s unique combination of small resort town hospitality, beautiful scenery, and the cool waters of the Colorado River make it a popular destination. While there are numerous hotels in Moab, we opted for a beautiful Airbnb. </h5>
<h3><strong>Canyonlands National Park - an overview </strong></h3>
<p>Canyonlands is a wilderness of countless canyons and fantastically formed buttes carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries. Unlike the neatly packaged Arches NP, Canyonlands is scattered over a vast area and divided into four districts: </p>
<ul><li><strong>The Island in the Sky </strong>- the most popular destination within Canyonlands. Located near Moab, there are vehicle-accessible viewpoints, iconic landmarks, and several good short hikes</li></ul>
<ul><li><strong>The Needles</strong> - home to a vast network of trails that weave between tall red and white striped sandstone columns, the Needles is arguably the park’s best hiking destination. Thanks to its comparative isolation it is relatively off the beaten path</li></ul>
<ul><li><strong>The Maze, and Horseshoe Canyon </strong>- remote and seldom visited, these two districts are on the complete opposite spectrum, requiring 4×4 vehicles, good local knowledge, and much time</li></ul>
<h3><strong>Canyonlands National Park - the Needles </strong><br></h3>
<p>If you are pushed for time, <strong>the Needles</strong> <strong>district</strong> can be visited en route between Monument Valley and Moab. Driving the lightly trafficked road into this area affords great views of the Needles, which are stone pillars that jut skywards. </p>
<p>On the road to the Needles is a small car park on the right where you can see <strong>native American rock art</strong> - the petroglyphs have a mixture of human, animal, anthropomorphic, and abstract forms. </p>
<p>The Needles area conceals<strong> longer hiking trails</strong>; best explored outside of the hot summer months. Two of the most popular are the 2.4 mile loop of the Slick Rock Trial, and the Chesler Park Loop, this 11 mile loop begins at the Elephant Hill Trailhead.<br></p>
<h3><strong>Canyonlands National Park - the Island in the Sky</strong><br></h3>
<p>One main road takes you through the <strong>Island in the Sky</strong>, with a few spur roads that bring you to different viewpoints and hiking trails. At the end of the main Scenic Drive, you must turn around and head out the way you came in. </p>
<p>The <strong>most dramatic viewpoints</strong> include Canyonland Island from the Visitor Center Viewpoint, Shafer Canyon, Green River Overlook, Buck Canyon Overlook and the <strong>Grand View Point</strong>. </p>
<p>There are <strong>three great short hikes</strong> in this area including Mesa Arch and Whale Rock. Please let me know if you find a wide-brimmed sunhat down the side of the latter, it blew off while we were on top of the rock! The other hike is Aztec Butte. </p>
<h3><strong>Arches National Park</strong></h3>
<p>Just a few miles from Moab is Arches NP, which I first visited 20 years previously. The park has <strong>over 2,000 natural stone arches</strong>, hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks. This red-rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations and inspire you with its sunsets.<br></p>
<p>The <strong>Arches Scenic Drive</strong> is the road connecting the main areas of the park; taking you past amazing rock formations including Park Avenue Viewpoint and Balanced Rock. One of our favourite stops was at the <strong>Windows area</strong> where a one-mile loop visits three impressive arches in close vicinity - the North and South Window Arches form openings in the same sandstone fin, while Turret Arch stands within a more castle-like formation. </p>
<p>At the time of writing, it was necessary to <strong>book a date & time</strong> for park entry, <strong>in advance of travel.</strong></p>
<h3><strong>Delicate Arch</strong></h3>
<p>Arches NP is best known for <strong>Delicate Arch</strong>, a symbol of the state of Utah and one of the world's most recognised geological features. The arch, which features an opening 46 feet high and 32 feet wide, is the largest free-standing arch in the park, and as the name implies, it seems to defy gravity in its size and design. </p>
<p>Delicate Arch is a <strong>great place for sunset</strong>. If you are moderately fit the hike takes about one hour from the parking lot; don’t expect to be the only person there! As you get closer to Delicate Arch you can see <strong>Frame Arch</strong>, above you and to the right; true to its name, this arch forms a perfect "frame" for a photograph of Delicate Arch. </p>
<h3><strong>How long to spend in Moab</strong></h3>
<p>You can comfortably spend <strong>3-7 days around Moab</strong>, depending on when you visit and what you want to do. If you are visiting in the <strong>heat of the summer and</strong> <strong>don't have much time</strong> then the essentials are a day each in Island in the Sky and Arches National Park. </p>
<p><strong>If you have more time</strong> and/or are travelling in <strong>April-May</strong>, then consider a week as the temperatures allow for <strong>longer hikes</strong>, the conditions are optimal for <strong>whitewater rafting</strong> (in mid-summer the rapids won't be as much fun), and the area is a <strong>mecca for mountain biking</strong>. </p>
<p>Also worth a visit, and in close proximity, is <strong>Dead Horse Point State Park</strong> featuring a dramatic overlook of the Colorado River and Canyonlands NP. The park is best known for providing the final shot in the film <em><strong>Thelma and Louise</strong></em> where the women launch their Thunderbird car off the cliff while being chased by the police. <strong><br></strong></p>
<p>Bringing you back down to Earth, literally, the drive from Moab to Salt Lake City airport is just over 200 miles. Remarkably, I dropped the rental car off with less than 10 miles of our allowance remaining - it was a fabulous holiday, but being a Yorkshireman, I was of course disappointed not to get some refund as a result of the car mileage😉.</p>
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