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Arches Visitor Guide

The official newspaper of Arches National Park Bring this paper to 2014, No. 1 the visitor center desk for travel tips, Make Memories & Leave No Trace or see back page!

MY EYES STARE IN WONDER, MY BREATH is a problem that is widespread in many grows deeper and I can’t seem to stop national parks. The process of removing taking pictures. Where I live, the views graffiti takes time, care, and a lot of hard are not as vast, the colors not as vibrant, work. the air not as fresh, and the skyline not formed by magnificent rock towers. I Luckily though, I know that graffiti have come to a national park: a place of is easily prevented and there are such significance it was deemed worthy many other ways we can mark our of special protection. Arches National journey here: a spectacular photo, an Park was created to protect “gigantic unforgettable hike, a quiet moment arches, natural bridges, ‘windows’, of reflection. When I think about the spires, balanced rocks, and other unique National Park Service mission, wind-worn sandstone formations, for the preservation of which is desirable “to preserve unimpaired the because of their educational and scenic natural and cultural resources and value.” I have traveled far for this values of the national park system experience. for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future As I marvel at this extraordinary generations” landscape, I notice something out of place: someone has “tagged” the rock Examples of graffiti and park staff working hard to remove it. I am inspired. We can all do our part to with their name. I think, “Graffiti? In a achieve this mission. I invite you to join national park?” And then I remember: of love, tic-tac-toe games, offensive is a different place now: there are more me in protecting Arches National Park by over one million people visit Arches drawings, names, initials, or dates. people, more development, and we have not leaving your mark. Make memories, every year. Many may not know that in a chosen to protect these places of beauty take photos...and leave no trace. national park and on other public lands, Leaving a mark is in our nature. Here in and history for the future. Today, graffiti graffiti is vandalism. Graffiti can be words the park and across the Colorado Plateau, is prohibited by law. BY PATRICIA ORTIZ or shapes drawn, carved, scratched, Native Americans, settlers and cowboys or painted on the surface of rocks or all left signs of their presence. These Yet, graffiti appears throughout the other features no matter how small or marks are part of our history, dating park: under arches, on boulders, atop

superficially drawn. It can be expressions back hundreds of years. But the world fins – even across ancient petroglyphs. It EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA YOUR EXPERIENCE Stay Connected

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BACKPACKING IN 2004, CONGRESS PASSED THE FEDERAL LANDS ENTRANCE FEES Interagency Access Pass (Free) Hours of Operation Arches has few areas that qualify Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), The entrance fees at Arches National Park Previously the Golden Access Pass The park is always open, 24 hours a day. as “backcountry”. Outside the which replaced the Recreational Fee are $10 per vehicle for a seven-day pass, Lifetime pass for permanently disabled U.S. The visitor center is open daily from 9 a.m. developed visitor area there are Demonstration Program. Authorized and $5 for bicyclists, those walking or on citizens; entrance to all federal fee areas to 4 p.m., with extended hours mid-March no designated trails, campsites or reliable through December 2015, the law allows motorcycles. The following special passes are plus 50 percent discount on some camping, through October. The visitor center is water sources. To backpack at Arches, you retention of 80% of fees collected at a site now available: activity fees and other special user fees. Hey Kids — closed on December 25th. must obtain a backpacking permit inside to remain there for repair, maintenance Previously-issued Golden Access Passes will the visitor center and camp at least 1 mile and facility enhancement related directly to Interagency Annual Pass ($80) be honored forever by all agencies. This One’s For You! RANGER-GUIDED from roads and 1⁄2 mile from trails. Or, visitor enjoyment, visitor access and health Previously the Golden Eagle/National Park Pass Do you want to explore Arches and help ACTIVITIES consider backpacking at nearby places like and safety. It also includes interpretation, Good for twelve months; available to anyone. Interagency Annual Military Pass (Free) protect the park? Then become a Junior visitor information, visitor service, visitor For qualifying active military and their Evening Programs are Canyonlands National Park that offer more Free entrance to Fish and Wildlife Service Ranger! Becoming a Junior Ranger is a needs assessments and signs; habitat dependents. Present military ID cards at park offered most nights per week, extensive backcountry opportunities. Refuges and National Park Service areas that serious and important task, but it’s lots of restoration directly related to wildlife- entrance for verification. fun too. Ask at the visitor center how you spring through fall, at the Devils Garden charge entrance fees. Covers use of Bureau of dependent recreation, wildlife observation or can get involved. Campground Amphitheater. Check at the CLIMBING & Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation photography; and law enforcement related to Local Pass: Arches, Canyonlands, Options include visitor center for times and topics. CANYONEERING and Forest Service sites that charge Standard completing a It is your responsibility to public use and recreation. Entrance Fees. Hovenweep and Natural Bridges ($25) Level trail at the Windows offers a closer view of the arches (photo by Andrew Kuhn) booklet or checking know and follow all climbing & Good for twelve months; available to anyone; Guided Walks are offered most days per out a Red Rock Interagency Senior Pass ($10) entrance to these four areas only. week, spring through fall, at various locations canyoneering regulations, route closures and ACTIVITY FEES Explorer Pack. It’s FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE ACCESSIBILITY Previously the Golden Age Pass in the park. Routes follow easy or moderate group size limits. Obtain day-use permits and Fees charged for ranger-guided Fiery that simple! You’ll ROUTES Not all park facilities meet This new revenue funded the following trails up to 1 mile in length. Check at the route information at the kiosk located in the Furnace walks will go directly to supporting Lifetime pass for U.S. citizens sixty- earn a badge and Arches has a limited number mandated standards, but improvements at Arches: visitor center for times and locations. visitor center plaza or on the park website. the program. The cost is $10 for adults, $5 for two years of age and older; entrance certificate and of four-wheel-drive roads. we’re working toward Climbing of any type is prohibited on all children five to twelve years old and Senior to all federal fee areas plus 50 percent • Rehabilitating park trails join the ranks of ATVs/OHVs are not permitted. Check at the increased accessibility. Visitors with Fiery Furnace Walks are offered daily, arches and prominent features. Slacklining is Pass/Access Pass card holders. Children discount on some camping, activity fees • Upgrading roadside restrooms the many Junior visitor center for current road conditions, mobility impairments can access: spring through fall. These moderately always prohibited. Travel only on designated under five years of age are not permitted on and other special user fees. Previously- • Rehabilitating the Devils Garden picnic area Rangers who help especially after recent rain. The Bureau of protect this special place. strenuous, three hour hikes wind through trails, rock or sandy washes to protect soil Fiery Furnace walks. issued Golden Age Passes will be honored • Enhancing trailheads and scenic pullouts Land Management (BLM) maintains many Visitor Center terrain that requires scrambling up and crust and practice Leave No Trace ethics. forever by all agencies. popular 4WD routes outside the park. Ramp and reserved parking. through narrow cracks and along narrow Most routes require advanced skills; assess Restrooms ledges above drop-offs. Children under five your abilities and risks appropriately. Plan TRAVELING WITH PETS Throughout the park including the visitor are not permitted. Reservations may be made well and be prepared for self-rescue. Activities with pets are limited center and Devils Garden. Photo Suggestions at www.recreation.gov and must be made at Arches. Pets are not allowed more than four days before the date of the BIKING Campsite on hiking trails, at overlooks Take home great photos of your Arches hike. Walks are limited to 25 people and Bikes are permitted only on Devils Garden site #4H. or anywhere in the backcountry, even in experience. Below are some tips for where typically fill weeks in advance. Reservation roads, not on hiking trails Park Avenue Viewpoint carriers. Pets may accompany visitors in the you might capture that magic moment at holders must check in at the visitor center at or off-road. Ride single file, Paved path with slight slope near end. both sunrise and sunset. developed campground, and may be walked least one hour before their hike. and be attentive to passing cars and in the park along paved roads. Pets must be Delicate Arch Viewpoint Early Morning Late Afternoon recreational vehicles that may not be leashed at all times when outside a vehicle. Hard surface, level. Moab Fault Park Avenue CAMPING aware of cyclists. On the paved road, For your pets’ safety, do not leave them in Balanced Rock Viewpoint The Three Gossips La Sal Mountains Overnight camping is only there are no road shoulders or bike lanes. Viewpoint vehicles when temperatures are above 65�F Paved surface, level. Sheep Rock permitted in the campground Many dirt roads are sandy, washboarded as they can die of heat exhaustion. There are The Great Wall Courthouse Towers or with a backcountry permit. or gravel. The Willow Springs road offers Wolfe Ranch Cabin/Rock Art Panel two kennels with boarding services in Moab: Turret Arch Petrified Dunes Devils Garden Campground has 50 sites an enjoyable two to three-hour ride. Most Hard surface, level. The Spectacles Balanced Rock and is located 18 miles from the park popular biking trails in the Moab area are Karen’s Canine Campground Double Arch The Garden of Eden entrance. Expect the campground to be on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 2781 S. Roberts Rd. Trails in the Windows Section (above left) and the Devils Garden Picnic Area (above right) are just two locations The fee visitors pay for Fiery Furnace walks directly National Park Service Cache Valley The Windows full daily March through October. Tables land outside of the park. (435) 259-7922 which have received needed attention in recent years. supports this program. (photo by Andrew Kuhn) U.S. Department of the Interior Delicate Arch and fire rings are provided in each site. Wolfe Ranch Moab Veterinary Clinic Fiery Furnace Water and flush toilets are available in Delicate Arch 4575 Spanish Valley Drive Viewpoint Viewpoint several locations. Camping fees are $20 (435) 259-8710 Sharing the Scenery BY KAREN HENKER Landscape Arch Skyline Arch per site per night. Wood gathering and Fins in Devils Garden Park Website: Double O Arch ground fires are prohibited. Wood may Outside the national parks, many public Scan code to access website, Arches National Park attracts visitors from all over the world. Despite Tower Arch be purchased from campground hosts lands offer great hiking opportunities and do or visit www.nps.gov/arch this diversity, most visitors flock to the same four destinations: March through October. Two group tent allow pets on trails. Balanced Rock, Devils Garden, Delicate Arch and the Windows. sites are available for eleven people or Park Mailing Address Parking lots at these popular areas frequently overflow with cars more: Juniper Basin (up to 55 people) EMERGENCY! Arches National Park during the busy season (March through October). Entrance station and Canyon Wren (up to 35 people). The Any number of emergencies can PO Box 907 lines can stretch almost to the highway, causing long waits and testing group camping fee is $3per person per Moab, UT 84532 occur while you are visiting the visitors’ patience before they even cross the threshold. night, with a $33 per night minimum. park: hiking accidents, medical No recreational vehicles or trailers are Phone emergencies or perhaps you have locked To reduce traffic and tension: (435) 719-2299 (voice) permitted in group sites. your keys in your vehicle. If you have an emergency: Email • Relax and allow yourself extra time to reach your destinations. CAMPING • Dial 911 on your cellular phone: You will [email protected] There is plenty of scenery for all to enjoy and the rocks aren’t going RESERVATIONS Choose your parking spot wisely: illegally parked cars may be cited. reach the Grand County Sheriff’s Office, anywhere – at least, not on a human time-scale. All campsites in Devils Garden who will contact a ranger in the park. Cover Photo • Start your day early. Try entering the park before 8:00 a.m. Sunrise hold up the flow of cars by waiting for a parking spot. If there isn’t can be reserved between Sunrise from La Sal Mountains Viewpoint is just as beautiful as sunset. room at your chosen destination, consider moving to another area March 1 and October 31st. Reservations • Contact a park employee. Many park • Consider carpooling. Parking is very limited, so consider leaving and coming back later. must be made at least four days in advance. Visitors biking along the scenic drive rangers are trained emergency medical Arches Visitor Guide Published By extra vehicles, large RVs, or trailers at the hotel, campground, or Due to high demand, reservations are technicians. Law enforcement rangers can Canyonlands Natural History Association, visitor center parking lot. People take vacations to escape the stresses of daily life, but traveling strongly recommended prior to arrival at SHARE THE ROAD investigate vehicle accidents, handle other a not-for-profit organization that assists • Choose to visit the park during the off-season. Winter is a great itself can be stressful. Visitors to Arches during the busy season the park. If you have no reservations, Park roads are narrow and police matters, as well as take reports of the National Park Service in its educational, time to visit, when light snowfalls accent the red-rock vistas. might encounter long lines, jostling crowds, intense heat, and plan to use other camping options outside winding. Do not stop in the lost hikers, fires, or other emergencies. interpretive and scientific programs. For more information, see the back page. unexpected delays – all of which can make tempers flare. Thankfully, the park. To reserve a campsite, visit roadway—save sightseeing • Go to the visitor center: If the building is An Extra Note about Parking these same visitors will also encounter breathtaking scenery, warm Sunset/moonrise at North Window. www.recreation.gov or call (877)444-6777 for designated viewpoints. Watch for The National Park Service cares for the special closed, use the pay phones in front of the Acceptable parking places include individually marked stalls, parking and welcoming park staff and opportunities to help preserve these (toll free), (877)-833-6777 (TDD), or pedestrians and bicycles. Ensure a minimum places saved by the American people so that building to dial 911 (no coin is needed). “lanes” along fences and existing wide spots along the roads. Never flickr.com/archesnps all may experience our heritage. timeless landscapes for the enjoyment of others for years to come. (518)885-3639 (international). distance of three feet (one meter) when park on vegetation or in a manner that blocks traffic, and please don’t passing. 2 Arches Visitor Guide Arches Visitor Guide 3 Hiking Trails North

Skyline Arch Start: Skyline Arch parking area 0 1 2 3 4 Kilometers Length: 0.4 mile (0.6 km) round trip 0 1 2 3 4 Miles Time: 10 to 20 minutes A short hike on a flat, well-defined CAUTION trail. On a cold November night in 1940, a Stay on trails or slickrock to protect fragile biological soil large chunk fell out of the arch, instantly crust. These tiny organisms are doubling the size of its opening. critical to all life in the desert.

Landscape Arch Start: Devils Garden trail­­head DE Balanced Rock Length: 1.6 miles (2.6 km) round trip VILS Private Dark Angel Arch GA Time: 30 to 60 minutes RD Double O Arch E primitive N trail EASY TRAILS A relatively flat, gravel-surfaced trail (usually 1.1mi KLONDIKE 1.8km heavily populated with hikers) leads to a BLUFFS Navajo Arch Balanced Rock t Partition Arch Tower Arch spectacular ribbon of rock, whose span is Pit toilet Landscape Arch Start: Balanced Rock parking area Pine Tree Arch more than a football field in length. Short Tunnel Arch Length: 0.3 mile (0.5 km) round trip Marching 1.7mi Pit toilet side trips to Tunnel and Pine Tree Arches. Men 2.7km Devils Garden Trailhead Time: 15 to 30 minutes 1.4mi Trail guide available at trailhead. 2.3km Campground A loop trail at the base of a fragile, Soft sand in wash crossings. Skyline Arch Impassable after heavy rains. Amphitheater picturesque rock formation. Fins along the Devils Garden Primitive Trail 1.0mi 1.6km Courthouse Wash Rock Art Panel S Broken Arch A L Starting Point: Lower Courthouse Wash T Delicate Arch

The Windows

parking area (Highway 191, on the right 0.5 Sand Dune Arch Start: Wolfe Ranch parking area Start: Windows parking area 7.2mi

miles north of the Colorado River) 11.5km Length: 3 miles (4.8 km) round trip Did you know that the desert floor in Length: 1 mile (1.6 km) round trip

Length: 1 mile (1.6 km) round trip Time: 2 to 3 hours V Arches is teeming with life? Time: 30 to 60 minutes A L L Time: 30 to 45 minutes E Elevation change: 480 feet (146 m) Y A gentle climb up a gravel trail leads to three Across the landscape, microscopic A short walk south across the Courthouse Take at least 2 quarts (2 liters) of water per 5.0mi FIERY massive arches (North and South Windows 8.1km cyanobacteria bind together grains of sand, Wash bridge and a brief climb leads to a person. Open slickrock with some exposure FURNACE and Turret Arch). An alternate return, Pit toilet Delicate Arch creating stable sites for algae, moss and 4829ft prehistoric rock art panel (at the base of the to heights and no shade. The first half-mile Fiery Furnace Viewpoint Rock Art 1474m slightly longer, is by way of a primitive 9.0mi fungi to grow. This living, biological soil cliffs, facing west). 14.5km Panel trail around the back of the two Windows, is a well-defined trail. Upon reaching the Salt Valley Overlook crust transforms loose sand into a suitable Wolfe Ranch Upper Viewpoint slickrock, follow the rock cairns. The trail Recommended north starting at the South Window viewpoint. Pit toilet 1.0mi Lower Delicate Arch environment for plants, animals and even MODERATE TRAILS to south travel 1.6km climbs steadily and levels out toward the Viewpoint To 70 and Crescent Junction Parking and humans to survive. Pit toilet top of this rock face. Just before you get to from junction of 191 and 313 : 1.2mi C Park Avenue ACHE Double Arch 18mi 29km 1.9km VA Start: Park Avenue parking area Delicate Arch, the trail traverses a rock ledge LLEY Human impacts, such as footsteps, plows Start: Double Arch parking area End: Courthouse Towers parking area for about 200 yards (183 m). or tire treads, crush the bonds that keep Length: 0.5 mile (0.8 km) round trip Length: 1 mile (1.6 km) one way these microscopic communities together. Time: 15 to 30 minutes 2.5mi Panorama Point Time: 30 to 60 minutes 4.0km By staying on trails, we are giving desert A relatively flat, sandy trail leads to the base Double O Arch Elevation change: 320 feet (98 meters) Eye of the Whale Arch plants their best chance to survive in this Start: Devils Garden Trailhead of two giant arch spans which are joined at From Park Avenue parking area, the trail challenging environment. Length: 4.2 miles (6.8 km) round trip ARCHES NATIONAL PARK one end. descends steeply into a spectacular canyon Time: 2 to 3 hours Soft sand. and continues down the wash to Courthouse Impassable after heavy rains. Your steps really do matter. t Beyond Landscape Arch, the trail becomes Ham Garden Delicate Arch Viewpoint Towers. If you have a shuttle driver, you can WILLOW Pit toilet Rock of Balanced Eden Elephant Butte more challenging as it climbs over sandstone 5653ft Start: Delicate Arch Viewpoint Trailhead begin at one point and be picked up at the Rock To 70 and Cisco from Learn more about desert soils on our FLATS 2.5mi 1723m other. For round-trip hiking, retrace your slabs; footing is rocky; there are narrow 4.0km junction of 191 and 128 : website at http://go.nps.gov/yoursteps. Length: 100 yards (91 meters) round trip 45mi 72km ledges with exposure to heights. Spur trails Double Arch Time: 10 to 15 minutes steps along the trail rather than walk along Parade of Elephants To Castle Valley from the park road. lead to Partition and Navajo Arches. Dark junction of 191 and 128 : In addition to the short accessible trail, 191 ROCK Pit toilet North Window 16mi 26km Angel is one-half mile (0.8 km) farther. Trail PINNACLES South Window another moderately strenuous hiking trail 1.9mi Turret Arch guide available at trailhead. 3.1km THE WINDOWS climbs 0.5 mile (0.8 km) toward Delicate Arch L 128 L SECTION

and ends at the rim of a steep canyon that A 9.2mi 14.8km Devils Garden (includes primitive trail) W separates the viewpoint from the arch. This is

not the popular trail to Delicate Arch, which Start: Devils Garden Trailhead T

A

Length: 7.2 miles (11.6 km) round trip, 313 E

starts at the Wolfe Ranch parking area. R Petrified Dunes N

including all spur trails to points of interest O G Viewpoint Y N A C Time: 3 to 5 hours E

Sand Dune Arch H Humble beginnings: young soil crusts are E IL T Longest of the maintained trails in the park, M EN hard to identify, so keep your feet on Start: Sand Dune Arch parking area V PETRIFIED E Devils Garden Trail leads to eight awe- S DUNES trails, slickrock or in sandy washes Length: 0.3 mile (0.5 km) round trip 9 9

inspiring arches. Expect narrow ledges with Denver and Rio Gra (where water flows). Time: 15 to 30 minutes BIG BE Rock cairns help visitors follow trails. rocky surface hiking and scrambling on ND 9 Trail leads through deep sand to a secluded To Dead Horse Point State Park from junction of 313 and 191 : 6.0mi slickrock. Not recommended when rock 9.6km arch among sandstone fins.Do not climb or 19mi 31km Tower of Babel 9 is wet or snowy. Trail guide available at Sheep Rock jump off the arch. STRENUOUS TRAILS To Canyonlands National Park, Courthouse Towers Viewpoint Island in the Sky district from junction of 313 and 191 : trailhead. Three Gossips The Organ Tower Arch 21mi 34km nde

COURTHOUSE P

W a r 9 Broken Arch Start: Klondike Bluffs parking area, via the e TOWERS k s

t

e A r Fiery Furnace (Fee Area) n v Start: Sand Dune Arch parking area or Devils Salt Valley road Park Avenue e Viewpoint and Trailhead La Sal Mountains Viewpoint R The Fiery Furnace is a mazelike labyrinth VE Garden campground across from campsite #40 Length: 3.4 miles (5.5 km) round trip RI Visitor Center of narrow sandstone canyons that requires Park headquarters Time: 2 to 3 hours O Length: 1.3 miles (2.1 km) round trip; 2 miles D A Scenic Byway The trail climbs a steep, short rock wall, cuts agility to explore. To enter the Fiery 4085ft R (3.2 km) including the loop O M 1245m L O across a valley and then meanders through Furnace, visitors must accompany a A O Time: 30 to 60 minutes B C Old growth: draped in lichens, mature Courthouse Wash sandstone fins and sand dunes. An alternate, ranger-guided hike (see page 2) or obtain CA NY Rock Art Panel crusts like these stabilize soils, trap water From the Sand Dune Arch parking area, the Parking is limited at all destinations. ON 9 9 shorter trail (0.3 mile [0.5 km] one way), a day-use permit at the visitor center. and provide safe haven for seedlings, like trail crosses a large meadow to the arch and If a particular parking lot is full, 128 begins at the end of the four-wheel-drive road There is no trail, so visitors are encouraged please return at a later time. 4.3mi this Utah juniper. continues to the campground. Trail leads 7.0km on the west side of Tower Arch. This unpaved to accompany a ranger — both for their own Scenic Byway through fins with sand dunes and slickrock. road washes out quickly in rainstorms; check M safety and to reduce impacts on the area. 0.5mi Distance O AB To Monticello: Unpaved road 0.8km indicator Picnic area Interpretive trail V 191 55mi 90km road conditions before heading out. AL LE To Canyonlands National Y Four-wheel 279 Park, Needles district: drive road Hiking trail Restrooms Drinking water 77mi 126km tunnelTo Petroglyphs 5mi 8km MOAB 4 Arches Visitor Guide Arches Visitor Guide 5 Traces of the Past BY ALICE DE ANGUERA Nature’s Art BY ALICIA LAFEVER Preserving Dark Skies

FOR MOST OF ARCHES NATIONAL PARK’S LONG HISTORY, ARCHES NATIONAL PARK IS A VIBRANT, LIVING MUSEUM National parks preserve some of the darkest red rock arches didn’t exist. Salty inland seas, braided where works of art are displayed, preserved and protected. skies in the country. To find the darkest river systems, coastal plains and sand dunes fill the Some of the displays you might find include tapestries, parks and document the widespread affects chapters in our geologic history book. How do we mosaics and jewels. As you travel through the museum, see of light pollution, the National Park Service know? Geologists, like detectives, use clues such as what catches your eye. created the Night Sky Team. This team fossils, ripple marks and cross-bedding to understand completes light surveys to identify areas parks can minimize their contribution to the the story of each geologic layer. Look closely at the towers of rock in the park and you will light pollution problem. discover the beautiful “tapestries” that adorn these walls. Fossils embedded in some of the oldest rocks in this Like tapestries in museums, nature’s tapestries document In the survey of Arches, and neighboring park help paleontologists crack the case of a former historical events. Surprisingly, the thread that holds much National Park Service areas like ancient sea. The marine fossils found in the 300- of the park’s tapestry together is iron. The red “thread” Canyonlands, Natural Bridges and million-year-old Honaker Trail Formation have visible in the rock layers is due to “rusting” or oxidizing Hovenweep, several light impacts were attracted scientific attention since the 1930s. Tiny, of iron. Whitish to yellowish-tan threads are the result identified. In 2010, the park began round discs of crinoid stems, lacy branches of of an accumulation of organic acids dissolving the iron replacing exterior light fixtures and bulbs to bryozoans and clam-like brachiopods tell the story and bleaching the rock. Ribbons of turquoise-colored reduce energy consumption and preserve of a warm, shallow sea teeming with life. Crinoids, threads run through the tapestry at Wolfe Ranch. This the night sky. To discover more about how animals also known as sea lilies, look like underwater unique blue-green layer was created when volcanic ash The night sky at Delicate Arch (photo by Jacob W. Frank) national parks are protecting the night sky visit: http://www.nature.nps.gov/air/ flowers with feathery arms for collecting food. Trilo- settled into a large alkaline lake - an environment with little foundation for the whole park’s ecosystem. This work of art is fragile. lightscapes/. bites, an early ancestor of the crab, crawled or swam oxygen. Time can change the design and the story. Mind the “velvet ropes” and stay on the path. among colonies of bryozoans and horn corals. While crinoids, bryozoans and brachiopods still exist, other Cross bedding, evidence of ancient dunes, near the Windows Look from the walls down to the floor, and enjoy the covering of Be Safe At night, the overhead lighting is turned off and the vault is fossilized animals, such as horn corals and trilobites, “mosaic tiles” in the form of biological soil crusts on the museum’s other locations in the Southwest and, on rare occasions, as far away opened. The prized jewels are displayed in the sky in the form of Each year, park rangers respond to dozens have been extinct for millions of years. foundation. These living crusts are composed of cyanobacteria, as Minnesota! One mystery is how dinosaurs survived in the hot, dry planets, stars and the Milky Way. It is a constant struggle to keep of search and rescue incidents or medical lichens, mosses, microfungi, bacteria and green algae. When they are climate now preserved in rock layers celebrated for their arches and these valuables in Arches’ gallery because they are so fragile. Each emergencies in the park. These frequently Fossils are not the only clues to the stories written in the rocks. young, crusts can be invisible to the naked eye, but after time and frost spires. Surveys of nearby lands have revealed fossilized oases that decision the park and the local community makes about outdoor involve heat exhaustion, dehydration, falls Patterns, such as ripple marks (evidence of running water), also heaving have been at work and new organisms join in, they appear dark may have provided refuge. Other fossils such as invertebrate burrows, lighting affects their future. It’s a big responsibility for each and while climbing or scrambling and improper reveal chapters of geologic history. The tall orange cliffs of Entrada and bumpy and have an antiqued appearance, reflective of their mature plant pollen and spores, and dinosaur tracks add to the story – and every one of us to ensure that these jewels remain for all to see. footwear. Follow these tips to keep yourself sandstone, the main arch-forming layer, display stacks of diagonal age, up to 600 years old. geologists continue to make new discoveries. safe while you’re here: lines called cross-bedding, tilting at different angles. These are the These are only a few of the awe-inspiring displays in Arches National • Always carry and drink water. Even the inner structure of 160-million-year-old sand dunes frozen in time. The “tiles” of this mosaic are attractive when viewed individually, but To see some local fossils and other geologic clues, visit the Arches Park. The park is a perfect gallery to house nature’s amazing works of shortest stroll will make you thirsty on Geologists can track changes in ancient wind direction by studying the real beauty lies in the “big picture” they create. Working together, Visitor Center geology display. Marine fossils can be seen near art. Long after your visit to the park, you can know that the treasures a 100°F (38°C) day. One gallon (4 liters) the angle and orientation of cross-bedding. See the Navajo sandstone these biological soil crusts stick to grains of sand and literally hold the the visitor center, and there are several places to see dinosaur you enjoyed are safeguarded - a lasting legacy for future generations. per person per day is recommended for at Petrified Dunes Viewpoint for a taste of the largest dune field in ground in place. They also absorb water and increase the nutrients that fossils in the area such as Poison Spider Trailhead and Mill Canyon. longer hikes. Water is available only at the history of North America. This sandy desert stretched from plants need to survive. Intact biological soil crusts provide a strong the visitor center and at Devils Garden. California to southern Arizona and Wyoming at its peak, about 190 Remember, it is illegal to collect fossils or make plaster casts of them; million years ago. leave them for future visitors and scientists to enjoy and study. This • Wear sturdy shoes with enough tread landscape has many stories to tell, from marine wonderland to dusty What’s in a Name? to give you good traction. Do not hike Landscape-scale sleuthing, beyond the boundaries of Arches desert. The next time you’re out on the trail, take your curiosity with in smooth-soled shoes or boots. Some BY KAREN HENKER National Park, allows geologists to chip away at geologic mysteries. you and discover a page or two for yourself. The Heart of the Desert Arches National Park contains the largest trails cover uneven terrain and follow concentration of natural stone arches in the rock ledges. This is possible because the same rock layers are also exposed at WATER. THE LACK OF IT DEFINES THE DESERT, AND YET, EVIDENCE OF its influence surrounds you. Water’s unequalled power to carve, world – more than 2,000 at last count. Yet what is an arch? Is it the same as a bridge? • Protect your skin with a hat, long-sleeved chisel, and crack solid rock is responsible for wondrous sandstone How about a window? If you’ve asked these shirt and sunscreen. There is little shade arches, towers and other fanciful shapes that ignite the imagination. questions, you’re in good company. in the desert. The sun is intense year- A Shining Example BY MATT SMITH Cracks filled with trapped rainwater sustain diverse plant life, like round and can easily burn your skin, the iconic gnarled juniper tree and razor-sharp yucca. Shallow pools To qualify as an official stone “arch,” a hole especially in the summer. “In any land what is more glorious than sunlight! Even here in called desert potholes teem with microscopic creatures and mean the must have an opening at least three feet the desert, where it falls fierce and hot as a rain of meteors, it is difference between life and death for a thirsty bighorn ewe. There is (1m) long in any one direction. There is no • Slickrock invites adventure. When you just enough water here for desert-adapted life forms to survive, but requirement for width, though; quite a lot of climb or scramble, be sure you can the one supreme beauty to which all things pay allegiance.” what about non-native species, such as park visitors? Is there enough the arches in the park are so skinny you have to retrace your steps, and remember that water to share? place your cheek up against the rock in order it is often easier to go up than down. Late 19th century author John C. Van Dyke to see any light through them. Sandstone is very slippery when wet or VISITORS TYPICALLY DESCRIBE THEIR DEVILS GARDEN CAMPGROUND covered in snow. Yes. Arches National Park provides water at the visitor center, experience as “amazing”, “tremendous” and “spectacular”. Fifty campground and Devils Garden trailhead for visitors to enjoy. Thirsty? Refill your water bottles at Devils Garden or the visitor center. A natural bridge is formed by running water and spans either a present or former waterway. • Sudden thunderstorms with deadly campsites are nestled among distinct sandstone formations and When you refill a water bottle at any faucet in the park, you’re Wisely choosing how your water is packaged also conserves limited Very few natural bridges exist at Arches, but lightning ­occur here. The distance of desert vegetation – trademarks of Arches National Park. Encounters getting a clean, local taste of the desert’s most precious resource, and resources. Manufacturing a 16 oz. plastic water bottle uses 4 times Natural Bridges National Monument just two lightning can be calculated by counting with wildlife, night skies flooded with stars, and quiet campfire conserving other limited resources – such as fossil fuels and clean that volume of water. In 2011, park visitors recycled an impressive hours south (112 miles) has three tremendous the time interval between a lightning gatherings are among the experiences that make the campground air – shared by every creature on Earth. 13,750lbs/6,237.8 kg of these single-use vessels, but how many more examples of this feature. All of them are visible flash and the subsequent thunderclap. such a special place. Not long ago, campers also experienced the went to the landfill? Just as dinosaur fossils give us a glimpse of from their paved scenic road or by hiking trail. Sound travels about a mile in five constant droning of diesel generators intruding on their tranquility. You might guess our “local” water source is the Colorado River, seconds, so if the interval is fifteen ancient life, the objects we carelessly throw away could become our but its rust-red eddies and frothy rapids are most enjoyed by rafters Is a window a special kind of arch? Not really. seconds (or three miles) or less, seek civilization’s fossil record. Choosing to drink from reusable water The generator noise impeded our mission to preserve “unimpaired and wildlife. Water for park visitors’ use comes from deeply-buried “Window” is just a descriptive term that is shelter immediately. One of the safer Solar panels in the Devils Garden Campground (photo by Andrew Kuhn) bottles, such as those sold in the Arches bookstore, reduces our the natural and cultural resources and values” of this special rock layers, where it travels through cracks and gaps in the porous often given to rock openings high on a rock places to be during a thunderstorm is in imprint today and far into the future. place. Equally disturbing was the engine exhaust (a byproduct of sandstone. Two wells reach far below ground (one over 1,160ft/353.6m wall or fin. Some arches are called windows if your vehicle with the windows closed. the generators only run if the PV system fails or on a rare cloudy the generators running 24 hours each day), as well as the price deep) to collect this ancient, naturally-filtered source, and they “frame” a particularly good view of the If you are unable to reach your vehicle, day in the desert. Noise has diminished, air quality improved Refilling a reusable bottle at a faucet in the park does more than tag of $20,000 a year in operating costs and many hours of staff underground pipes transport it to sinks, flushing toilets and drinking landscape beyond. go to a low-lying area. Stay away from and the money saved can fund other projects that improve visitor conserve fuel, water and landfill space. When you drink park water, maintenance. The park needed a better way to provide power to the open areas, high spots or tall objects experiences. faucets throughout the park. Two specially-labeled spigots in front of a drop of the desert becomes a part of you. It is a way to take Arches Arch, bridge, window, hoodoo, spire, tower... (like Delicate Arch) and solitary trees. campground, and after years of study and research we finally saw the visitor center provide purified water just for drinking. This water National Park home with you, along with memories of your visit, a these are all descriptive names given to If your skin tingles or your hair stands the light… of the sun! has been treated by a reverse osmosis system that removes particles Thanks to a productive partnership, wise management decisions little sand in your shoes and photographs of unique and dramatic sandstone features visible in the park and on end (signs that a charge is building and organic chemicals, making the water extra-soft and remarkably and implementation of new technologies, the constant whirring landscapes. Responsibly sharing water with the juniper, yucca, elsewhere in the southwest. Whatever you call up), crouch down and place both feet In 1995, the NPS (in partnership with the state of Utah) installed a good tasting. The treatment process uses energy and park resources, of diesel engines and their choking exhaust are no longer part of pothole creatures, bighorn sheep, and countless future visitors is part them, shapes in the rock possess great power together firmly on the ground. photovoltaic/diesel hybrid electrical system for the campground. so please conserve this treated water and do not bathe at these spigots. the Arches camping experience. So breathe deep, and enjoy the of the experience at Arches. So fill your cup, say a word of thanks and to capture the human imagination. What Photovoltaic technology – also called solar power – harvests clean And wherever you consume water in the park, please make sure to serenity. enjoy a refreshing gulp of the heart of the desert. names might your imagination suggest? energy from the sun and stores it in batteries. Currently, 95 percent turn faucets completely off when you are finished, so that none of this of the campground’s electrical needs are captured from the sun, and precious resource is wasted.

6 Arches Visitor Guide Arches Visitor Guide 7 Time flies! Use it well

HAVE A LIMITED TIME TO EXPLORE ARCHES? HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS • Take the moderately strenuous ranger-guided hike through the to help you make the most of your visit, even if it is brief. the Fiery Furnace. Make a reservation online at least four days in advance (see page 2). IF YOU LIKE TO HIKE • If you don’t mind driving the rough and often “washboard” road to the remote island of rock known as Klondike Bluffs, hike the Time allocations are based on an average hiking speed of two miles primitive trail to Tower Arch. per hour, and include time to drive to the trailheads. (Time spent marveling and contemplating the majestic wonders and sights varies If you have a whole day or more, combine the above hikes to fill the greatly and is not included here.) Add time to take in the scenery from time you have. roadside pullouts between destinations. IF YOU LIKE TO TOUR BY CAR

In 2 hours, you can do one of these 4 routes: 1 If you have 1 ⁄2 hours: • Hike the Windows loop trail and get an up-close view of the North • Drive to the Windows Section and see some of the park’s largest and South Windows and Turret Arch. Then take the short trail arches. (Add one-half hour to stroll beneath either North Window between parking areas and hike up to Double Arch. Drive back to or Double Arch.) Balanced Rock and take the loop trail around its base. Consider its • Drive to the Delicate Arch Viewpoint and see the world’s most precarious position as you walk beneath it. Friends of famous arch just a short distance away. Stop at Wolfe Ranch • Take the Delicate Arch Trail from Wolfe Ranch up the sloping Arches and on your way back and imagine what it would have been like to slickrock to stand under the best known arch in the world. (During homestead this relatively barren area in the late 1800s. Canyonlands Parks hot months, do this hike early or late in the day.) • Hike between the tall sandstone fins in Devils Garden to see The Friends of Arches and Canyonlands If you have 3 hours: Landscape Arch, perhaps the world’s longest. How long will this Parks provides direct support to Arches Do both drives listed above (or you can do one drive, spending ten thin span resist the forces of gravity? and Canyonlands National Parks and to minutes at each viewpoint along the way). • Walk to Sand Dune Arch, across the grassy field and onward to Natural Bridges and Hovenweep National Monuments in order to enhance existing Broken Arch. Continue around the loop, through the end of the 1 If you have 4 ⁄2 hours: projects in these spectacular areas to campground and return. Enjoy the vista toward the distant Book You can drive all of the paved park roads, spending ten minutes at conserve the land and its cultural treasures Cliffs, Tapestry Arch and the sandstone fins. each viewpoint, and take quick drives to the Windows Section, Wolfe for present and future generations to enjoy. Ranch and Delicate Arch Viewpoint. In half a day, take one of these three hikes: This mission honors the legendary work of • Hike the entire Devils Garden Trail, all the way out to the spire Can’t decide? Superintendent Bates Wilson. Bates came called Dark Angel. When you return, take the primitive trail. to Arches in 1949, inspiring and leading the Well, forget the schedule and stay another day! effort that resulted in Canyonlands National Park being established in 1964. He is regarded by many as the “Father of Canyonlands.”

Weather Information Bates Wilson firmly believed that: • The park visitor must have a great experience;

Temperature (degrees Fahrenheit) Precipitation (inches) • Exploratory and educational Average Average Max Max Days Days Average % of opportunities must abound; High Low High Low above below Annual • Preservation is our obligation to future 100 32 generations; January 44 22 63 -1 0 28 0.6 7 • Youth indeed are the future: Bates enhanced the lives of countless young February 52 28 73 9 0 22 0.7 8 people as they explored and learned to March 64 35 87 13 0 10 0.8 9 appreciate the parks with him.

April 71 42 93 25 0 3 0.8 9 How do I get to Go to www.bateswilson.org to learn more or Arches National Park? May 82 51 105 33 1 0 0.8 9 mail a check made out to Friends of Arches June 93 60 110 43 6 0 0.5 5 and Canyonlands Parks to: Arches National Park is located in southeast July 100 67 116 51 16 0 0.7 8 Friends of Arches and Canyonlands Parks Utah. August 97 66 109 44 12 0 0.8 9 PO Box 1680 • 5 miles north of Moab Moab, Utah 84532. • 110 miles southwest of Grand Junction, September 88 55 105 36 1 0 0.9 10 Colorado October 74 42 106 23 0 2 1.0 13 Thanks! • 236 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah November 56 30 79 12 0 18 0.6 7 • 360 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado • 350 miles north of Grand Canyon December 45 23 69 5 0 26 0.4 5 National Park’s South Rim

Commercial airlines serve Grand Junction, Moab and Salt Lake City. CANYONLANDS NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION (CNHA) Carry the park in your pocket! sells hundreds of items about Arches National Park and The Official App for Arches National Park Nationwide bus service is available to Green the rest of Utah’s canyon country. from CNHA River, Utah (50 miles from Moab) and Grand Junction. Visit their outlets in Arches Visitor Center and Moab Includes: Information Center (corner of Center & Main in Moab). • Favorite destinations For additional information on transportation • Things to see and do CNHA arrangements, contact: • Stunning photos 3015 S. Highway 191 • A park map • Ranger-led activities Grand County Travel Council Moab, Utah 84532 • Junior Ranger program P.O. Box 550 (800)840-8978 (toll free) • How to maximize your visit Moab, UT 84532 (435)259-6003 • Photography tips & more! (800) 635-MOAB www.cnha.org www.discovermoab.com Download the Essential App for FREE!

facebook.com/moabcnha twitter.com/CNHA1 Your purchase supports Arches National Park. 8 Arches Visitor Guide