We traveled to Moab, Utah and spent 15 days hiking in the area.   Three of those days were spent in Arches National Park, completing most of the official hiking trails.   From a hiker’s perspective, Arches offers some unique hiking and has much to offer:

• easy road access (10 minutes from Moab)
• a well-organized trail system
• lots to see (2000 arches inside the park)
• some unique trails (Devils Garden and Fiery Furnace)
• opportunities for exploration along slickrock, across sand dunes, and through fins and slots

On the negative side:

• lots of people everywhere (better off-season or early in the morning)
• too many people sitting in the arches without consideration of others (photography and peace and quiet)
• most hikes are short

With all the wonderful hiking in Canyonlands and in every direction, Arches is the tame area for non-hikers or occasional-hikers tourists, but it is still worth some time, expecially if you do some of the better trails, getting an early start.   There are many short and easy hikes and viewpoints, but the highlights for us were some good hikes, to be featured in articles to follow.

• The Devil’s Garden (wow)
• Fiery Furnace (unique)
• Slickrock scrambling off the Delicate Arch Trail (very nice)

If you are a hiker, spending about three days in Arches is recommended.   The hiking in Canyonlands is better, but with 4 Canyonland Districts, Arches, and Moab-area hikes, there are many weeks of hiking.