This was our last day at Arches National Park. We had an entry pass for an11 a.m. entry, so we had a shorter schedule for today. The first thing on the schedule was a 30 minute wait in line to gain entry into the park.
Park Place was the only hike for the day. We had a great hike down the hill to Courthouse Towers. The big difference today was the temperature. It was hotter today and we had a later start.
From the look of the towering boulders and the straight edges, the trail name seems to be a reference to Park Avenue in New York City. We took this photo to show some of the towering “buildings”.
Here is another view of the boulders of the hills rising straight up from the ground.
The heat of the day and the climb over rocky terrain was more tiring than we expected. You can see Steve in the previous picture checking the trail map for our location on the hike,
At the turn around point on the hike we changed our plans. After a short rest, Marlene stayed at the overlook to cool off while Steve walked back to the car and drove to the overlook. When we were together again, we enjoyed the view of Court House towers
We also got to see the world’s largest rock organ. It was amazing even though there was no music.
There are many unusual formations that have no names but are a joy to contemplate.
Others are named. This tower is referred to as either the Three Gossips or the Three Sisters. The names do not matter. They are still works of art to admire and enjoy.
After Courthouse Overlook, our plan for the rest of the day was driving through the park to the various overlooks that we had not seen yet.
We stopped at Petrified Dunes, Salt Valley, Fiery Furnace and Panorama Point. Each overlook presented a new view of the complexities of a park that only covers a small part of a large planet. This photo from Panorama Point combines many of the elements of the various overlooks
The last place we visited in Arches was a part that most visitors do not see. The Salt Valley Road is a maintained dirt road that is the “back entrance” into Arches National Park. As amazing as the spectacular arches and rock formations of the main part of the park are, there is another level of amazing and spectacular to seeing the park the way it was seen long ago without the crowds and modern amenities
From the Salt Valley Road we could still see the arches like the Skyline Arch in the distance.
This photo shows the Devil’s Garden at a distance, across an expansive plain.
You can even see the Klondike Bluffs, a remote part of the park only accessed by the Salt Valley Road.
Spending an hour or so on a dirt road where you have to slow down can connect you to the past in a unique way. To catch a glimpse of the past provides a unique incite into the lives of those who came before us.
Consider for a moment riding on horseback or walking on foot on a plain that stretches from Skyline Arch on one side and Klondike Bluffs on the other.
Both are as impressive as they are today, but either is a very long ride or walk across a vast plain. Such a different view of the same things that we see today.
It was a windy day, so we got a tumbleweed blowing down the dirt road to connect us to the past in yet another way.
After about an hour of driving, we reached the back entrance (or exit in our case) to Arches National Park. There were no lines of cars, no buildings, and no other people visible. Just the end of one trip to Arches,
And the beginning of another trip that begins with 20 more miles of dirt road back to today and the rest of our journey to more national parks.
Along the way we got to see more beauty in a panoramic view of layers of rock that appeared to form walls on the horizon.
The vast array of rock formations defy description or explanation. In some places the rocks are carved into magnificent views.
In other places, not far away, the rock seems cut but still impenetrable.
The changing sizes, shapes and colors makes each bend in the road a new adventure.
There is no visible end to the variety in the landscape.
Or to the dirt road.
Finally we crossed a dry steam bed with signs of other people.
It was a strange mix of emotions. Leaving the solitude of the last thirty or forty miles as we returned to interstate highways and motels and more parks was an interesting transition of time and place.