MARCH 2019 globaltravelerusa.com 77
INFO TO GO
The closest major airport to Arches National
Park is Salt Lake City International Airport.
From there it’s about a four-hour drive to
the town of Moab and Arches National
Park. Two closer local options are Grand
Junction Regional Airport, located in Grand
Junction, Colorado, approximately 1.5 hours
via Interstate 70; and Canyonlands Field
Airport, about 18 miles from Moab. These
regional airports have limited services, with
some connections to Salt Lake City. Rental
cars are available from all three options, and
the drive passes through stunning scenery.
If you’ve contracted with a local outfitter,
inquire about pick-up and drop-off choices.Garden and the Petrified Dunes, Utah Luxury Tours
can build an itinerary that eliminates the navigational
and parking worries and allows visitors to concentrate
on the sites themselves.
Whether you choose a guide or decide to go it alone,
Murphy recommends including locations typically over-
looked or missed entirely, such as the hike up and down
the Grandstaff Trail. The route ranges in difficulty from
easy to moderate, meandering over a small stream in
several different spots. At the end of the canyon, hikers
will find the Morning Glory Natural Bridge, the sixth-
longest natural rock span in the United States.
He also suggests driving up to the La Sal Mountains,
following the 28-mile La Sal Mountain Loop Road for
a different perspective of the high-altitude desert, or the
oft-overlooked Park Avenue hike, offering a mile-long
walk through high desert country.
While Delicate Arch consistently rates as a must-see
for first-time park visitors, Landscape Arch is frequently
skipped because parking at nearby Devils Garden can
be tough to find. But it’s worth the effort; though the
path beneath it is closed due to frequent rock falls, this
span is regarded as one of the longest natural arches on
the planet.
Wondering when to go? Murphy suggests April and
May are ideal; depending upon the amount of snow
delivered that winter and how much moisture is in the
ground, the desert can burst into spectacular blooms.
He also recommends October, when the crowds have
largely dispersed and mild temperatures make hiking
and exploring particularly enjoyable. If a visit is on your
own bucket list, don’t delay. In 2008 the famous Wall
Arch succumbed to the relentless forces of gravity along
Devils Garden Trail, and there’s no predicting when
other astonishing and dramatic sites may also be forever
altered.