Arches National Park Entrance - 4,085'

Welcome to Arches National Park!! I can't believe we're actually here!

Moab Canyon - 4,280'

US-191 as it snakes its way south out of Moab Canyon...

Moab Canyon - 4,400'

The park road scales the canyon wall to the plateau above. The buildings below are the park headquarters and visitors center...

Arches Park Road - 4,550'

We were immdiately taken by the abundance of red rock in this area...

Arches Park Road - 4,550'

Interesting cliff formations along the park road not far from the visitors center...

Park Avenue Trailhead - 4,540'

A towering cliff near the Park Avenue Trailhead...

Park Avenue & The Courthouse Towers - 4,520'

The stunning view from Park Avenue viewpoint. The cliffs to the right are known as the Courthouse Towers...

LaSal Mountains Viewpoint - 4,720'

The LaSal Mountains rise to the south to elevations exceeding 12,000'...

Sheep Rock - 4,300'

Sheep Rock (~4,800'), to the right, is separated by a obvious gap from the cliffs to the left. At one time they were connected by a natural archway which has long since fallen...

Petrified Dunes - 4,440'

Heading north we next passed the Petrified Dunes area...

Windows from Petrified Dunes - 4,400'

Looking across the Petrified Dunes to the Windows area, our next destination...

Balanced Rock - 5,015'

Looking at Balanced Rock from the side...

Balanced Rock - 5,015'

Coming up on the Balanced Rock area...

Balanced Rock Loop - 5,015'

A small, twisted Juniper sweltering in the sun beneath Balanced Rock...

Balanced Rock Loop - 5,015'

We're not in Michigan anymore! The desert landscape from the trail around Balanced Rock...

Balanced Rock Loop - 5,015'

Balanced Rock, from the loop trail...

Ham Rock (?) - 5,015'

I believe this is Ham Rock, but I could be wrong...

Balanced Rock Loop - 5,015'

I can't really say I felt comfortable standing under Balanced Rock at this point...

Balanced Rock Picnic Area - 5,030'

We were going to enjoy a nice outdoor picnic but the 101-degree sun chased us back to our air conditioned car...

Ham Rock - 5,030'

Again, this is Ham Rock...the other side that is...

Windows Road - 5,125'

I don't know the name of this interesting rock. Its between Balanced Rock and the Windows...

The Salt Valley - 5,125'

The road climbed a bit on the way to the Windows giving a nice view north of the Salt Valley...

The Windows - 5,240'

Coming up on the Windows...

The Windows - 5,240'

The effects of erosion are obvious here...

The Windows - 5,240'

A number of large arches are located here, in the Windows area. A one mile loop winds through the area but the heat kept us in the car...

The Windows - Turret Arch - 5,240'

Turret Arch - 64 feet high and 39 feet across - Quite impressive even from a distance...

The Windows - 5,240'

You can make out a number of arches if you look close here...

The Windows - 5,240'

Another look at the Windows formation from the north as we continued on...

Windows Area Road - 5,240'

We could see storm clouds building over the mountains but the skies remained clear in the park...

The Salt Valley - 4,800'

Looking across the forbidding Salt Valley, the formation to the far side is the Fiery Furnace area which we'd get to in a while...

The Salt Valley - 4,700'

The park road as it drops into the Salt Valley...

The Salt Valley - 4,550'

Even though it was so barren the desert was full of colors...

The Salt Valley - 4,480'

Next we headed up the Salt Valley to Wolfe Ranch and Delicate Arch...

***Geology Lesson***

The Salt Valley has formed as a result of Sandstone that has formed over brittle salt deposits. As the salt is displaced the sandstone has collapsed into the void left by the salt, forming the valley. Here you can see obvious evidence of one of these collapses...

Delicate Arch Trailhead - 4,350'

The view of Delicate Arch from the Trailhead was quite distant so we decided to hoof it to the upper viewpoint...

Delicate Arch Trail - 4,350'

I believe this pretty flower is a Yellow Beeplant...

Delicate Arch Trail - 4,360'

Heading up the trail to the Delicate Arch viewpoint...

Delicate Arch Trail - 4,400'

Taking a breather in the 103-degree heat...

Delicate Arch Trail - 4,500'

As we climbed the views back across the valley were breathtaking...

Delicate Arch Trail - 4,560'

Angie and I were divided as to how much better this view was. Either way, this is as close as you can get without making the 3 mile hike to the base of the arch...

Delicate Arch Trail - 4,560'

A panoramic shot of the broken terrain that is so common in this section of the park...

Delicate Arch Trail - 4,560'

Delicate Arch measures 33' wide by 45' tall and is perhaps the parks most photographed feature...

Delicate Arch Trail - 4,560'

Baking in the desert...

Delicate Arch Trail

A panoramic shot up the Salt Valley from the slickrock near Delicate Arch viewpoint...

Wolfe Ranch - 4,300'

Home to John Wesley Wolfe and his family from 1898 to 1910, the ranch is the only permanent structure ever built by a white man in Arches National Park...

Wolfe Ranch - 4,300'

The reconstructed corral at Wolfe Ranch...

Wolfe Ranch - 4,300'

What a life this must have been, amazing they could have survived here for 12 years...

Wolfe Ranch - 4,300'

The old storehouse out behind the main cabin...