Day-14
We started the day hiking the Delicate Arch Trail in Arches National Park, UT. This is a difficult hike due to the steep elevation change and the high desert heat. Before we started the trail a ranger made sure that everyone going up had water. Evidently rangers had to rescue three hikers from this trail the day before due to heat exhaustion. We took it slow and took water breaks. Much of the hike is on large rock formations which the kids loved to climb over. Delicate Arch at the end of the hike was well worth the effort! Caden did some extra rock climbing and even explored the bowl formation at the bottom of the arch. Once we finished at Arches we visited the Moab Museum which included dinosaur fossils, rocks, and many other local history items. Alston loved all the dinosaur exhibits, Emma loved the Native American exhibits, and Caden focused on completing the entire museum scavenger hunt. In the late afternoon we headed to Canyonlands National Park, UT. We did not complete any hikes in the park but did drive the park and stop at the overlooks. The late afternoon sun cast a beautiful light onto the canyons so the overlooks did not disappoint. The park has many off-road 4WD trails and Doug had a hard time keeping our vehicle on the paved roads because the trails were so tempting! We finished the day with dinner in downtown Moab and a visit to the Moab Rock Shop.
Hiking- 3+ miles
Overnight- Moab, UT
Favorites- Delicate Arch, Arches National Park, UT; Moab Rock Shop