Geologic Gems of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Utah

The Trip

Arches National Park has been described as “the real Jurassic Park, a 300 million-year-old story written in stone of a time when coastal dunes and a primeval inland sea deposited sediments that have since been uplifted, carved, eroded and scoured by the forces of nature" (National Geographic's Secrets of National Parks). While the main park road takes visitors past famous sites like Balanced Rock, the Windows, and Landscape Arch, the park has many hidden corners far from the crowds. Trails such as Park Avenue, the South Window Arch, and Delicate Arch Viewpoint are recommended by Secrets of the National Parks as less crowded options for visiting some of the parks most outstanding features.

Canyonlands National Park is “the Great American Outback, a vast park containing the rawest, most rugged land in the Lower 48, an untrammeled wilderness that looks no different than when Maj. John Wesley Powell first traveled through it on his Colorado River exploration in 1869." The park was naturally carved into three different districts by the Green and Colorado Rivers, each of which contains distinct features. The Island in the Sky district is a high desert mesa that towers 2,200 feet above the Green River and contains popular sights such as Mesa Arch, Grand View Point, and Green River Overlook. Trails in this district that lead away from the crowded, car accessible spots include White Rim Overlook, Murphy Point, and Syncline Loop. The Needles district was named after “the red and buttery-white striped towers of Cedar Mesa” and offers more trails than the other two districts. Trails such as those going to Cave Spring, Peekaboo Spring, Druid Arch, and Salt Creek wind through this interesting area. The Maze area is the most remote of the three districts and will not be included in this trip's itinerary as it requires many hours of travel in four-wheel drive vehicles on very rough roads to unmarked, very strenuous trails.

Moab, Utah is a “quaint town with a touch of big city atmosphere” with shops, galleries, museums and world-class restaurants (The Complete Guide to the Parks: Utah’s National Parks and Public Lands). The La Sal Mountain Loop Drive, a 60-mile auto tour that travels through the beautiful red rock terrain of the area, is considered “an absolute must."

Day 1: This Sierra Club outing will officially begin with check in at our Moab-based lodge, followed by an orientation meeting and dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 2: After breakfast, we will set out to explore some of nearby Arches National Park. Possible trails could include: Double Arch Trail (0.5 mile round-trip, rated easy), Park Avenue Trail (2.0 miles round-trip, 320 feet elevation, rated moderate), Window Trail (1.0 mile round-trip, rated easy, has gentle climb) and/or Devil’s Garden Trail (1.6 to 7.2 miles depending on group, rated easy to strenuous with 300 feet elevation gain). We will also visit the park visitor’s center. Dinner will be in a restaurant in Moab.

Day 3: Today we may be able to take a guided hike with a park ranger to the Fiery Furnace, a twisting maze of fin formations and canyons. Alternatively, we could hike the Delicate Arch Trail (3.0 miles round-trip, 480 feet elevation, rated strenuous) or the Tower Arch Trail (3.4 miles round-trip, 100 feet elevation, rated strenuous). Participants who may not want to take either the Fiery Furnace hike or either of these two more strenuous trails may opt to visit sights in Moab (for example, the 60-mile auto tour on La Sal Mountain Loop Drive, the Museum of Moab, and the Film Museum at Red Cliffs ranch). Dinner in Moab.

Day 4: We will now move on to Canyonlands National Park. We will start by visiting the Island in the Sky district, which has a visitor’s center. Trails here could include: Mesa Arch Trail (0.5 mile round-trip, 100 feet elevation gain, rated easy), White Rim Overlook (2 miles round-trip, gentle elevation gain, rated easy), Neck Springs Trail (5.8 miles round-trip, 300 feet elevation gain, rated moderate). Dinner in Moab.

Day 5: We will continue our visit to Canyonlands by visiting the Needles district, with its own visitor’s center and hiking trails in that district: Cave Spring Trail (0.6 mile round-trip, fairly level, rated easy), Slickrock Foot Trail (2.4 miles round-trip, level, rated moderate) and/or the Chelser Park Trail (5.8 miles round-trip, 400 feet elevation gain, rated moderate). Dinner in Moab.

Days 6-7: The last two days together we will conclude our outing by hiking any trails we may have missed in either Arches or Canyonlands National Parks, or by visiting some of the other sights such as Monument Valley or Edge of the Cedars State Park. Final Dinner in Moab.

Day 8: This Sierra Club outing will end right after breakfast. Participants flying from Moab airport will be transported there.

Getting There

The nearest airport is in Moab, UT. Participants flying to this airport will be picked up by the trip leaders.

Alternate airports include: Grand Junction, CO (120 miles away); Salt Lake City (230 miles away).

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Accommodations will be in a Moab-based lodge. Most meals will be eaten in restaurants. Lunches will be brown bag affairs.

Trip Difficulty

The trails chosen for possible inclusion in the trip itinerary range from easy to strenuous according to the established trail rating system. The rating of trails generally depends on the length and elevation gain, as well as the presence of obstacles, such as boulders or creeks that must be traversed. The needs of the group will dictate exactly which trails are hiked on this outing. However, bear in mind that even trails rated easy and moderate can be challenging for those who are not in shape for trail hiking. Easy to moderate trails will likely be uneven, sometimes rocky and may have up to 600 feet of elevation gain. Strenuous trails will be more than 5 miles in length and may have up to 1,000 feet of elevation gain. Participants on this trip can expect to be hiking between 4 to 6 hours per day, mostly in the sun. Carrying enough water and wearing adequate sun protection are crucial.

We recommend that prospective participants honestly assess their fitness level for this day-hiking trip before signing up and that they engage in a fitness program several months prior to the trip. While working out at a gym can help, by far the best physical preparation for a hiking trip is actually getting out and hiking on natural trails well in advance of the trip.

Equipment and Clothing

A detailed equipment and clothing list will be sent to all signed up participants well in advance of the trip.

References

• Guide to National Parks of the United States. National Geographic Society. Washington D.C.
• Secrets of the National Parks. National Geographic Society. Washington D.C.

Conservation

The Sierra Club motto is “Explore, enjoy, and protect the planet." The mission of Sierra Club outings is to enable Sierra Club members to “explore and enjoy” some of the most beautiful places on Earth while also learning about what is being done to protect the places visited. Usually Sierra Club outings include guest speakers or other programs aimed at educating the trip participants about conservation efforts in the region.

The conservation message of this outing will focus on the role of National Parks in preserving America’s most outstanding landscapes and valuable ecosystems. 2016 was the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service and we will continue to celebrate this milestone while also noting the anniversaries of individual parks, some of which predate the establishment of the Park Service. Arches National Park was first designated a National Monument in 1929 by President Herbert Hoover and became a National Park on Nov. 12, 1971 under President Richard Nixon. President Lyndon Johnson signed the law designating Canyonlands National Park on Sept. 12, 1964. All National Parks that contain mineral or fossil fuel resources can legally be mined or drilled under leases to industry by the federal government. Generally, most presidents have avoided engaging in industrial exploitation of national parks; however, under the current Administration that precedent appears to be in jeopardy. It is the hope of the Sierra Club that outings to these parks will encourage participants to want to help protect them from industrialization.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.