Before arriving in Moab we didn’t realize Arches would have limited access. We thought our plan would be to get into Arches in the cool of the evening which would give us time to visit Canyonlands National Park and Arches for our 1.5 day stay here. Without changing our plans we would have missed Canyonlands. So we were all very happy for this added time to put Canyonlands back on our agenda. We wanted to beat the heat again so it was another very early start.
Canyonlands is broken up into multiple sections. We opted to go to the closer one, Island in the Sky, about a 30 minute drive from our campsite (the Needles section would have been 1.5 hours away). As usual, our first stop was the Visitors Center.
We talked with a Park Ranger who recommended the right trails for our family and the girls got their junior ranger books. Next stop was the Mesa Arch trail head. In the very beginning of our hike to the arch we spotted a beautiful butterfly and stopped to admire it. Lily always is hoping a butterfly will land on her and this one made her wish come true. It landed on her ankle and stayed there for a few minutes. She was so excited!
We continued along the windy trail and made our way to the curve that would put Mesa Arch in our sight. The view of the deep canyon through the arch reminded us of North Window from arches. We found a comfy spot under the arch to sit for a bit and enjoy the view. The girls used this time to work on their jr. ranger books a bit too. Through the arch was an incredible view of the Canyon below it.
There was a slick rock hill just in front of the arch and off to the left side. We climbed up there to see the top of Mesa Arch and the sprawling canyon view. We loved being able to experience this dual perspective.
We were all amazed at the people sitting and standing on top of the arch to take pictures. It was about a 2 foot ledge but we weren’t taking any chances with that kind of drop. While we were looking out a man and his selfie stick climbed up. He went right over to the middle of the top of the arch and proceeded to lay down on his back with his head over the canyon’s edge and his legs straight out in front of him. He held his selfie stick over his head and was bending his body so he was arching back, head first into the canyon. He must have really wanted that picture.
We climbed back down for one more glimpse from under the arch and made our way back to the car. Our next destination would be Whale Rock. As we approached it was obvious where we were to go. Very aptly named, the slick rock formed what looked like an enormous whale. It even appeared to have an eye and a blow hole.
The Park Ranger told us this was usually a favorite of the kids but Lily was not feeling it. I think a combination of hunger, heat and exhaust had her in a mood. She was not wanting to do this trail but we bribed her with a promise of gummies and she begrudgingly came along. We really had to work to climb the slick rock path. There were lots of little hills to climb. The trail was marked with cairn's which are stacks of stones made by the rangers since there are no real pathways to follow. We got to the top of the whale’s tail and Lily really did not want to go anymore. We had a beautiful 360 degree view standing there and we paused to soak it all in. Ella really wanted to go all the way to the top and climb onto the highest point, the hill on top that looked like the blow hole. Right there, in the middle of the desert and high atop the ground on the sloped slick rock we had a stand off. Ella very upset because she wanted to go to the top and Lily very upset because she wanted to go back.
With the height, heat and Lily’s mood, Adam and I thought we had gone high enough. Ella did not like this very much and was extremely upset, continuously repeating she wanted to go to the top. Ella finally realized going to the very top was not going to happen so she stood up from her seated protest. Since she was not happy about coming down she took the tiniest steps possible The. Whole. Way. Down. but we made it back to the car safely.
It felt good to sit in the truck with the ac running while we drove over to the Upheaval Dome trail head. Unlike Whale Rock this trail had more of a visible path. The rocks formed steps up to the top of Upheaval Dome. It was an absolutely spectacular view at the top of a huge crater below. It was interesting to read the information about what made this enormous, deep hole in the rocks. The theory that is believed to be most plausible is a meteorite hit and caused it. I was also fascinated by the blue color that ran through the middle of the crater. (I later asked the Park Ranger where that color came from and was told it was a chemical reaction mixed with the minerals in the rock.)
When we got back to the trail head we sat at a covered picnic table and had a snack. As we made our way back to the Visitors Center Adam and I got out at a lookout point while the girls stayed in the car to rest and do their last bit of their junior ranger books.
The girls shared their work with a Park Ranger and were sworn in as junior rangers.
The very different experience each trail provided made this one of my favorite parks. At this point it was an odd time to eat but we were all starving. We decided to go into the center of Moab to eat a late lunch/early dinner. From the many places to choose we settled on Zax's for their pizza and salad buffet. We sat under their covered patio and got what the hostess told us was the best seat in the house. I think we all agreed with her. They had a huge sculpture of an arch with a real fire burning along it and we were right next to it. The shade and the misters kept us cool while we enjoyed our meal.
With 3 good hikes and full bellies we were ready to head back to the campsite. We spent the rest of the evening swimming.
