|

We started our hike by visiting Sand Dune
Arch first. The trail leads you to a hidden Sand Dune that has
collected between two towering sandstone walls. As you fork to the
right it will seem as though the trail has ended, but if you look ahead
you will see a narrow passage that you must hike through to get to the
Arch. Once through the narrow passage it opens up to a large dune.
We continued our way up the Dune and around a corner, and there sat Sand
Dune Arch hidden away between the towering sand stone walls. Sand Dune Arch is certainly
not the most magnificent of the arches to see, but I will rank it as one
of the most enjoyable. While playing in the sand around the
Arch we ran into another family who told us to take off our shoes and
enjoy the nice cold sand, wow did that feel good on the feet after a
long day of hiking in the park. After enjoying this natural wonder
for awhile we decided to move on to Broken Arch.

The trail to Broken Arch makes its way
through a flat Sagebrush and Juniper valley. As you get closer to
the Arch the trail drops down into a small wash, and make its way to the
base of the Arch. This Arch obviously got its name from the crack
right down the center, and it is slowly eroding away from the crack on
the top side. With a little rock jumping you can sit right under
the massive Arch. We found this a great place to relax, and watch
the sun fade into the west. So as we watched the sun set,
the kids scampered and climbed on the relatively flat rocks. It
was a great place to end another fun family outing, and we hiked out
feeling completely relaxed and peaceful.

Click
here for online campground reservations for the Devils Garden campground
in Arches National Park.

|