Over 2,000 natural sandstone arches fill Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. Active baby boomers will discover them while hiking, biking or car touring in this easy-to-explore national park. And boomer photographers will click that shutter repeatedly to capture the beauty of the arches and surrounding landscape.
To photograph the most famous arch in the park as sunset lights up the stone formation, boomers will want to allow plenty of time to get there. The 3-mile-round-trip journey to Delicate Arch only climbs 480 feet on sloping slick-rock. If you’re afraid of heights, be aware that there’s one section that travels along a rocky ledge for about 200 yards, however the trail is fairly wide.
Photographers who stay for the very last hues of sunset, that’s when the best shots occur, must make the hike back to the car in the dark. Be sure to bring a flashlight.
A 10 to 20-minute walk on a well-defined trail leads to the back side of Skyline Arch. We visited in early October when a few yellow wildflowers added interest to the high desert scene.
The front side of Skyline Arch is approached from the Devil’s Garden Campground. If you arrive early enough in the morning, the smell of bacon frying will be a tempting distraction.
No, this isn’t a touched up photo. You’ll capture the orange glow of sunrise by arriving before the sun at Turret Arch in the Windows section of Arches National Park.
At North Window, the sun casts its glow on rock formations. You’ll be joined by other photographers intent on catching the same scene. The only sound will be the click, click, click of camera shutters. When you’re finished photographing, active baby boomers will want to take the one-mile loop that winds between North Window, Turret Arch and South Window.
From the Devil’s Garden trailhead, it’s a 2-mile round trip walk on a paved trail to Landscape Arch. At 306 ft., it’s the park’s longest arch and the second longest sandstone arch in the world. Hardy hikers will want to continue on the 7-mile primitive loop trail to see Private Arch, Partition Arch, Navajo Arch, Wall Arch and Double O Arch.
Alan and I visited Arches National Park for the first time while participating in a photo tour. One of the benefits of taking a photo workshop is learning where to be and when to arrive to capture the best shot.
At Arches, it’s just like peeking through nature’s window. No wonder it’s one of the best parks in Utah.
Have we convinced you to visit Arches National Park? Moab, Utah, is the closest town. Start your hotel search with us.
Of course Arches National Park is more than just stone formations that bridge from one cliff to the next. Rangers lead hikes through Firey Furnace, a maze of sandstone columns. And for the more adventurous, 4-wheel-drive roads traverse the less developed areas of the park.
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