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Tuesday, January 24, 2023

Tower Arch

Tower Arch

Tower Arch, Arches National Park, Moab, 2023

Tower Arch is in the Klondike Bluffs section of Arches National Park.  Take the first left turn after passing the parking area for Sand Dune Arch.  This is the Salt Valley Road and is not marked with a sign, so use your park map to make sure you don't miss it.  It is a dirt road, but your car will make it fine without four wheel drive.  Park in the parking area for Tower Arch (there are signs).  The beginning of the hike is a little bit scary for heights, but I am very afraid of heights and I made it both up and down just fine.  The trail is very sandy, so be prepared to finish with your shoes all full of sand!  It's called Tower Arch because of the tower behind the arch that looks like it's on top of the arch.  One of the highlights of the hike is seeing the Marching Men along the trail.  The hike is about 3 miles round trip.  There is another arch next door to Tower Arch -- Parallel Arch.  You can view it from the trail before you reach Tower Arch, and you can climb underneath both of these arches.

Marching Men along the trail to Tower Arch, my sons Cameron and Micah in 1999

me under Tower Arch, 1999

These photos were taken on our most recent trip to Tower Arch, in November of 2023:
The sign at the beginning of the hike


our family at the beginning of the Tower Arch hike, in the parking area
Hiking the Tower Arch trail, 2023




The trail is very easy to follow, with plenty of cairns along the way.  There is some climbing involved, though.  And definitely some spots where heights might make you nervous.  But I am afraid of heights, and I handled it OK each time we've hiked it.









small arch viewed along the trail- I haven't been able to discover the name of it


 

The Marching Men

this sandy hill will fill your shoes with sand, especially on the way down!

this is the view that greets you from the trail as Tower Arch comes into view -- this is right after you've spotted Parallel Arch on the right (not in this photo)



2023, under Tower Arch

2023, me and two of my daughters-in-laws, Ellie and Maddi, under Tower Arch

My son James joined us under Tower Arch

And my son Teancum joined us under Tower Arch

Now it's a party under Tower Arch!

The trail to Tower Arch, which also passes by Parallel Arch - this was my round trip distance












cairns big and small mark the entire path

This little spot to climb is right beside Tower Arch and Parallel Arch


Tower Arch, 2023 - my daughter Lizzie out in front of it


a view up at the tower from inside Tower Arch

The view from inside Tower Arch


Inside Tower Arch, this is off to the left

inside looking out

outside looking in





this is under the arch - there is a little bit of rock scrambling to get underneath the arch










Jamey and Ellie being silly in the sand near the arch


The Marching Men, 2023, vantage point on the hike back from Tower Arch

2023, the Marching Men


view down to the parking lot 


climbing back down at the end of the hike, view of the parking lot

the google maps location of Tower Arch is here:  Tower Arch

Some of my favorite arches to visit in Moab outside of Arches National Park:

Balcony Arch

Bowtie Arch

Jeep Arch (my very favorite)

Arches Inside Arches National Park


Where to stay in Moab

Moab is a tourist town, so it is full of hotels!  We almost always stay at the Aarchway Inn because it is affordable and clean, has a great breakfast, is relatively close to everything we want to do, and it has some rooms with 3 queen beds to accommodate bigger families.  Their website is here:  Aarchway Inn  There are also a lot of Airbnb's and campgrounds in the Moab area. I recommend visiting Moab during the off-season (October through March) because there are fewer crowds and the weather is cooler.  But keep in mind that some of the restaurants don't stay open year-round.  In fact, we went to Moab for Thanksgiving in 2022 and almost no restaurants were open on Thanksgiving day.  Normally there are a lot of great restaurants to choose from.  Some of my favorites include the Sunset Grill, Pasta Jay's, and the Moab Brewery.  Actually, I don't think I've eaten anywhere in Moab that I didn't like.

What to do in Moab

Obviously, with approximately 4,000 arches in the area, the first activity I would recommend in Moab is arch hunting!  We lived in Moab for 2 1/2 years and went hiking at least 3 times a week, and still didn't see everything there is to see there!  And we've been back to visit countless times.  I plan to retire there someday so I can go arch hunting every day.  The most obvious suggestions would be to visit the 2 national parks in/near Moab:  

Arches National Park

Arches National Park houses over 2,000 arches, although only a few dozen of them are marked so that tourists can find them.  It is by far the most amazing national park I have ever visited (and I live a few hours from Yellowstone).  It is very tourist friendly, although sometimes short on parking at the more popular sites.  If you only have time for one hike while you're in Arches National Park, I very highly recommend visiting the most famous arch in the world, Delicate Arch.  It is a 3 mile round-trip hike.  Arches National Park's official website is here:  Arches National Park and if you'd like to make a reservation for the Fiery Furnace, that official site is here:  Fiery Furnace Reservation  You can't hike the fiery furnace without a guide unless you've already hiked it before and are comfortable enough not to get lost.  Tickets for a Fiery Furnace reservation only open up 4 days before the current date.  In other words, you won't know until a few days before your anticipated hiking date whether you can get in or not.  Don't worry, though, if you don't get into the Fiery Furnace on your visit, there is still lots and lots of things to do in Arches National Park!  Some arches are right next to the road and you can just pull over and walk to them.  Some arches require strenuous hikes to reach them.  And some hikes offer several arches depending on how far you want to hike.  I'd personally recommend the Devil's Garden primitive loop if you really love to hike.  And take a little detour to visit Black Arch during your hike.  If you have a four-wheel drive car, you can visit Eye of the Whale Arch and you could drive the Klondike Bluffs Trail to enter the park from Highway 191 much earlier than the regular Arches National Park entrance.  

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands actually has 3 different sections, and the one closest to Moab is Island in the Sky.  If you are feeling especially adventurous, you could drive the Shafer Trail from the Potash Road all the way up to the top of Island in the Sky.  We have done it twice, once in a mini-van and once in a 15 passenger van, and both times we swore we'd never do it again.  But it definitely is an amazing experience!  I don't recommend driving it in a large vehicle like we did, because sometimes the road is only wide enough for one car, and there are people driving down from the top as well.  But if you want the thrill of driving on a cliff edge from ground level all the way up to the top of Canyonlands, this is the way to go!  Don't miss Musselman Arch on your way up!  Once you're in Canyonlands you can do a short hike to Mesa Arch, and view the Washerwoman Arch from there.  Here is the official website of the park:  Canyonlands National Park  

Dead Horse Point

When you drive to visit Canyonlands National Park, do not miss Dead Horse Point!  It is a state park, not a national park, but it is well worth the extra money to take in this great view!  Here is the official website of this state park:  Dead Horse Point  The google maps location of Dead Horse Point is here:  Dead Horse Point

Off-Roading

There is a lot more to see in the Moab area if you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle.  Behind-the-Rocks has some amazing arches, but requires a four-wheel-drive vehicle.  There are many other jeep trails in Moab.  Jeeps drive the Moab Rim, although you can hike it as well.  You can rent a jeep in Moab rather than bringing your own four-wheel-drive vehicle.

River Rafting

We have also been rafting a few times on the Colorado River, which was a lot of fun!  There are a variety of companies in Moab that offer river raft trips.  The company that we rafted with offered lunch halfway through the trip.  We also got out of the raft and floated for a while.

Canyonlands by Night

This is somewhat expensive, and fills up early, so keep that in mind!  It is amazing, though.  I have experienced it twice.  Dinner is served before the boat leaves, and as you float up the Colorado River in the dark, lights are shined on the cliffs on either side of the river while a story is told.  Their official website is here:  Canyonlands by Night

Biking

Like off-roading, there are also many bike trails that you can enjoy if you're a mountain biker.  Porcupine Rim, Slick Rock Trail, Lion's Park, Moab Rim, etc.  You can bring your own bike, or rent a bike at one of the many companies in Moab.  Be very careful when biking in Moab, though, because when we lived in Moab we would hear all the time about bikers falling to their deaths on the bike trails -- especially the Portal Trail. Our neighbor was part of Search & Rescue and had to help rescue people quite often.  Choose a bike trail based on your experience.

Eating & Shopping

If you'd like a souvenir from Moab -- especially a shirt or hat, etc., simply walk down Main Street.  There are lots of t-shirt shops and souvenir shops on Moab's Main Street and these are frequented by tourists year-round.  There are also a lot of great places to eat in Moab.  You will not find a limited amount of options to choose from (unless it's Thanksgiving Day).  

Enhance your experience in Moab with these resources:

These guides might enhance your visit to Moab, whether you're hiking, biking, off-roading, rafting, or just sight-seeing.  Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases.  This is at no additional cost to you.












 


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