I actually wasn’ t planning on visiting this park originally because I didn’t know it existed. I was just pretty much going to head to Salt Lake City, then Reno, then San Francisco. But someone recommended it to me while I was in Colorado and I’m really glad she did!

The park is near Moab, UT. I stayed at a hostel called Lazy Lizard which is about 5 miles away from the park. Not the nicest nor the cleanest hostel I’ve stayed in, but for $9 a night ($9.80 with tax) for a dorm bed I couldn’t really complain.

Woke up around 5:30AM (well, it was kind of hard to sleep because someone in my room was a pretty hard snorer and the earplugs I bought at Walmart weren’t good enough), had breakfast at McDonald’s and waited for the sun to rise, then headed off to the park just before 8AM. The visitor’s center opens at 8AM. Entrance fee is $10 per vehicle and good for 7 days.

It was a little chilly that early in the morning but not too bad. I just put a rain jacket on. By around 10AM you can pretty much just wear a T-shirt. This park must be really hot in the summer as there aren’t a lot of shaded areas. There are plenty of warning about carrying enough water before going on a hike.

I spent an entire day here and you can actually see a lot just in one day. Lots of different rock formations, sandstone arches, and just really amazing views. Make sure to take your time and enjoy the scenery. It’s hard not to take a lot of pictures.

One trail that I strongly recommend to check out is the Delicate Arch trail. It’s about a 3-mile round trip hike with plenty of uphills, but it’s so worth it! I had no idea what to expect at the end of the trail because I wasn’t able to see it until I reached it. I had that spot all to myself for about 10 minutes before people started coming. It’s funny seeing their reactions once they got there. Everyone’s like “Wow!”, which was exactly my reaction as well. I could spend an entire day just hanging out at that one spot.