Pic: Oh my god! It’s a Double Arch, all the way! Arches NP, UT
America’s national parks are all undoubtedly great in their own ways. Everyone needs a least favorite park, however, and mine is Arches.
tl;dr: “Did you go to Delicate Arch? No? Then you wasted your time.” –Nat
Let’s start with the positives: the rock formations were unimpeachably stunning. Look at those massive sandstone arches! It’s remarkable what weather and chemistry can accomplish.
Since these features stand alone on an otherwise featureless high desert plateau, the road goes right up to them! Otherworldly vistas, no pesky walking.
The bad news: since these features stand alone on an otherwise featureless high desert plateau, the road goes right up to them! Hence, people everywhere. And that’s fine. I don’t begrudge anyone their right to enjoy our national parks; they belong to all of us, and all of us benefit when people engage with nature. My usual solution to crowds is to simply walk more than a mile from the road, where 99% of visitors will never go. But at Arches, there’s not really anywhere else to go. Distances are long, water and shelter are scarce, and the road goes to most of the cool destinations anyway.
My negative impression was certainly amplified by factors that were entirely my own fault — primarily, being “in a hurry” and trying to cram my visit into a day that also featured five hours of interstate driving and a whirlwind tour of an entirely separate park. That didn’t help, but even under better circumstances I think Arches would remain at the bottom of my list.
In conclusion: fuck Arches.
Danger Beyond This Point 