In 2 weeks, we're off to Arches NP. We will be staying in Moab. We have 6 days from a Thurs to Wed. We like photography and tend to spend time at each interesting view. Thanks to all posters who shared their experiences and helped us decide on this trip. I have a few questions that I did not see addressed in the Utah forums.
1. Are hiking poles useful ?
2. Are gnats a problem, or any other bugs that I'd need repellants ?
3. We're going to try do as much trails as we can, perhaps even the strenuous ones. How should I decide what order I should do - Devil's Garden (full loop), the campground area, the Delicate Arch area, the Windows section, Park Avenue, especially since parking is a major problem. I'm going to try get an afternoon hike of Fiery Furnace when I get there; otherwise, I'll have to do this on another trip.
4. Is Fiery Furnace best in late afternoon, which is what the NPS website says ?
5. From the NPS website, I found photography tips. Any others you can add ?

If we still have time, we're also thinking of hiking Fisher Towers and driving scenic highway 279 (Potash Rd). This brings me to my last question - Does Potash Rd need 4x4; I have a Honda CRV AWD.

Thanks.

1. Some people swear by poles. I've never used them and haven't missed them that I know of. I would think poles get in the way of using your camera.

2. I never saw or felt any pests.

3. Since Arches isn't really a very large park the order doesn't make much difference. Of course, look at a map and select trails that go in sequence.

Of greater importance is when you hike to Delicate Arch. I think getting there an hour before sunset is a great time. The sun will set behind you. If you go there for sunrise the sun rise in front of you and in your eyes. Having a flashlight on this hike is a good idea as it may get dark before you get back.

4. I don't remember if you have a choice. If I remember correctly we went in mid afternoon and finished by 7PM. Really worth the time and effort.

5. If you want to see photos of my trip and others you can go to www.travelwalks.com for ideas.

We hiked to Fisher Towers. We were lucky enough to see some climbers at the top of the "Corkscrew".

This was the site of a Citibank commercial that aired several years ago. Go to Youtube and do a search for "Citibank-Rock Commercial". The climbers are well-known climbers. It starts will the female setting things up, then it moves to Dead Horse Point State park just west of Moab and then she climbs the Corkscrew at Fisher Towers.

We drove down Rte 279 to the parking area at the railroad tracks and it was fine with a regular car. However, we didn't continue on to the Potash Rd (Rte 142). The Corona Arch hike was our only defeat.

You are in dessert country. Make sure you have a wide brimmed hat, sun tan lotion and lots of water (and drink it).

1. I wish I started using a hiking stick earlier. DH and I only use one each but see many people using two. It really helps your knees and has kept me from falling more than once. Because it has a strap it doesn't interfere with taking pictures. In fact the stick I have has a wooden handle that unscrews off and I can screw my camera on it and it makes for a great stabilizer when I need it.

3. Don't know what kind of shape you are in or your age but you might consider working your way up to the more strenuous hike to Devil's Garden Full Loop which I believe is over 7 miles. If you go make it to Dark Angel. Delicate Arch is a must. Windows is an easy walk. I prefer to do Park Avenue starting at Courthouse Wash parking area and hike up hill first and then come down the hill. Usually it's easier to find parking at Courthouse wash too.

4. Fiery Furnace ranger hike books up quickly and could possibly already be booked up for the days you are going to be there. I would check online for any of the days you will be there and try and secure reservations.

The drive out scenic Hwy 128 to Fisher Towers is well worth it. The Potash Road (Hwy 279) is paved for about 6 miles and is a beautiful drive where you will find petroglyphs, dinosaur track & Jug Handle arch on the roadside. You will need a high clearance vehicle to go on the unpaved section of the Potash Road up the Shafer trail to Canyonlands, Island in the Sky District. I'd recommend a 4 x 4 and you can rent Jeeps in Moab if you decided to do this adventure.

Utahtea

We are in our 70's and have visited the area several times. We haven't used poles, but have a friend with limited balance who found them very helpful.

In Arches, at least go out to Landscape Arch on the Devil's Garden hike. You can go down to Pine Tree Arch but if going up and down bothers you, skip it. Turret Arch/Windows are easy hikes as is Sand Dune Arch.

Do go to Canyonlands Island in the Sky and at least do Mesa Arch hike and Canyon Overlook.

While in addition to Potash road petroglyphs in Moab, on the other side of the river is Kane Creek road which also has sites with petroglyphs (one is near a little campground close to the road) and also an area where you often see daring (crazy) folks taking their jeeps/4wds up and down the cliffs. The VC in Arches will give you a handout with directions to these sites as well as others like Courthouse Wash and the Golf Course sites.

1) Hiking poles are useful.... if you need them, and get in the way otherwise. I like having them when going up or down major elevation changes (which Arches doesn't really have), and if I'm doing a lot of walking in sand (every where in Arches). I use two. But I left them off on the Fiery Furnace hike,,, too much scrambling.


2) Bugs should not be a problem


3) Delicate Arch should not be attempted in the middle of a hot summer day. Either do it early or late. Same with the longer hikes such as Devil's Garden. it is the length along with the heat that should determine time of day. Afternoon ranger led hikes to Fiery Furnace are available at the visitor center from 7 days in advance... so do ask just as soon as you arrive for your best opportunity.


4) Fiery Furnace is a nice place to be on a hot summer day. The rocks keep it cool, there are high cliffs preventing the sun from warming them up. An afternoon hike is not necessarily better than a morning hike but I'll take Fiery Furnace in the afternoon over Delicate Arch.


5) http://www.amazon.com/Photographing-...aurent+Martres

I think you've gotten some good answers already. I would add that in 6 days you can do pretty much every hike in Arches a couple times or more....so my suggestion would be to spend the first day getting a good overview of the park to identify the areas you want to focus on for the remaining time.

Since you're into photography, get a sense for which formations interest you the most. A lot of things are very near the main park road so it will be easy to see a lot without overexerting yourself. I doubt you'll want to be on the Devils Garden trail for sunset, so other than Delicate Arch the good sunset photo ops are roadside or very near to it. That makes it easy to scout them out and do your favorites more than once. Same for sunrise.

Don't forget there are animals in Arches, and they make good subjects in the midday light. Desert bighorn sheep are seen some times. My personal favorite are the different lizards....with a decent telephoto lens you can get some good shots and there is a pretty wide variety of sizes and coloration. They are easy to find in the hotter parts of the day along trails. I would assume you will find some birds along the river outside the park as well.

Great responses ! Thank you very much. Can hardly wait for D-day.

We returned from a 5 NP trip that included Arches about two weeks ago. You have many good answers already, but I will add my 2 cents.

I think trekking poles are great and they make a difference not only for balance, and hills but for ease of walking. I did not find they interfered with camera use at all, just keep the straps looped on your wrists and proceed as usual. As mentioned above some poles can convert to a monopod.

If using a long telephoto lens, a lightweight tripod will be very useful, but not on hikes, that is where a trekking pole/monopod combo can make a huge difference.

There is much that can be seen and photographed from the road and turnouts.

At the visitors center, you can see a display which rates the trails for difficulty. We found it accurate. Ask the ranger if any of the hikes you plan require a permit.

For photography in the uber bright sun, a circular polarizing filter is a godsend. It also makes the colors and sky pop without looking cartoonish. In any case, use at least a UV filter to protect your lens from the dust. We saw a guy who had an expensive lens ruined that way.

The UV levels are very high, so be prepared with sunscreen and a hat. AND lots of water - the rangers recommend a minimum of a gallon per day and they are right. It is easy to become dehydrated.

If the night is moonless, come back at night, say 10PM to take sky pictures. A tripod is necessary for that.

If you have the time, Canyonlands NP is only 35 miles away and on the way you will pass Dead Horse Point State Park. Both are worth your time. If you saw the movie "Thelma and Louise" the seen where they drive over the cliff into the Grand Canyon was actually shot in DHPSP.

If you have the time, the 3 hour Jet Boat ride on the Colorado river can be fun and has lots of photo opportunities. Seeing the canyon walls from the river is a very different perspective.

In Moab, we liked the Broken Oar restaurant very much. Try the Idaho Red Trout. For breakfast, The Love Muffin, and The Jailhouse are good. There is a well equipped photo shop on the main drag with a knowledgeable guy behind the counter.

Have a great trip.

Comments are from experienced tourists. I agree with most, but not the bug responses. See # 2 below.

1. Are hiking poles useful ?
The only time I ever use poles is where there are many rattlesnakes. Keep tapping the ground that alerts them. Never saw a snake at Arches or nearby.
2. Are gnats a problem, or any other bugs that I'd need repellants ?
Depends on the spring/early-mid summer temp and moisture.
> Deer flies are common during warmer seasons. They chew off a chunk of your skin to expose blood which they gulp with relish.
> No-see-um are micro-small vicious, mean, evil, nasty, ugly, disgusting, repulsive communist devils. They appear to be immune to insect repellent. The best/only protection from these gnats is a very fine mesh (finer than mosquito)covering your head. Should be available in Moab. They favor ears and the back of your neck. Itchy bumps remain for weeks.
We use netting, but this web site has some suggestions - never tried those products.
http://bugspray.com/article/sandflies.html

Suggest you look at this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUafqsPTRuU
IF that does not convince you of bugs, below is Arches Park service article:
http://www.nps.gov/arch/planyourvisit/upload/Gnats.pdf


3. We're going to try do as much trails as we can, perhaps even the strenuous ones.
There are no strenuous trails in Arches. Strenuous to knee breaking trails originate at Island In The Sky that drop down to the mesa below (White Rim Trail)

Does Potash Rd need 4x4;
The only road >requiring< 4 WD is White Rim trail.

Vaga

We loved our time staying in Moab and visited the nearby national parks. Our photos of natural rock arches in Canyonlands were actually better than any we took in Arches. Also drink lots of water as you go, it is a very dry atmosphere.

Kay

Vaga said: "There are no strenuous trails in Arches"

I guess it depends on the hiker because I consider the trail to Dark Angel on the strenuous side and that wasn't even on the primitive trail. Some might even consider the trail to Delicate Arch on the strenuous side.

Utahtea

RE: Utahtea
You are correct in that it depends on the hiker. A good example of a seasoned/durable hiker is Micheal Kelsey and his various hiking books which I have in various editions. He has hydraulic, not human, legs so I multiply his hiking time by 1.3 to 1.5.

Below is a map of Island in the Sky Trail.
http://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/upload/island.pdf

There is one category in that list titled:
Mesa Top to White Rim (Steep & Strenuous Trails)

Scroll down to trail information: Specifically > Lathrop trail to the Colorado River

RVvagabond, Thanks much for the bug tips. I read the NPS article and had been wondering how much preparation we should have, even if it turns out we don't need any. Reminds me of those chiggers in the Amazon. I thought those
no-see-ums are only in wooded humid areas.

Basingstoke and others, thanks for the photo tips.

We will skip known knee-breaking hikes, but will give each trail a try, and if they appear to be out of our range, we'll turn back.


Now, I've been checking the weather forecast for the Moab area. 105+'s in the next several days !!! and NWS has severe weather outlook warnings. Oh Boy! Spouse is having second thoughts going next week; Sept/Oct is now appealing
even if we have to cancel an overseas trip to go to Arches. In the meantime, Crater Lake in Oregon in the 60s beckons, but I have been unable to get in-park lodging since early this year.

Thanks to all again.

If it's hot do your hikes early morning and late evening. Use the middle of the day to do your sightseeing on the Potash Road (Hwy 279), Hwy 128 and Kane Creek Road or go find the dinosaur tracks.

Utahtea

We were there in September one year and the no-seeums were so bad we hightailed it back to Colorado! You can find good, inexpensive poles at Costco.

Go in early October
I also recommend Canyonlands, Maze District that is a superb scenic park. Two problems: Need 4-WD and permit which are limited.

There are several books that truly address the Maze, Moab and other area that I use:

1. Hiking(serious): Hiking, Biking and Exploring Canyonlands National Park and vicinity by Michael R. Kelsey. We have his entire collection.

2. Hiking (family): Wow Utah Canyon Country -

2. Backroad 4-wheel driving: Canyonland National Park Favorite Jeep Roads and Hiking Trails. White Rim Trail (road) is the premier scenic area in Island In The Sky. This book has an excellent description of that 110 mile road.

3. Overall touring guide of those and other Utah Parks: Utah Parks Driving, Hiking and Mountain Biking in Kindle and paper back format. This book gives a life saving mile-by-mile driving guide.

All above on Amazon that can be purchased for less than the price of one nights lodging in Moab.

Vaga

Banares - for your convenience, I have consolidated the links to photos from our recent trip to the Moab area, they may help in your planning - or not. They are taken from my TR which is current.

http://basingstoke2.smugmug.com/On-the-Colorado-Moab/

http://basingstoke2.smugmug.com/Cany...nd-Dead-Horse/

http://basingstoke2.smugmug.com/Arches-National-Park/

Commendable photographs capturing all zones. Your Grandview and Jug Handle arch are very well captured.

Arches link - tenth picture left and up from the moon. It looks like a slot. I don't recognize that location. Where is is?

Vaga.

RVV - that would be on the trail toward Sand Dune Arch I believe. As far as the photos, I winnowed them down from about 1200 trying to choose those that were representative or told some sort of story such as differences in lighting, shadow play and such.

You are correct: http://www.hikinginutah.com/sand-dune-arch.htm

Your angle/shadow composure implied a slot - well done

Vaga