Nestled in the eastern part of Utah, a little south of I-70, Moab is a bit of a hidden gem. Utah’s terrain varies in imagery but is a uniquely beautiful part of the United states. Moab is most known for Arches National Park. Moab has a lot of camping opportunity, hiking, mountain biking, and many outdoors activities. The night sky is pretty unremarkable. Arches National Park has over 2,000 sandstone arches located throughout the 119 square miles it comprises.

We were driving through Utah, Arizona, Las Vegas, and California to help with a move. We decided to detour and spend a night in Moab and get into Arches National Park. Having barely gotten to spend time there, and only being able to drive through, it had been on our list of places to stay for a while. While dogs are not allowed on the hikes, they are allowed in the vehicles as long as they don’t get out.

When we got into Moab, it was afternoon already and very hot. It was over 100 degrees fahrenheit. No hiking would be done that day. We decided to get up before sunrise to get into the park for sunrise pictures and cooler temperatures. I would be hiking - especially for pictures but JD opted to stay in the car. We were also hoping to beat the crowds.

We wouldn’t have otherwise picked traveling during a pandemic as our first choice but a situation arose and staying in parts of Utah was the safest and best option for us. To our surprise, Utah did not have a mask rule in place, and pools were open at the hotels. Some social distancing measures were being implemented. As we made our way through Utah, we used extra care to keep things clean after us, and also I began washing my hands at least 30 seconds, and sanitizing our car and things I touched if I had to touch things in public.

The morning was cool as we embarked on our fast tour of Arches National Park. The entrance was open for people to drive in and around at no charge but this did mean there would not be a headset tour guide available. The sun had begun to rise over the beautiful reds and oranges of the desert but just barely. Enough to light everything up and highlight many colors, create shadows that only accentuated the heights of the formations, and the depths of crevices around you as you explore.

I hiked as quickly as I could to various points around the park to see for myself and to get pictures. Many arches were not visible off the road. Some hikes were a mile some were upwards of 3 miles. I was not able to get more than a few arches in, and camping on the grounds was shut down due to the pandemic, but each trail was unique and unlike other trails I have been on in many states, and countries. Climbing through crevices that I was unsure I would actually fit inside upon first inspection, you find yourself alone and inside of giant redstone cliffs. In the middle of all of these cliffs, you find a larger opening with extremely fine reddish orange sand, blue skies above you, red cliffs all around you, and green plants living neatly in these crevices. Hiking your way further you will eventually find arches. “This is the correct path” you remind yourself as you get a sense of being in a forbidden area. It’s serene and beautiful.

Unfortunately people have used the pandemic as one more thing to continue to pollute and trash the world around them. As I hiked, I cleaned up masks that had been carelessly thrown on the ground rather than deposited in bins conveniently placed throughout the park to encourage keeping it clean. I cringed as I touched possibly infected masks, but I threw them away, refrained from touching anything else until I could sanitize. It is sad some people deny that pollution is a major problem in our world when the evidence is trash infested parks, oceans, and neighborhoods.

I definitely can’t wait to go back to Moab/Arches National Park. I would love to camp there and spend more time under the clear and quiet night sky. Sometimes it’s easy to forget how much beauty is in the United States, but many places are here to remind us. We have a wide variety of terrain and places to see. Travel may not be what we know it to be right now, but road trips like this are good for the soul and it’s good to remember to take advantage of what you have close to home too.

Moab is not a long drive from many places. Here is a rough estimate of travel times by vehicle:

Denver - 5-6 hours
Los Angeles - 10-11 hours
Boise - 8-9 hours
Las Vegas - 6-7 hours
Tucson - 8-9 hours
Albuquerque - 8-9 hours

DO: Take the opportunity to drive through Arches if you are not able to camp or hike; Go early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid large crowds; Check tourist information before going to find out about closures, availability, family and pet friendly spots, and hours; Stay on trails and don’t wander off on undesignated areas; Bring lots of water and stay hydrated; Pull over if people are trying to get around you on the drive; Arrive with a full tank of gas; Look at satellite images of your hotels if you have a dog who needs to use grass to relieve themselves because grass is hard to find in Moab - especially for hotels

DON’T: Throw your trash anywhere except designated bins; Let your dogs outside of your vehicle unless permitted; Leave your pets or kids in the car unattended to get a quick picture; Climb or touch most of the arches; Feed the wildlife you may see; Interfere with wildlife you may see;