We visited Arches National Park with our 2.5-year-old and were blown away by how accessible it was…read morefor a toddler. If you're worried about bringing a little one to the desert, don't be! The park offers several manageable hikes and a fantastic "giant sandbox" experience. Top Tips for Parents: Time: Budget 2 full days. This allows you to see the sights without rushing or risking a mid-day meltdown. The Best Hikes: We highly recommend Balanced Rock, Sand Dune Arch (it's a massive hit with kids because of the deep sand play), and The Windows Section. Where to Stay: Stay in Moab. It's incredibly convenient to the park entrance and has plenty of family-friendly amenities. The Visitor Center: Don't skip it! We spent 2 hours there exploring the exhibits; it's a great way to introduce kids to the environment. Essentials: It gets incredibly hot. Pack twice as much water and snacks as you think you'll need.

Arches National Park is absolutely breathtaking. The scale, the colors, and the natural formations…read morefeel almost unreal. We arrived midday, and the heat was intense, so we weren't able to hike to many of the arches. Even so, we still saw a lot just from the viewpoints and shorter walks, it's stunning no matter how you experience it. One thing to note: parking at Devils Garden is very limited and can be difficult, especially later in the day. That area is one of the most popular spots in the park. Travel tips: * Go early--ideally at sunrise--and start at the far end (Devils Garden), then work your way back toward the entrance * Bring plenty of water (more than you think you need) * Wear proper shoes--the terrain is uneven and sandy * Sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses are essential--the sun is strong and there's little shade * Check if timed entry reservations are required during peak season * Don't rush--plan stops and take your time at viewpoints, even if you're not hiking far Even with the heat limiting our hikes, this was an unforgettable experience. We'll definitely come back--next time earlier in the day!

Don't miss this one! When we first arrived in Fruita, Colorado. The Colorado National Monument was…read morenot on our list of things to visit. We would of totally missed it if it hadn't been for some people we met at a restaurant. Colorado National Monument is not a National Park; it is a National Monument managed by the National Park Service. It's name doesn't portray the beauty and magnitude of this gorgeous park. It is a 23 mile drive and is often called the mini-grand canyon. The towering red rock monoliths and the Canyon views were absolutely incredible.

What bliss this is…read more Colorado National Monument is basically the smaller in scale sandstone-stacked cousin of the Grand Canyon, but without all the horrific traffic and crowds upon crowds, especially at the start of summer. This place has miles of views with gorgeous towering cliffs, dramatic canyons and many trails for walking and hiking. You can also see the Grand Mesa (the world's largest flat-topped mountain) and the Book Cliffs from the monument. And it has that Grand Canyon feeling when you look at its depth -- as though you are looking directly into a painting. Along about a 20-mile highway (with an east and west entrance) you can enjoy the full views. There are plenty of places to pull over and park to take a look or to plan for a hike. And be very, very careful. The main drive is very deeply beloved by cyclists, so be sure to drive slow and keep eyes on the road. Do not miss Independence Monument. This is a glorious rock spire. also, the Kissing Couple is adorable. The Coke Ovens are these beautifully shaped domes -- some of my favorites in the area. Also, be aware of wildlife. I did not get lucky, but there are regular sights of bighorn sheep, coyotes, red-tailed hawks, eagles and many other animals. I did see a pretty spectacular aerial fight between a hawk and a raven during a recent visit, though. Also, be sure to check out the visitor center on the west side. It has some natural history exhibits and a gift shop. There is also the Saddlehorn Campground, which is very well maintained and has a good number of spots, but not all with sprawling city or canyon views. All told, there are three loops with nearly 80 sites. Some are small and best for a pair and others that are good for a couple of tents on one site. Overall, bring lots of water and snacks, because it is dry and sometimes feels desert like. And do not over rely on cell service, as there are a number of dead zones.

The hike was a lot longer and strenuous than we felt it was billed as. Give yourself 40 minutes to…read moreget up there, 30 minutes to check it out, wait for pictures ( there is a line). 25 minutes to hike down. Bring a headlamp for the sunset time. It gets dark quickly

Delicate Arch is the face of this national park, maybe for the entire park service, Moab, UT, and…read moreeven the American West. The first known photo of this arch was taken in 1906, and it appeared in LIFE magazine in 1953.  We climbed up to the top of the hill, which is opposite the arch. The Green Rock signifies the change of time. The green sediments come from a humid era in Archer's Jurassic past, which included braided rivers, floodplains, and a nearby volcano. Volcanic ash full of iron settled atop clay, silt, and other sediments here.

Honestly... this is not worth your time if you've already hiked to Delicate Arch itself. It's a…read moreshort little jaunt to a distant view of the arch, but it won't be very exciting for those who hike it and go all the way. I hiked to Delicate Arch right before checking out this vista point. Once you get to the actual arch, this viewpoint won't be even remotely satisfying. If you can't hike to the actual arch for some reason, then I'd recommend coming here instead so that you can at least have some sort of view. Otherwise, there are so many other vista points in the park that are worth visiting instead. If you still want to hike to the arch and check out this vista anyways, I'd come here first and then complete the hike so that you won't be disappointed.

The hike to Delicate Arch was a steady climb with stunning views along the way. Seeing the arch…read morefrom the viewpoint was unforgettable and completely worth the effort.

If you are looking for a place with a bed, a microwave and a mini fridge that is close to the…read moreColorado National Monument and in walking distance of a Walgreens pharmacy and a City Market. This is the hotel for you, and I give it four stars. But if you are a remote worker, who needs to work while you are staying at the hotel, I would give Balanced Rock Inn two stars. The internet works well, but there are very few electrical outlets, and when I put my charging Block in the outlet, it kept falling out. This led me to having to buy a charging strip so I could charge my laptop. Plus there is not a desk, rather a table with a chair. On the brightside, the room was very clean, the air and heat worked great and the bed was very comfortable.

We have stayed here many times, but this last visit, it seemed the room was not cleaned properly…read more There was food left over from the last people who stayed in the room before us in the mini refrigerator. The door was very dirty from people touching it and it not being wiped off. Luckily, the sheets were clean and so was the bathroom. The room we had this time was on the first floor on the left. I hope to return as we love staying here. Hopefully our last visit was just a strange occurrence.

This is part of Devil's Garden Trail. first you go to tunnel arch, then pine tree arch, then…read morelandscape arch. Landscape Arch is the thin and longest arch in this NP. we found lot of cute creatures here: deer and squirrels. after the landscape arch, the trail to Double O Arch is primitive, it looks like a difficult trail, so we stopped at this arch.

Landscape Arch is within the Devils Garden area of Arches National Park. It's about a 2 mile hike…read moreroundtrip on Devils Garden Trail. The entire Devils Garden Trail is around 8 miles roundtrip if you keep going past Landscape Arch. You can also see the Double O Arch along the way. My buddy and I did this hike to Landscape Arch and found it easy and enjoyable. The only bad thing is that we visited during the winter season and found ourselves slipping on the ice on the trail. Landscape Arch is pretty long at 306 feet and is the longest in North America. It is pretty narrow at the center (only 6 feet) due to large segments of rock breaking off over time. But the arch is still hanging in there. They don't let anyone get near it anymore to try and preserve it. I really enjoyed the beautiful views of this hike and seeing this massive arch in person.

Nice short walk on the trail from the parking area up to the Double Arch. Such a beautiful area…read more Everything inside Arches National Park is beautiful. There was even a proposal that happened when we were there. There is a couple of pit toilets on site that weren't too bad.

Super quick and easy hike that leads to an amazing view of Double Arch! This arch is unique in the…read morefact that it's literally two arches in one. It's one of the most photographed arches within the park. The hike is really a short walk from the parking lot and is only about a half mile round trip. I combined this hike with another short hike to the Windows loop and Turret Arch trail. All of these trails are located within the same staging area and are easy to connect without having to move your car. Speaking of that; parking is available inside but it fills up super quickly! This part of the park is extremely popular and they will most likely have someone directing traffic and pointing you to the next open parking spot when you arrive. When Double Arch gets too crowded, they will restrict access until enough people leave. Although this hike along with the others nearby are relatively short, it's important to make sure that you have water on you since there are no drinking fountains nearby and there's no shade. Since it's a short jaunt, I recommend combining it with the Windows Loop and Turret Arch. I'd also recommend doing the loop first and then saving Double Arch for last since it's closer to the parking lot than the other trails. If you are planning on visiting Arches National Park, I'd highly suggest a stop at Double Arch while you're here. It is truly a remarkable sight.

This trail was a fun introduction to Arches National Park. It is located right after you enter the…read morepark. The Park Avenue Trail is one of the first major attractions within Arches National Park. It is a one-mile trail that follows the bottom of a canyon at the feet of some of the park's gigantic and well-known monoliths. The Three Gossips, the Courthouse Towers, Queen Nefertiti and Queen Victoria Rock, the Organ, and the Tower of Babel are all visible from the road as visitors drive up towards Balanced Rock and Delicate Arch, but there is a large difference in experience when actually hiking through them. All of these natural wonders are famous and often photographed. The lower trailhead is located on the Arches Entrance Road, 2.5 miles north of the visitors center, off to the north side of the road. The parking lot has a paved walkway that heads 320 feet to a Viewpoint. From there, there is a well-worn trail that heads down the Avenue and towards the Courthouse Towers Parking Lot.

Bottom Line: A fun "moderate" hike between two towering canyon walls that are said to be…read morereminiscent of walking down Park Avenue in New York City. For our last hike in Moab my husband and I decided to hike the Park Avenue Trail. We decided to hike Park Avenue because we thought the scenery would be very different than the arches we'd seen all day. So at 5pm we set out to do the two-mile roundtrip hike on the Park Avenue trail and we had a lot of fun checking out the formations. The late-afternoon lighting created spotlights on some formations and put others in the shadows so it made for some great photos. I am glad we did this hike late in the day.

Off road lovers would love these trails…read more Stunning views but honestly not a ton for kids to actually DO besides look over edges and drive. The little dinosaur footprint area was cool for 10 minutes. After two big hiking days at Arches, our kids were bored with the long car stops and short walks to viewpoints. If we did it again we would split Canyonlands across multiple half-days instead of one full day, or just accept it's more of a scenic-drive park with children.

The event did not live up to the description on the website. The dinner is before the boat in a…read moreconference room at long tables Buffett style. Edible but wasn't great. After about an hour in the conference room you go to boat. Very slow, very boring. Boat goes maybe 1/2 mile up river very slowly. Does circles and idles in place for 2 hours while you listen to a recording of the history of Utah settlers. Felt like a 5th grade history lesson and we actually fell asleep. The light show is not spectacular it's a truck on the road shining a flood light on the canyon wall while the story plays. Overall super boring, lacks enthusiasm and not at all what we were expecting. They need to change it up, do something different and be more expletive on the website to manage expectations.

Just an amazing time you have to go. Taking pictures doesn't give it just to see any in person…read more Definitely bring some water sunblock sunglasses and a hat, but you definitely enjoy the area.

It is our last stop in the park. We initially planned to visit here first, but were unable to find…read moreparking. By now, the noon sunlight is unforgiving for photography than at 8 am, but the tenterhook rock (on every side!) and other rocks, and thrilling landscapes more than made up for it.  The mostly paved 0.25-mile loop trail is an easy walk. There is a picnic area with a bathroom in the opposite direction, which I didn't go to.