Thurs July 28, 2011. Landscape Arch, Arches; Deadhorse Point State Park; Canyonland National Park

To avoid the crowds and “Disneyland-like” feel of Arches, we got up early, skipped coffee and headed straight for one of the iconic arches in the park: Landscape Arch.  Landscape is accessible by a short walk (~1 mile) and is best seen in the morning.  We arrived before 8:00 and found the parking lot at the trailhead about half full. 

Landscape Arch is truly impressive.  At over 3 football fields in length, it is one of the longest natural arches, but it is also one of the thinnest.  In the 70s, park visitors actually happened to be picnicking beneath the arch when they heard rumbling, looked up, and saw a few pebbles falling from the arch.  Moments later a huge, 70 ton slab of rock fell from the arch, narrowing it even further.  Because of this, the trail now stays in front of the arch.  Ironically, the same force that initially formed the arches: the falling of rock, will eventually lead to its demise.  The latter can be seen in action at Landscape Arch.  Truth be told, we did put the video on for a few seconds wondering if we might be the next to capture a fall.  

Arches shares a great mesa with other rocky lands that have been affected by water and erosion over millennia.  Because of differing rock composition and the action of two rivers: The Colorado and The Green, a vast canyon formed and was protected as Canyonlands National Park. 

Canyonlands can be seen in the distance from Dead Horse State Park, which overlooks a sharp bend in The Colorado.  Dead Horse Point has become a bit of a mecca for photographers in the past few years, and improvements to park facilities from the increase in $10 entrance fees are apparent.

The view from Dead Horse Point is impressive as it overlooks the river bend and the expansive Canyonland National Park extends out toward the horizon.  Normally, The Colorado runs green, making for a beautiful contrast of colors against the red rock walls.  But, we visited during monsoon season and the daily, heavy rains had turned the Colorado brownish-red.  Although the view at Dead Horse Point is beautiful, if one had limited time, bypassing this small state park for the vastness of Canyonlands itself would be a good choice.

Canyonlands, like Grand Canyon National Park, has a road that drives along the rim with many turnouts offering views across the canyon.  Also similar to Grand Canyon, the vastness of Canyonlands is hard to take in by eye. 

The LaSal Mountains with an afternoon rainstorm 31 miles past the canyon