Next Adventure: Canyonlands/Arches National Parks

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I am very uninformed about the National Parks in Utah and will have a couple of days to go explore Arches and Canyonlands parks. I have a pretty decent itinerary put together for Arches but am overwhelmed with information about what exactly to do in Canyonlands. I have found information about the straightforward scenic drive through Island In the Sky Mesa area along with a few short hikes. But anyone more familiar with the rest of the park? I will have just one day for Canyonlands and would just like to get in a nice hike of another section of the park. I also am trying to figure out where in the parks I would like to camp. I would probably do two nights in one park and just day trip to the other park nearby.

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I will have my Subaru as transportation so I am not going to be able to access any of the 4x4 trails or any of the more remote stuff, nor do I really have the time to enjoy that properly anyways.

Illustration for article titled Next Adventure: Canyonlands/Arches National Parks
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My itinerary for Arches:

  • Arches National Park (8-12 hours)
  1. Drive the park road to Devils garden (0.5 hours)
  2. Hike Devils Garden to Double O Arch (2 hours)
  3. Drive to Delicate Arch with stops along the way (1 hour)
  4. Hike to Delicate Arch (1 hour)
  5. Drive to Windows with stops along the way (1 hour)
  6. Hike Windows area (1 hour)
  7. Drive to exit with stops along the way (1 hour)
  8. Return to campsite (0.5 to 1 hour)
  9. Slop time (1 hour+)
Illustration for article titled Next Adventure: Canyonlands/Arches National Parks
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My itinerary for Canyonlands:

  • Canyonlands National Park (12+ hours)
  1. Drive the Island in the Sky Mesa scenic road and do short hikes (5ish hours)
  2. Drive to the Needles district? (2 hours)
  3. Do some hiking in Needles? (5+ hours)
  4. Return to campsite (2 hours?)