The first time through Arches National Park near Moab Utah can be a little overwhelming. There is a lot to see…many formations and arches, and each one uniquely different from the others.
This was a very fast and brief stopover, but it gave us time to look around a little bit and get to know the place better. One of the iconic spots that is very accessible is Balanced Rock. I dare to think how many photos have been taken of this formation but it’s probably 10’s of thousands by now.
The park was first established as a national monument back in 1929, and designated as a national park in 1971. For many years it had a few seasonal visitors but with increasing exposure, much of it coming from Edward Abbey’s excellent book Dessert Solitaire, awareness of the wonders here grew quite quickly. Abbey was a park ranger here for a time and came to know the area well.
The image above was taken pointing west as the sun set. It was the last, and probably best image I got the entire day. Below is another image, from a later visit. Taken in the very early morning, as fog and snow squalls encased the distant La Sal mountains, it was a view that Abbey would have known well. His ranger trailer was positioned near here.
