Moab

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.