akeisel's Passport
 | Been to 167 Attractions |
 | 162 Reviews |
 | 106 First to Review |
 | 852 Photos |
 | 105 Helpful Votes |
Compliments
(1)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(2)
(3)
(5)
Send a Message 
Send a ComplimentAbout Me & My Family
My family and I love road trips. In fact, our annual road trip miles amount to at least 10,000 per year! We love National Parks and any place that is off the beaten path.
Our Family's Travel Personality
adventurous, curious, simple, independent, energetic, spontaneous
We Just Got Back From
The road (wherever it takes us), of course!
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
National Parks
A Place We'd Love To Visit
Alaska
Favorite Vacation Memory
There are so many to name. We love Alta Ranch Montana. We have so many fun memories of just staying at the ranch. We never left the place and we were never bored!
Worst Travel Moment With My Kids:
My daughter got car sick on the way to New Mexico. She puked in every state on the way. I sat in the back and caught the puke in a Ziploc bag for about 8 hours. Once we got to our destination, she was just fine and happy to be there.
Websites I Like:
Arches National Park Best Family Hikes
Arches National Park has over 2,000 natural arch formations. Several of these awesome formations are easily accessible to hiking families. This is a list of family-friendly hikes, allowing your family to experience some of Arches National Park's amazing rock formations.
Arches National Park
Moab, Utah
Comment:
Utah's iconic arch; however, this hike may not be for every family.
reviewed on: January 09 2012
"Iconic Utah Arch"
Delicate Arch is iconic in Utah; this is where the Olympic torch first burned in Utah and it’s on many of our license plates; oh yeah, and the Incredible Hulk had an action scene at this site. Standing under Delicate Arch is amazing and I would suggest that every family try to experience this. A few things to consider before you attempt this hike (1) there are some steep sections on the trail, you do have to be fairly fit – especially if you’re the one carrying the 3 year old. (2) If you are afraid of heights, note that there are some steep drop-offs. This is especially evident if you choose to stand directly underneath Delicate Arch. (3) this hike gets crowded. You may not get the opportunity to snap a picture of the arch without a handful of strangers standing around it. Off-season hikes to Delicate Arch are ideal to avoid the crowds, and the summer heat.
The 3 mile round trip trail begins at the Wolf Ranch parking area where you can see the cabin of John Wesley Wolfe, an early settler. The trail leads across a bridge where you will see a sign pointing to “Rock Art” where you can view Ute Indian pictographs. If you have the time, this short detour is definitely worth it.
The first part of the trail is fairly easy along dry desert landscapes with only a couple of switchbacks and hills to climb. My 3 year old handled this part of the hike herself, only distracted by all of the pretty quartz rocks along the trail.
The next section of the hike climbs up a moderately steep slickrock face. This part of the trail is marked with rock cairns (those piles of rocks that lead the way). This is the hard part of the trail if you happen to be carrying a 3 year old while your 7 year old starts to drag. So take your time, rest, turn around and enjoy the view, sit down and drink some water and have a snack. It will be worth it. Of course as I climbed along the rock with my 3 year old hanging to my back, I did hear several downhill hikers exclaim that I was crazy. However, it was January 1 and a great way to start a new exercise routine.
Once you reach the top of the slickrock climb, the trail meanders along washes, around trees, more slick rock, and some powdery sand. This section is fairly flat and safe making it a great time to put the 3 year old down to explore on her own. Delicate Arch is still not visible at this point, but the trail starts meandering to the north face of the arch’s bowl. Here the trail is icy in the off-season with a steep drop-off so take your time. After a short distance you round the bend to look down on to Delicate Arch, free standing and awe-inspiring. You should be standing on a fairly safe ledge outside of the arch’s bowl. This is a good place to stay if you are particularly afraid of heights. However, if you feel comfortable you can step onto the “bowl” and make your way under the arch. Yes, I’m crazy and took my 3 kids along the bowl. We just did it slow and steady, always making sure of our footing and carrying the 3 year old along.
I highly recommend this hike to families who understand the inherent dangers who are prepared for a relatively steep climb, and can handle the steep heights. My 7 year old was so proud of herself as she made her way down to sit at the base of the arch. I’m glad she experienced this firsthand because pictures just can’t do this arch justice – you have to stand at the base in order to feel its beauty.
Arches National Park
The Windows Section Moab, Utah
Comment:
Easy hike with families travelling with toddlers and babies.
reviewed on: January 09 2012
"Flat & Short Trail to Awesome Arches"
You don’t have to hike far to stand under an arch in Arches National Park. The Double Arch hike is only a ½ mile round trip walk along a sandy trail but it leads to a very impressive double arch (thus the name, Double Arch). Families should be able to complete this hike in 30 minutes or less.To reach the Double Arch trailhead, turn off the main park road towards the Windows section of the park. Drive to the end of this road and park at the end of the loop parking lot.
The trail is flat and sandy but a bit distracting for little kids. My 3 year old kept stopping to dig in the soft powdery sand. Once you reach the arches, you can attempt to climb upon them – this might not be for everyone as it does get pretty steep scrambling up the rocks to get to the top.
It is definitely worth the time to walk this short trail. Although you can see Double Arch from the parking lot, standing under the monoliths gives families true perspective of how large this span is, and how small we all are. This is the perfect place for families with little kids to experience that feeling.
Arches National Park
The Windows Section Moab, Utah
Comment:
Easy groomed trail with a payoff of 3 arches. Kids will love climbing through the arches here.
reviewed on: January 09 2012
"One mile, Three arches and much more"
Exploring the Windows area of Arches National Park is a “must-do” with kids. This is a short 1 mile round trip groomed loop trail and leads to 3 different arches: North and South windows and Turret Arch.To reach the Windows area trailhead, turn off the main park road towards the Windows section of the park. A parking lot for the area is located at the end of this road.
The hike starts out with a gentle climb up several rock stairs. My 3 year old actually loved this part, counting the steps as she climbed higher and higher. Once at the top of the stairs you can take the time to hike underneath the North Window. Be sure to look out the window to the south for a beautiful view of the Manti La Sal Mountains beyond. Back on the trail, you reach an intersection for either Turret arch, to the west or the South Window, to the south. We chose Turret arch next, which is just a few yards from this junction. Again, this arch is fun to climb through and offers a nice view of Balanced Rock in the distance. After exploring Turret Arch, we hiked back to the junction, then headed south to South Window. This arch is a bit to high up to actually walk through, but it’s very impressive. The trail does continue on to the south and loops in back of the North and South Windows. The trail is designated as “primitive”, (which really just means that the park service hasn’t provided rock stairs at every decent). We chose the “primitive" route and enjoyed seeing the east side of the windows. This primitive trail then looped to the north, back to the parking lot.
This 1 mile loop trail can be completed in an hour. It’s the perfect trail for families with little kids offering tons to explore and enjoy along the way.
Arches National Park
Moab, Utah
Comment:
The best natural red rock city in Utah.
reviewed on: January 09 2012
"Natural replicated city street"
This is my kind of Park Avenue: nature replicating a city street with sandstone buildings in Arches National Park. This one mile one-way trail leads you down into a canyon wash to Courthouse Towers and several towering red rock “buildings”. The trail begins at the Park Avenue parking area, right off the main park road and ends at the Courthouse Towers parking area, again right off the main park road. It’s ideal to hike this trail if you have someone willing to shuttle you by dropping you off at one end, and picking you up at another end. We shuttled as a family by having my Husband drop off me and the kids at the Park Avenue parking area, then driving to the Courthouse Towers parking area, then running up the trail to meet us half-way. Hubby missed the first half of the trail, but it was worth it so we could save our kids’ energy to tackle a few more hikes in the park that day.
The trailhead at Park Avenue parking area starts along a groomed terrace of stairs that drop you down into the canyon. The trail meanders a short distance along dirt, then dumps you out at the slickrock Courthouse wash. Our kids, age 3, 7, and 11 especially loved walking along the wash as it’s wide and flat with a several good boulders to climb.
This hike can be completed in less than one hour and it’s a great trail for kids.
Specifically,
• There are no steep drop-offs, other than the stairs at the beginning of the hike which will require some hand holding for the preschool and toddler group.
• There is plenty to admire along the way. We used our imaginations to determine what different rocks looked like.
• This is a good hike to teach kids about sticking to the trails since that untouched soil off trail is actually alive (cryptobiotic crust).
• This is a good hike to allow kids to lead the way by finding the rock cairns along the trail. My 3 year old got pretty good at this.
I would definitely recommend this trail for families looking for a good beginning hike in this beautiful national park.
State Highway 279
Potash Road Scenic Byway Moab, Utah
Comment:
This hike is not within the park's boundaries, but is every bit as impressive.
reviewed on: January 08 2012
"One of my favorite hikes"
The hike to Corona Arch is easily one of my personal top 5 hikes. Where else can you hike 1.5 miles to witness a 140 by 105 foot partially freestanding arch, outside of Arches National Park? This moderate 3 mile round trip hike is s a good family hike. However, I caveat my recommendation as “family friendly” with a couple of warnings: first, the hike traverses slick rock trails along desert mesas with steep drop-offs; and second, one section of the hike requires a climb up a ladder and up a rock face with steps carved into the red rock with hand cable provided (Moki steps). That being said, we took our experienced hiking kids ages 3, 7, 11, on this hike with no problems, and they loved it. In my opinion, this is a great hike to teach kids about hiking safety and challenge their abilities.
The trailhead to Corona Arch is located along the Potash Road Scenic Byway, State Highway 279 (junction located about 4 miles north of Moab). The trailhead is clearly marked along the road (about 10 miles from the junction), with parking provided.
The trail starts with a few short switchbacks and then crosses some railroad tracks. From there, you continue following a dirt trail where you’ll soon reach the fun part – hiking on slabs of slick red rock. Watch for the cairns (those towers of rocks that mark the trail). We found it fun to allow the kids to find the next cairn and lead the way along the slick rock. I also taught my 3 year old how fun it is to pile one more rock on top of a cairn, which is also a good way to keep those tots moving along the trail.
After hiking along the slick rock, you’ll come upon the ladder and Moki steps. Take your time and help the little ones. My 7 year old is actually a bit scared of heights but she was able to conquer this portion of the trail all by herself – with only Daddy behind for mental support. I carried our 3 year old up the steps feeling it was a bit too dangerous for her to conquer alone. Once this portion of the trail is conquered, you’ll see Bowtie Arch and you’ll easily understand the name once you experience it. Take some time at this point to reiterate safety with the kids as you continue to walk along slick rock with steep drop-offs all around. You can easily see Corona Arch from here, but definitely take the time to walk underneath this monolith. Heights of 140 feet and widths of 105 feet can only be understood while standing underneath them – wow!
What to know before you go:
• Pack plenty of water.
• Consider bringing lunch – a picnic under Corona Arch is an ideal location.
• Even if you don’t make it all the way to the arch, this trail is awesome all along the way.
• Stay on the marked trail as that untouched soil is actually alive (cryptobiotic crust).
• Be prepared to give kiddos a geology lesson as to what, why, when and how this arch was formed.
• Dogs are welcome on this trail if you’re travelling with your furry family member.
• There are a ton of distractions for 3 year olds along the trail (i.e. pretty rocks, pretty plants, sand to dig in, cairns to find); so make sure you have the time to really explore when hiking with kids.
State Highway 279
Potash Road Scenic Byway Moab, Utah
Comment:
This short hike is not within park boundaries, but it's definitely worth a visit to allow kids to touch an actual dinosaur track!
reviewed on: January 08 2012
"Touch Paleontological History "
My son could pronounce “pachycephalosaurus” perfectly at the age of 3, so I soon learned to seek out anything and everything dinosaur related while travelling. Therefore, when driving along the Colorado River near Moab and my family sees a sign stating “dinosaur tracks”, we have to stop. By the way, my son is now 11 and still is happy to stop when dinosaurs are involved.These dinosaur tracks are located on the Potash Road Scenic Byway, state highway 279. The junction for the highway can be found on highway 191, approximately 4 miles north of Moab. The Potash road is beautiful, meandering along the Colorado River with campgrounds, viewpoints, Indian pictographs, and hikes dotted along the road. I would highly recommend stopping at any of the turn-offs where “Indian Pictograph” signs are located. Kids will love playing “I Spy” while looking at the red rock cliff face, and the ancient Indian stories demonstrated.
The dinosaur tracks are clearly marked along the Potash Road; just look for the brown signs. There is a parking area at the trailhead, which is also used for the Poison Spider biking trail. You can actually see the dinosaur tracks from the parking area – just read the trailhead sign to know what to look for. However, I would highly suggest taking the kids up the short hike to see the tracks up close. It’s a short hike with only a couple switchbacks, but be careful with the kiddos as there are some steep drop-offs.
In all, this is a great short little hike for families to get out and experience paleontological history. All of my kids, age 3, 7 and 11 were excited to put their little hands in the tracks. The views are also nice from this vantage point – staring at the Colorado River and desert mesas beyond.
