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The Sand Dune and Broken Arch trail's were my favorite hikes in Arches National Park. The trail head starts at the Sand Dune Arch parking area, and then splits into the separate trails about 0.1 miles from the parking area. The trail to Sand Dune Arch is only 0.4 miles round trip and its 1.2 miles round trip to Broken Arch. The trail is relatively flat and is nice if you have small kids.
We started our hike by visiting Sand Dune Arch first. The trail leads you to a hidden Sand Dune that has collected between two towering sandstone walls. As you fork to the right it will seem as though the trail has ended, but if you look ahead you will see a narrow passage that you must hike through to get to the Arch. Once through the narrow passage it opens up to a large dune. We continued our way up the Dune and around a corner, and there sat Sand Dune Arch hidden away between the towering sand stone walls. Sand Dune Arch is certainly not the most magnificent of the arches to see, but I will rank it as one of the most enjoyable.
While playing in the sand around the Arch we ran into another family who told us to take off our shoes and enjoy the nice cold sand, wow did that feel good on the feet after a long day of hiking in the park. After enjoying this natural wonder for awhile we decided to move on to Broken Arch.
The trail to Broken Arch makes its way through a flat Sagebrush and Juniper valley. As you get closer to the Arch the trail drops down into a small wash, and make its way to the base of the Arch. This Arch obviously got its name from the crack right down the center, and it is slowly eroding away from the crack on the top side. With a little rock jumping you can sit right under the massive Arch. We found this a great place to relax, and watch the sun fade into the west. So as we watched the sun set, the kids scampered and climbed on the relatively flat rocks. It was a great place to end another fun family outing, and we hiked out feeling completely relaxed and peaceful.
Trail Information:
Sand Dune Arch 0.4 mile round trip
Broken Arch 1.2 miles round trip; 2 miles including the loop
Nearby Lodging / Campgrounds:
Moab Utah Campgrounds and Primitive Camping Areas
Moab Utah Hotels (Affiliate Link)
More Information:
Arches National Park
PO Box 907
Moab, UT 84532
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