Utah Rocks! #4 and #5 Arches and Canyonlands!

Spanish Mass, golf and a few State Parks thrown in for good measure !

After visiting Capitol Reef National Park we headed to Green River State Park. We hopped on our e-bikes and rode to 5:00 mass nearby that was in Spanish! It was the only available mass that fit into our schedule. I brought a book in English so we could follow along. There was a family there from PA so the priest actually used quite a bit of English!

The state park had a golf course right there so Tom was able to play!

The next day we were on the move again to Arches National Park. Arches has timed entry which turned out to be pretty good. No line!

We got a parking spot right near the sign which was perfect for a photo!

The geology behind all these rock formations in Utah is kind of mind boggling. All I know is a lot of salt was involved! A slow erosion of the sandstone caused a piece to fall off over time to create a hole and eventually an arch. The amazing thing is each national park in Utah has its own distinct thing about it and they are all not really that far from each other. Just amazing!

After Arches we checked into Dead Horse Point State Park. This park has its own canyon! Incredible scenery! There is also thousands of years of history behind it. I had to find out why a state park would be called Dead Horse I mean that’s an awful name! A stroll through their visitor center calmed my curiosity. Legend has it that a group of cowboys cornered some wild horses. The horses were exhausted and thirsty and could smell the water so they ran towards the water and jumped to their deaths into the canyon. Wow.

Amazing beauty in Dead Horse Point State Park!

Our last National Park was on the docket on Wednesday- Canyonlands!! Another beauty!

We were able to catch a ranger program. He talked about the history of uranium mining in the park.

Canyonlands was filled with more artistry performed by the Colorado River millions of years ago! Just gorgeous!

Visiting the Mighty Five National Parks in Utah was a breathtaking experience and one I will

never forget! I recommend it highly!

I have one more wrap up blog to end the story of this adventure!

Happy Trails!