National Parks Traveler

Red, White And Green: Winter Colors In Arches Are Awaiting You

By Eric Jay Toll 

Can you compress it more?”

Her face scrunches with effort. I exhort her, “Push! Really push it!”

“Oomph! It barely fits, but I got it.”

The ski parka needed 15 minutes ago is now far too hot. We’re down to sweatshirts as we crunch across the rising, flat sandstone surface on the trail. It’s winter at Arches National Park in Utah; the hike has us halfway there and already at 4,600 feet (1,402m). Siri said the temperature was 38° Fahrenheit (3 Centigrade) in the parking lot, but we’re toasty warm on the trail to Delicate Arch.

The red rock of Arches National Park shimmers in the sunlight, reflects brightly off scattered patches of snow and radiates warmth. The landscape was frigid and snow-covered at the motel in Moab. Now, between hiking exertion and the sun, we were pretty toasty.

“This is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen,” my hiking companion says while clicking away on her phone camera. “I didn’t think you could find color contrasts like this anywhere.”

I’m doing the same from about every angle around us.

The white snow, red rock, and emerald evergreen vegetation make for a real-life landscape painting. On our photo break, another couple is coming down the trail.

“Are we there yet?” I laugh as they approach.

“Almost,” said one. “There’s like nobody up there, I mean just eight or ten people. Not too much snow. You can get right to the arch.”

With a wave, they’re down the trail, around the turn and out of sight.

It’s around 10 in the morning, and Delicate Arch is a popular place at sunrise and sunset. The natural amphitheater setting makes a perfect spot to take in the scene as the sun rises higher over the La Sal Mountains. In the summer, there can be dozens and dozens sitting on the smooth ledges.

The trail past Twisted Doughnut Arch is a somewhat tight squeeze, made even more dicey by snow and ice/Eric Jay Toll

The arch is just a mile-and-a-half (2.4km) up the trail, but it’s a huff-and-a-puff climb at that elevation over such a short distance. Making the turn near the top of the mesa, we are the only ones on the trail.

Winter is a great time to visit Arches. Packed with summer visitors who create traffic issues, the compact national park is considering a plan that would require you to reserve your stay, but no final decision has been made. The need for such an approach is easily visible during much of the year: Parking areas filled, no parking signs ignored, overlooks overcrowded, and popular trails can look like Fifth Avenue at Christmas. Nice weather in late fall and early spring can still bring good-sized crowds as the day warms.

As we continued up the trail, the snow kept sneaking closer to the path in shady areas until the ledge at Twisted Doughnut Arch. This narrow, cliff-hugging segment had snow covering its entire width. We walked closer to the face of the doughnut rather than risk the sheer drop off the wide trail. With our trekking poles extended, aggressive tread on the boots, we made our way up that last stretch into the amphitheater.

In winter, Delicate Arch is just as stunningly breathtaking as in summer, but the line for photos was only a few people instead of akin to an airport check-in summer queue. Taking pictures under the arch requires asking those behind in line to take the photo while you pose.

“You look like you know how to take pictures,” said the woman in the couple in front of us. “Would you take ours?”

Of course, everyone in line passes cameras back one group to have their picture taken under the arch. I handed my camera to the folks behind us.

“Nice camera,” he said. “I’m so excited. We live near Pittsburgh, and I have wanted to come here and stand under that arch since I saw a photo ten years ago. This is our first time here ever.”

He was nearing 80, he said, and his wife was 75. The pair looked like a couple of youngsters at Disneyland.

The warm sun and tromping boots cleared the path to the iconic 85-foot arch. It was still a be-careful-single-file trek from the line to pose in its shadow.

Compared to summer, the national park is practically a ghost town, but there can be crowds. Snow dots the landscape, the sun on the red rock keeps the air temperature comfortable even though the pack-hanging thermometer said it only climbed four degrees over the past two hours.

The trail to North America’s longest, Landscape Arch, was a little chillier, weaving as it does through a canyon and much shade.

Balanced Rock is an icon summer or winter, and along your route to or from Delicate Arch/Rebecca Latson

The cold weather means crystal clear views but can also bring dangerously cold temperatures. Keeping one eye on the weather and the hourly projected temperatures are as important in cold weather as in the summer. On the Devil’s Garden Trail to Landscape Arch, we passed a family wearing windbreakers huddled together for warmth in a patch of sunlight. The kids were cold and not having fun, and Arches is a fun park.

The full Devil’s Garden Trail loop can be a 7.6-mile (12.2km) hike and has a 1,300-foot (396m) elevation gain, and that can be more with a climb to the Dark Angel viewpoint. On this hike, you pass ten different arches and a natural bridge. The difference between a bridge and an arch is that the latter forms from weather and erosion. Coursing water drills a natural bridge.

Winter brings a different experience. You are at a moderately high elevation at Arches. The air is thinner, dry, and the cold penetrates. The difference between daytime highs and nighttime lows can be as much as 30 degrees, according to park weather information. The coldest hours on the Colorado Plateau are just before dawn, and the warmest in late afternoon. That’s different from most areas of the U.S., where high temperatures are at midday and lows in the early hours overnight.

“Brrr!” I shuddered as we stepped out from the motel heading for dinner down the street in Moab. It was already quite nippy. We crossed the main drag, U.S. 191, heading towards a favorite restaurant only to find it closed. When the winter starts, some restaurants and other shops close for the season. It’s good to check the status before walking out into the cold night air. We ended up driving to a perennial favorite, the Moab Brewery, on the south side of town.

The next morning, both our favorite breakfast places, Moab Diner and Eklecticafe, were open. With a good meal under the belt, it was time for another hike.

Layering up is the safest way to hike Arches or nearby Canyonlands National Park. We wore thermal shirts under sweatshirts and parkas when starting on the trail.

You can view Park Avenue from its overlook, or venture down into the canyon for a nice hike/Eric Jay Toll

“You guys look ready for an expedition,” said the guy getting out of the car next to us in the Park Avenue parking area.

“We’re going to hike a little way down the trail, but it’s cold in the shade,” we answered.

My companion added, “We started like this yesterday but were peeling off layers within a half-hour.”

At the Park Avenue parking area, you have the option of a short walk to the overlook or walk down a series of stone steps to the trail leading into the canyon. You can hike as far as Courthouse Towers, a enjoy a two-mile (3.2km) round trip. A short walk from the parking area to an overlook gives a fantastic view of the narrow sandstone walls and their collapsed arches. The second option is to take the hike.

“They look like they could blow over any time,” someone was saying.

A couple of children took off running with mom yelling, “Don’t run on that trail. It’s icy.”

It was icy at that hour in the morning, but the sun made the air feel warm. We looked at our parkas, looked at each other, shrugged and swapped the heavy coats for the lightweight jackets.

Carefully navigating the stone steps and terraces, we drop below the Park Avenue overlook into the narrow canyon. It’s an easy descent and, later, climb. Walking into the shade of the canyon, we were warmed by the incredible view of what happens when an arch collapses, but for a little while were wishing we had kept the parkas on. Another five minutes of walking in the shade, and we were unzipping the windbreakers.

It’s a world of contrasts of all kinds embraced within the beauty of Arches National Park in the winter.

Some think national parks are summer destinations. The unique landscape of the Colorado Plateau makes Arches a national park for any time during the year. Just dress for the weather and come for the fun.

Panorama Point is a great spot to memorialize your winter visit to Arches' surreal landscape/Eric Jay Toll

Winter Safety on the Colorado Plateau

Despite the low temperatures, hiking in the cold burns a lot of energy. The hydration packs used for summer hikes are smaller than daypacks, which led us to cram too much parka into too little pack. Avoid cotton; it holds moisture. Wear wool or synthetics, particularly for socks and first layers. Remember to bring salty snacks. A quick trail mix is equal parts raisins, peanuts, or other nuts, chopped dried apricots, and chocolate chunks of 75 percent or greater cacao.

An important safety tip is carrying water. Despite the cold weather, consuming plenty of water is still essential. The winter minimum is about a half-liter per hour, which means a hike to Delicate Arch and back requires at least two liters. Carry three and be safe. Experienced hikers stress how much hydration matters on the Colorado Plateau. If you feel thirsty, you’re already dehydrating; drink before needing to drink.

It’s cool to cold on the trail, but hot coffee, tea, and hot chocolate are not hydration. Neither are sugared energy drinks. On a long hike or a long day of just marching around viewpoints, you may also want an electrolyte supplement, especially hiking for more than an hour. Arches is high enough elevation that proper hydration is a top-of-mind consideration.

As of Fall 2021, some park facilities were still closed or restricted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and masks were mandatory inside all National Park Service facilities.

There is much to see outside the park. Moab sits just south of the Colorado River, and there are several scenic highways through the area. The Island in the Sky unit of Canyonlands National Park and Deadhorse Point Utah State Park are within an hour’s drive of Arches. The region is world-renowned for its mountain bike trails. No cycles are allowed off paved roads in Arches or Canyonlands. Discover Moab has many resources for outside national park adventures.

Plateau safety is foremost for a successful trip. Be aware of your capabilities and those of your companions. Do not rely on mobile devices; the signals are spotty in the parks. Carry a paper map and a  compass. Cold weather drains device batteries fast. Be sure to carry a charger in the car and extra power cubes. Keep spare batteries in an inside pocket next to your body to help keep their charges.

If there is snow and ice and you’re hiking, use trekking poles. On a very icy trail, either turn back or use traction devices on your boots. In all cases, make sure to wear comfortable shoes with good treads. Running shoes or sneakers may not be safe in snow and ice. Unbelievably, I’ve seen it. Don’t winter hike in sandals no matter how warm it feels. Sandals are not for trails anytime, but you risk losing toes to frostbite in the winter.

"Black ice" is a common road hazard. It’s a slick surface that doesn’t look like ice. On a road, if your car feels as if it’s out of control, take your foot off the gas, and gently pump, don’t slam on the brakes. If the car’s rear end feels like it’s skidding, turn the steering wheel in the same direction the vehicle rear is drifting. Slow and steady is the answer. Do not tailgate, and be extra cautious about traction when passing. Take time to enjoy the scenery as opposed to the speed. Around for millions of years, Arches is not going anywhere the week you arrive.