6-mile hike leads to the largest concentration of natural arches this side of Utah

FRUITA — In Edward Abbey’s classic, “Desert Solitaire,” the seasonal ranger whined about the street building and modernization happening in Utah’s Arches National Park.

“You can’t even see anything in a car,” he railed. “You’ve got to escape this (goshdarn) contraption and wander — better yet, creep — in your hands and knees, over the sandstone and through the thornbush and cactus. ”

Exiting the automobile and stomping through the desert is what’therefore required to see Colorado’s assortment of arches.

Colorado’s spans, the concentration in the Nation, grace Rattlesnake Canyon in the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area southwest of Fruita. Reaching the trailhead takes a 14-mile push down badly signed dirt roads, some of which can develop into a quagmire of wheel-grabbing muck following a rainstorm. The last 2 miles demand a vehicle, rather using four-wheel drive.

Fortunately for us, the sky was cloudless, and our truck only scraped the floor twice called rsquo & the roadway;therefore escarpments. Reaching street ’s ending, we laced boots up and started into the arches.

A half mile in, we reached the fork. People content to not experience the show can continue another mile to see the top of what the BLM unimaginatively calls “First Arch. ” Wanting to observe all nine of Colorado’s apertures against the skyline, we turned right and followed with the rocky and steep path.

A quarter mile later, we intersected the Pollock Bench Trail, a 15-mile alternative route that starts near Fruita. The road winds and illuminates through a piñon and juniper forest with cliffs to one side and distant Colorado River views into another. Cryptobiotic land, a dwelling crust of lichens and mosses that have the soil together, covers the earth. We stay on the road.

After about a mile, the road bends to the southeast and our portico is shortly spotted by us . This one is named Twin Arch, but monikers out here seem to be random.

Continuing down the road, we found it’s really the third period in a string that includes Hole in the Bridge Arch, a extensive sandstone arc using a skylight puncture through its surface.

Beyondwe gazed in the squinting introduction of Eye Arch and scrutinized the long, thin span of Akiti Arch. A short detour up a spur trail led to opinions of Trap Arch, the period not observable from the route.

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Just when we thought the show was finished, we rounded up a last corner to locate Rainbow Arch (the BLM’s “First Arch”-RRB- moving directly above us. Bold and massive, it comes with a spoonful of rusty stone, which has an opening that frames a halo of blue sky and a pillbox.

The route can be shortcut by hikers back by friction climbing throughout the arch’therefore orifice and hiking the First Arch Trail back to the trailhead. We had been content to just sit in the base and enjoy the scene in solitude.

Contrary to the federal park arches, the path to such spans isn’t even paved for minivans and motorhomes. There are no busloads of tourists here. The only way to view Colorado’therefore geologic sculptures is to perform just as Ed Abbey walk and urged.

About running on knees and hands the part, however, was an option we chosen to ignore.

If you go

Information, maps and driving directions to this trailhead can be gotten in the BLM office in Grand Junction (2815 H Road, 970-244-3000), the Colorado National Monument Visitor Center or can be downloaded online on the BLM website.

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