The Arches in Winter Trip

8 Days in Utah and Colorado

This trip was designed specifically to allow me to see some snow in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. By the time it was over, I also saw some snow in Rocky Mountain National Park. The trip begins and ends in Denver. I quickly crossed the state and entered Utah, then spent several days in Moab, before returning to Colorado and visiting Hanging Lake along I-70, and Bear Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park.

Day 1

Getting There

This day was all about crossing the Colorado Rockies and getting into Utah. Fortunately, Interstate 70 is quite a beautiful drive.

Day 2

A snowy day in Arches National Park

It's exactly what I had hoped for -- a snowy day in Arches National Park. I covered a lot of ground and hiked a couple of great trails, and saw as much as I could before the snow melted.

Day 3

Canyonlands

It's the other national park near Moab, Utah, and in January, it can be all yours. I spent most of this day driving into Canyonlands National Park, then finished the day with a sunset in Arches.

Day 4

An unforgettable sunrise, then arches outside Arches

I returned to Canyonlands for a spectacular sunrise at Mesa Arch, then drove back to Moab and took a nap. After that, I hiked two trails along Potash Road to a couple of great arches.

Day 5

It's time to leave Moab

I spent this day driving out of Moab and back into Colorado. There was plenty to see and do along the way, including a hike at Fisher Towers and a scenic drive through Colorado National Monument.

Day 6

One great hike, then a lot of driving

I just made one stop on this day -- a hike to Hanging Lake. After that, it was a long drive down I-70, over the mountains, then up to Estes Park to put me in the right place for the following day.

Day 7

Wrap it up with more snow

On this day, I drove into Rocky Mountain National Park to see what I could see in January. I enjoyed a great, snowy hike out to Emerald Lake, and drove as far up Trail Ridge Road as I could, before heading back to Denver to prepare to fly home.