Day 12: Arches National Park

Following the motto of the early bird catches the worm, we leave Ken's Lake at 7:30 a.m. Our National Park for today is Arches Park, known for its over 2,000 natural sandstone arches. I booked an entrance ticket in advance to be able to enter the park between 8 and 9 a.m. As there are not enough parking spaces on-site and to limit the visitor influx, only a certain number of cars can enter per day, with time slots. I purchased these a month ago. We cross half the park to start our hike to the Delicate Arch. We face a total elevation gain of 164 meters. The trail is steep, and we are glad to be out early. Many other tourists are with us. After about 1 hour, we reach the top, where the 16-meter-high natural bridge stands. The view is very beautiful, and we take our photos. Fortunately, there is a short line, so everyone can take their individual picture. Then we relax a bit before starting the descent. In total, it took us 2 hours for the 5.1 km, and we are happy to admire an extraordinary landscape.
Afterward, we drive to the next point by car. There are also natural bridges to see there. The special feature here is a double natural bridge, two connected bridges. The path is short, and we do some climbing. Now there is a short hike ahead of us. It is called the Window. Accordingly, there are some natural bridges that resemble windows. We walk the short loop and eventually reach the car. After lunch, we leave the National Park with a detour to the Visitor Center. Here, the children will become Junior Park Rangers, breaking with tradition.
The next two hours we head northeast. It's hot, and we want to go for a swim.
At Highline Lake State Park near Grand Junction, we find our refreshment. The lake is small but perfectly adequate for us. We spend 2 hours there and then reach our campsite at Colorado National Monument just before 7 p.m. We are on a plateau overlooking Grand Junction.