The Wandering Wheelchair: National Park Series Arches National Park
August 25, 2020
By: Erin Buchanan, Concierge Agent
Welcome to my series on national parks. My family and I have made it our mission to visit a few of our country’s national parks each year. So far, we have seen some amazing sights! This summer we took a road trip out west and Arches National Park was on the itinerary! I have a physical disability and use a manual wheelchair as my primary mode of mobility. Some areas of the parks are barrier free, but most require assistance. If you visit the nps.gov website they give a complete breakdown of each park and its accessibility for hearing, mobility, and visual impairments. It is an amazing website and a must visit tool when planning your vacations to any national park!
Arches National Park is located in Moab, Utah. The skyline there is filled with mountain ranges in beautiful colors of red, gray, orange, and brown. These amazing arch formations are made of sandstone. The park sits on top of a salt flat that is forever shifting with the earth. That, along with the wind and the rain have created these amazing formations over the years.
As you go through the entrance of every national park you will stop at the ranger station. Here you pay your entrance fee ($30 for car) and obtain a map from the park ranger. If you have a disability you can apply for the National Park’s Disability Access Pass and this allows you to enter all the parks for free! I got mine a few years ago and it has saved us a lot of these fees. Once you enter, don’t forget to stop and get your picture at the entrance sign! This is a tradition we started with our kids. So, we always stop! The loop around this park is approximately 36 miles roundtrip. There are multiple trails that you can stop at around the loop and hike to get closer access to some of the named arches. We spent most of the time in the car viewing the arches from afar but we did get out at a few of the stops. There are ample handicap parking spots at each of the pull offs, as well as accessible bathrooms at certain areas around the park. The bathrooms are good sized and have ADA handrails. Most of the trails here are gravel but have some steeper areas requiring assistance.
Arches National Park is normally open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Visitor Center and Devils Garden Campground are normally open most of the year but, due to us traveling in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic they were closed. I read that the campground does have a couple of accessible camp sites which is awesome!
We visited at the beginning of June and there were absolutely no crowds. Definitely not normal for this time of year! The climate was very warm and that fluctuated throughout the day. There were no stores open inside parks. As most of you know, traveling with kids, you always make sure to have a good variety of snacks and drinks in the car! Something else to keep in mind, there are no gas stations or lodging inside the park. Those amenities are all located in the city of Moab about ten minutes away. We had spotty cellular service during our time inside the park. They do have pay phones (yes, they still exist!) at the visitor center. There is no public Wi-Fi.
All of the ranger led programs have been halted during this time due to Covid-19. Once you have the map you can see which areas are open for self-guided touring. The website also gives a great breakdown of each hiking trail and the obstacles that one might face if you have a disability. Plan to spend at least 3 hours here and up to a full day if you plan to hike.
Pets are allowed to visit in the parks as well, but must stay on roads or parking areas. They are not allowed on hiking trails. But service animals are allowed everywhere in the park. Remember to keep yourself and your animals hydrated while visiting the park. They can become exhausted and overheated just like we can!
Please visit www.nps.gov for more information on Arches National Park as well as many other park locations.
I would love to help you with your next vacation!
Erin Buchanan
601 832-1561 or erin@wishesfamilytravel.com