"Utah's National Parks" by Ron Adkinson and published by Wilderness Press

Trip 13 - Sand Dune and Broken Arches

Distance:                 1.2 miles round trip

Elevation Change:    5180/5320 feet

Suited For:               Walk

Difficulty:                Moderately Easy

Hazards:                  Negligible

Introduction:    Not only does this pleasant jaunt offer access to two lovely arches, but the trail boasts far-flung vistas and allows the hiker to observe a curious distribution of desert plants.  Each plant in this high desert county has certain environmental requirements, and their distribution depends on local environmental conditions.  On this short hike, we'll notice that grasses and certain shrubs thrive in deep, well drained soils, but as one approaches slickrock  and the soil becomes shallow, shrubs such as blackbrush come to dominate.  And growing at the very foot of the fins of the Devils Garden and Fiery Furnace, where bedrock lies just below the surface, are pinion and juniper.

June 4, 2003

This was an interesting trail with my first glimpses of the local wildlife.  I found the mandatory lizards, tiny ground squirrels, and a quick flash of puffy white that I later realized was a baby rabbit after spotting a cagey rabbit later on in the trail.

Here's the pics (Click on the picture to see full size):

These are low res pictures.  I can send you higher quality pictures if you want them