I wasn’t sure this trip would ever happen. I first planned it for the middle of March 2020 and, obviously, had to cancel. I figured another opportunity would come around, but each time I tried to plan this trip, something came up, something stopped me from going.

Last summer, I decided to try again. I pulled up the plans I’d made two and three years earlier, booked a rental car and some flights and planned to finally check Arches and Canyonlands off my National Park checklist. But, as my departure date inched closer, the health of my senior dog started to decline, and by the time I was a month out, I was thinking about cancelling so I could be there for whatever time he had left. Then, just a few weeks before the trip, he died.

After, I wasn’t sure what to do. I wasn’t sure how traveling would feel, wasn’t sure I wanted to be away from home. I wasn’t sure what I wanted, wasn’t sure what I needed but, a week out, I decided to go, mostly because the desert helps me heal.

Over the course of a week, I covered something like 1,250 miles in a giant blue rental truck, and saw Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse State Park, Colorado National Monument and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Day 1: Denver & Arches National Park

Because I live in Richmond, Virginia, which has a small but delightful airport, I am often forced to get creative with my travel. Denver is 6.5 hours from Arches National Park, and while a flight to Grand Junction, Colorado, would have drastically shortened my drive, it also would have doubled the price of my airline ticket. So, I flew to Denver, arrived just before noon, hopped in the truck and headed west.

By 6 p.m. that night, after one iced coffee and a supply run in Grand Junction, my tent was set up at Devil’s Garden Campground, the campground within Arches. I had more than an hour before the sunset, so I decided to wander. The trail to Broken Arch and Tapestry Arch was a quick 1.7 mile loop within walking distance of my campsite and made for a perfect easy introduction to the magic of the park.

Day 2: Delicate Arch & the Devil’s Garden Trail

Early the next day, I got up an hour before sunrise and headed to Delicate Arch (moderate 3.2 mile out + back). On the way up, the moon was out and I didn’t need my headlamp, and neither did the couple in front of me who heard me behind them and both turned around simultaneously and absolutely obliterated by night vision with their very bright, very obnoxious white headlamps.

Here’s what I’ll say about Delicate Arch: It is beautiful. It is magnificent. It is crowed. If you do not hold onto your water bottle, it will roll down the hill under the arch and you will have to scramble down there and get it.

I stayed and watched the sun come up for about an hour, then made more coffee in the parking lot before heading out for my big hike of the day on the Devil’s Garden Trail (hard/moderate 7.9 mile loop). If arches are what you’re after in Arches National Park, this is the trail for you. I made it a loop, but you can tackle it as an out and back and go as far as you feel like going, or not.

Afterwards, I popped into town for beer and nachos at the Moab Brewery, then slipped into the visitor center for an safety overview in advance of the next day’s adventure. On the way back to camp, I stopped at Double Arch (easy .6 mile out + back) and Sand Dune Arch (easy .3 mile out + back).

Day 3: the Fiery Furnace & Canyonlands National Park

I got to the trailhead for the Fiery Furnace just after sunrise. This is a choose your own adventure-style hike that requires a permit and a safety briefing to explore. I spent about three hours wandering in the Furnace and if I have any advice for fellow travelers here, it’s to wander down each and every pathway with a dead end sign. You will not be disappointed.

At this point, I changed my plans. Originally, I was going to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park right after I hiked the Furnace to hike to Druid Arch, but I’d landed wrong on my ankle the day before and opted to take things a little easier. Instead of going direct to the Needles, I went to the Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands to take in Mesa Arch (easy .7 mile out + back) and the staggering, absolutly insane views.

Then, with a campsite reservation in hand, I drove the 2.5 hours to the Needles. I set up camp, then went to the Cave Spring Trail (easy .6 mile loop) for a little bit of park history.

Day 4: Druid Arch & Dead Horse State Park

Determined to see epic shit, I woke up early, broke camp and headed the short distance to the trailhead for Druid Arch (moderate 9.7 mile out + back). This trail is long, but it is not that hard as it follows a wash with minimal elevation gain for most of the hike.

After hiking to Druid Arch, I traveled back toward Moab for a snack at Proper Brewing Company and then on to Dead Horse State Park, where I camped for the night. I took off for a wander after I set up camp and walked part of the Rim Loop Trail.

Day 5: Canyonlands National Park & Colorado National Monument

I took in sunrise at Dead Horse State Park and was absolutely marveled by the scenery. This part of Utah, like all of Utah really, is full of epic, endless views.

Because I was close, I went back to Island in the Sky at Canyonlands. Originally, I’d planned to hike the Syncline Loop (hard 7.9 miles), but with my ankle tweaked it didn’t seem like a good choice. Instead, I checked out Upheaval Dome (moderate 1.3 mile out + back) and then, because I wanted just a little bit more time there, hiked to Murphy Point (easy 3.4 out + back).

Sweaty and happy, I started my trek back east, to Colorado National Monument, right near Grand Junction and less than two hours from Moab. I set up camp then hiked the Monument Canyon Loop Trail (moderate 4.5 miles).

Day 6: Colorado National Monument & Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

I started the morning with a drive along the Rim Rock Drive, which runs for 23 miles through the park. The views are spectacular and, before heading off to my next adventure, I hiked the Devil’s Kitchen Trail (moderate 1.5 mile out +back). I’d been hoping to see mountain goats, but I had no luck.

After leaving Grand Junction, I headed 1.5 hours down the road to my last stop, to Black Canyon of the Gunnison. I drove along the South Rim Road and stopped at nearly every overlook to take in the views of this magnificent canyon. It’s difficult to understand the scale of this thing in photos, but in person it is staggering.

Day 7: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park

I lined up with a few others at the Visitor Center around 7:30 a.m. in order to ensure I got the opportunity to hike into the canyon. It seemed like the perfect way to end the trip, and after listening to a safety briefing and securing my permit, I set off down the Gunnison Route (strenuous 2 miles out + back) to the bottom of the canyon.

The hike down was a significant life event, but it was well worth the effort to sit alongside the Gunnison River and feel like a tiny speak in a great big world.

After the hike and with a flight out of Denver the next morning, I headed east and spent the night in Silverthorne, Colorado, where I ate a massive plate of nachos and took a (much needed) shower.