The Devil’s Garden Trail is located in Arches National Park, which is just one of many magnificent National Parks and Monuments in Utah. If you only had half a day to visit the park and you wanted to enjoy a hike, this would definitely be the place to go.
I got up at 6:30 and skipped breakfast. There had been quite a few people in the park the day before and I wanted to avoid the crowds. I packed a bottle of orange juice, a couple of energy bars, and an apple that I would consume on the trail. The trailhead is at the end of the park road, about 20 miles from the entrance, so by the time I got there it was almost 7:30. However, there were only about 15 or 20 cars in the parking lot at that time.
The sun was rising in the east casting dark shadows from the rock formations, but the clouds were dark in the west. Rain had been forecast for later in the day so I had my parka along. The first mile or so of the trail is quite wide and level and there are several side trails that lead to some interesting arches. I took them all. At one mile you encounter Landscape Arch, a surprisingly long thin span of rock that seems to defy gravity. Even if you only hike this far it would be worth the trip.
After Landscape Arch the trail heads up a narrow fin of slick rock. A sign warns that this is a primitive trail. It’s not very strenuous but it would be advisable to wear good hiking boots or shoes. The sun had long since disappeared by this point and the sky was gray but it didn’t look threatening. There was no wind and a hot air balloon floated past in the distance. That would be an interesting way to see the park. Some parts of the trail followed the tops of rock fins, which, though not as high as a balloon, still provided nice distant views.
Since I tended to stop longer at each arch than most other hikers, people started catching up with me. At one arch a group touring from the UK arrived and all had to take turns photographing each other in front of it. I could imagine doing the very same thing had I been there with a group of friends. I also enjoyed talking to a couple from The Netherlands who were touring the Southwest. It helps to add some social time to an otherwise solo hike.
When there were no arches in sight, the rock formations, plants and lichen did an admirable job of providing beauty and photo opportunities. Though the sun didn’t return, the sky did lighten for a while and patches of blue showed up here and there to cheer things up. Returning by the same trail I found that I stopped almost as often as I did on the way out. The scenery showed a new profile that needed to be examined. Also, this is when I really began to encounter more groups of hikers. By the time I returned to the parking lot it was full and scores of cars were parked along the road as well. My early arrival was definitely worth it.
According to park literature, the Devil’s Garden trail is the longest maintained trail in the park. If you include all of the side trails and the primitive loop the distance is 7.2 miles. Since I didn’t return via the primitive loop my hike was probably more like 6.2 miles. It’s recommended that you take 2-3 liters of water on this hike. Since it was a cool fall day, I took only 2 liters and had plenty to spare by the time I returned. I suspect that hiking on a 90+ degree day in July would have generated a much different result.