Distance: 3 miles
Elevation gain: 600 feet
No, the mile-long scramble that gains 1,000 feet isn’t why this hike makes the list. Nor is it the 30-foot-tall, elevator-shaft entry into the belly of the Wichita Mountains. Rather, it’s the underground maze over and under boulders through the cave-like Rock Rooms. (You don’t need rope or technical skills for this trip.) Begin this 3-mile loop on the Elk Mountain Trail as you navigate 1.1 miles over scree to the mountaintop. Find the near-vertical entry into the Rock Rooms on the west side of the summit, and then use ledges to maneuver down the narrow, boulder-clogged chute. At the bottom, follow the openings through the various Rock Rooms. Crawl through the final tunnel to reach daylight and Charon’s Garden Trail, which loops 1.5 miles back to the trailhead.
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Arches National Park, even after the Memorial Day weekend, was having to turn single vehicle visitors away because it was so full. The national parks and monuments in Utah are seeing huge crowds.
Utah s national parks see traffic, congestion and gate closures over Memorial Day weekend K. Sophie Will, St. George Spectrum & Daily News
With several notices beforehand, Utah s national parks geared up for battle against the anticipated crowds for Memorial Day weekend.
Now, as the dust settles, the parks are reviewing what happened over one of the busiest tourist weekends of the year.
Arches National Park had to temporarily delay entry to the park every day from Friday to Monday, including twice on Saturday and Sunday.
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Memorial Day sale: $1 for 6 months.
According to officials and Twitter data, the park has only had to close the park twice in one day only a few times before.
SALT LAKE CITY The Memorial Day holiday may be in the rearview mirror, but Utah s national parks and monuments continue to be at the front of the line for tourists wanting to drive through some of the state s most spectacular scenery.
Since May 20, with the exception of one day, Arches National Park has had to close the park each day temporarily until the line of motorists eases up and the park has additional capacity for new visitors.
It was reporting full capacity as late as Wednesday, when it warned potential tourists in a tweet that they needed to find an alternative attraction or return at a later time after visitation eased.