We had about a day and a half in the park and this was our favorite because it gives you a diverse and complete taste of everything. Being at the top and looking at that arch was incredible and empowering, and I am so glad we did it. You won't believe how people scamper around killing dropoffs like they're curbs.) Even so, as seen safely from across the bowl, it was breathtaking. (Personally I think a lot of people should have a greater respect for their surroundings and risk. To get directly under the arch, you'd have to keep going and walk around a huge "bowl" which slants *toward* a 400 foot dropoff, and that part too me just seemed too scary and dangerous. Once at the top, you have an absolutely exhilarating view. You can get across the ledge by facing the wall and holding it the whole way plus it slants inward, away from the dropoff, which helps. I STRONGLY suggest going very early in the morning because there will be far fewer people (we got there at 8am) and that makes the ledge much easier - you won't have to share it with two-way foot traffic, and there will just be fewer moving bodies to make you nervous. It's 3-4 feet wide, and at its highest point it felt to me like the equivalent of being 4 or 5 stories up. (On the way back down, this part will be *less* scary because you'll likely be looking more at where your feet are than at the dropoff, you will be even farther from the edge of the rock, and you may feel more confident.) To actually see the arch, you will need to traverse a ledge that curves around the rock for about 200 feet. On the way up I found that part scary and hard to look at, but if you stick to the left then you can stay quite far (30-40 feet) away from the edge this might not even be an issue for you depending on the severity of your fear. The first and by far longest part is a stretch of slickrock - that's basically just a smooth, upwardly slanting rock face, but not actually slippery unless it's raining. I was scared to death to go, but my fiancé talked me into at least trying it and know that if you get there and feel like you can't handle the ledge, it is the kind of hike that you can turn around and leave, you won't be trapped. We brought water and sunscreen and energy bars.As someone with a pretty serious fear of heights, I'm going to give you my honest thoughts on this hike in case you're wondering whether you can handle it. It was a nice wide, safe hiking trail most of the way but there were lots of slanted rock surfaces that could have been slippery if wet or with flimsy shoes. I found that to be a very accurate description. Just before you get to Delicate Arch, the trail goes along a rock ledge for about 200 yards.” The trail climbs gradually and levels out toward the top of this rock face. Upon reaching the slickrock, follow the rock cairns. The first half-mile is a wide, well-defined trail. “Open slickrock with some exposure to heights. Here is the Delicate Arch Hike Description from the National Park Service: I have been told that it is packed with people during warmer times of the year but on our November Delicate Arch Hike, there were times when it was just my friend and I and the open sky and total quiet. Going for the Delicate Arch hike in November was wonderful because you avoid the crowds.
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