Two weeks from today, it is likely that I will hiking this trail in Arches National Park. Moab is certainly one of my favorite and most visited destinations for classic southwestern landscapes. The area has two major national parks (Arches and Canyonlands); a killer state park (Dead Horse State Park) and a a national scenic byway that follows along the mighty Colorado River.
I could pick any one of these places and call them my favorite. The one I always want to visit first though is Arches. The very first place to stop in the park is the Park Avenue Viewpoint. From the viewpoint, you look through a mile-long canyon and you can view its many sandstone monoliths. It is also the beginning of the hiking trail that runs the length of the canyon. As you walk down the floor of the canyon, you realize where it got its name. All around you, the sandstone walls tower above you, just like the skyscrapers that line New York's Park Avenue. The hike is not very strenuous, and is generally flat after a steep climb down the stone steps. Can't wait to be there again.