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My wife and I are thinking of signing up for a 5-day float trip on the Green River near Maob, the first week of August. We'd like to tack on a week or so of hiking and/or backpacking. We've been salivating over the descriptions of Arches and Canyonlands in "Hiking the Southwest's Canyon Country", but we also wonder if we're insane to attempt this in August. My thought was to start early each day and to sit out the hottest part of the day (noon to 3:00?). I also figured that backpacking is probably out of the question because we wouldn't be able to count on finding water. Any suggestions? As a bit of background, we live in Pennsylvania but hike in AZ a week or two every year; last November the trip included the Cave "Trail" in the Superstitions and 3 nights in the Grand Canyon, going down the Hermit and coming up Bright Angel with two visits to the river on the way.

Thanks,
Will

It can get in the 100's in that area in August. Most of Arches can be done as dayhikes, and will be full of summer tourists'. Any backpacking I would consider would be in the high country or along a lower desert river, but then those horse flies can be sheer murder at that time. They can bite through most nylon pants, I can tell you from first hand experience.

Water may be scarce in canyonlands and throughout most of Moab at that time of year, depending on the most recent monsoon storm.

RR44 is not lying about the roided-out horse flies.

It will be hot and crowded with little water. Away from the main roads and trails you might not find many people, but you'll also need to be sure about how to get back to your ride - the terrain up there is nothing like the Supes.

Hiking under a full moon in August among all the sandstone can be really amazing (and eerie).
That's how I have beat the heat before. However, it is much easier to get turned around since you can't see far away landmarks.
Canyonlands is a better bet if you are hoping to avoid crowds - Arches can be mobbed during summer vacation.

Wife and I vacationed a few years back in the Moab area in July and it was HOT. We did what you're suggesting...got our day hikes completed by about 11 AM each day. We then drove to our next destination in the afternoon.

Thanks for all the replies. What time of year would you suggest for Arches/Canyonland?

Now-April or Fall.

I visited Arches in early June, it was a little warm mid-day, but not bad. I enjoyed it very much. Might depend on the weather, but it was pretty typical weather for AZ that I recall.

Arches has some elevation as it sits on the Colorado plateau (I think... ...waiting for a geologist to tell me if I'm wrong).

Canyonlands is much lower I think - a few thousand feet might make it too hot in June.

Passed through while heading up to Wyoming, it was nice.

nonot wrote:Arches has some elevation as it sits on the Colorado plateau (I think... ...waiting for a geologist to tell me if I'm wrong).
Canyonlands is much lower I think - a few thousand feet might make it too hot in June.

Both Canyonlands and Arches are located in the Colorado Plateau.
Canyonlands is something like 4500-5900 ft elevation, depending where you are.
Arches is something like 4100-5600 ft elevation, depending where.
In August, average high at both locations are around 97.
So Canyonlands may be a bit higher elevation, but the difference of a couple hundred feet doesn't matter too much in August with no shade.

There's always the option of checking out the nearby La Sal Mountains which have peaks topping over 12,000 feet. Looking at the map, Canyonlands' Island in the Sky tops out at just 6,000 feet so if you're really set on hitting the Moab area with slickrock and sandstone experience , you could camp at any the Island in the Sky or Dead Horse State Park campgrounds. No solitude, but the views are killer from up there and 70 degree night time temps up there wouldn't make for terrible sleeping. Arches is at 4,500 at it's lowest and 5,000 at it's highest. Everything in Arches is short and relatively flat so I think early morning hikes in the park would be just fine in August. Really, I think it depends on how dead set on doing longer and challenging outings. If you really want to get into the backcountry, wait until October. If you're content doing short and light hikes, which are all that is required to see all the really famous sights up there (Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch, Turret Arch and the Windows, Double Arch, Grandview Point, Mesa Arch, Dead Horse Point, ect), then an August would be a little toasty but still worthwhile. I went up to Moab for a three-day weekend this past November, and did just that. I had never been up that way so I was stoked just to see all the landmarks, and of course I'm itching like mad to go back and explore further. Oh, and if you do go, check out Corona Arch.