I love Arches – it has a special place in my heart; probably because I was born and raised in Utah and Delicate Arch is what you see on many Utah license plates.

Austin and I hiked there last Saturday. It was a good hike. Here’s why you should visit Moab and all its surrounding attractions in the winter:

1. There’s less people

If you go to Zion National Park, Arches National Park, or anywhere that is highly popular, there will ALWAYS be people – even in December and January.

But there will be LESS of them. Less disputes over parking, more campgrounds. I’m convinced that parking disputes are at least one of the primary reasons why most people hate crowds.

2. The snow and sandstone makes for unearthly beauty

Look at this:

How stunning is that? What a colorful combination of red rock, white snow, green shrubs and bright blue skies.

The sandstone with the snow sometimes made for decent traction – the more crumbly bits of rock and sand that mixed in with the snow, the better traction. Unfortunately this was not universally true – there were some particularly slick bits and I saw someone wipe out. Take it easy and be safe.

3. It’s still decently good weather

Granted, you should still wear a jacket. Be sensible – this isn’t Hawaii, and there’s always a chance the weather will be bad. But it’s a lot better than what they’re experiencing in Florida right now, amirite??

(I do feel bad for Florida, that weather is insane)

It was a clear day when we went. It made for a good hike and warmed us up so much more easily.

If you get the chance to go to Moab during the winter, take it – you’ll get more out of it than you realize.