This Bizarre, One-Of-A-Kind Hike In Arches National Park Is A Natural Maze Of Red Rocks

With more than 2,000 documented rock arches, Arches National Park in southern Utah has the "densest concentration of natural stone arches in the world" (according to its website). The surreal arches and red rock scenery have made the perfect backdrop for films such as "The Last Crusade" (the third Indiana Jones movie), but the good news is you don't have to be an action-film hero to experience this awesome scenery for yourself. The best way to do it is by wandering along the park's most iconic trails, whose descriptive names — like Devils Garden and Fiery Furnace — conjure up scenes from Dante's Inferno.  

While you can't go wrong hiking in any part of the park, head to the one-of-a-kind Fiery Furnace for an unbeatable adventure. This is a challenging hiking area that will test your balance, athletic ability, and your navigational skills. It may also make your head spin with its maze-like terrain, bizarre but breathtaking canyons, and colorful rock formations. Another plus is that Fiery Furnace doesn't get overly crowded; permits are required for access, and only a certain number of permits are available per day. Visitors can also enter this area on guided tours led by park rangers. 

Before you embark on a self-guided walk on the 2-mile Fiery Furnace loop trail, you must reserve a permit online (you cannot reserve them in person) at least two days (but not more than seven days) before your intended hiking date. Then, you can pick up your permit at the Arches Visitor Center the day before or the day of your hike. Prior to leaving the visitor center, all members of your hiking group must listen to an orientation lecture and watch a video explaining some of the challenges you can expect on this unique hike, as well as how to respect and protect the fragility of the desert environment.  

Once inside the Fiery Furnace, get ready to be gobsmacked by the incredible array of geological formations in this section of the park. According to Blake Snow, who wrote about his experience in an article in the LA Times, these include "several arches, a sea of balancing rocks and mushroom like toadstools, massive cliff walls, incredibly tight slot canyons, layers upon layers of sandstone fins that divide the landscape and even a few open spaces. There are deep canyons, dead ends, sweeping vistas of distant formations elsewhere in the park, and a deafening amount of silence." The only loudness here is the glowing red-orange hue of the landscape, which really does resemble a fiery furnace, a name that is at odds with one of the quietest destinations on earth. 

Some who have hiked in Fiery Furnace describe the experience as more of a scramble than a trek or walk: "I'd say you're scrambling 80% of the time. You must be sure-footed and like an adventure. There's some exposure and tight squeezes through the sandstone fins. It's a lot of fun. If you go with an open mind, you'll have fun too," wrote one Tripadvisor reviewer after visiting Fiery Furnace. All that rock scrambling means you should be prepared to use your legs, arms, and hands (and common sense) to maintain balance. You should also be on the lookout for gaps or holes in the trail that you could stumble into if you're not careful. 

Besides rock scrambling ability, route-finding skills are also important, although getting disoriented at some point is somewhat inevitable here; that shouldn't be cause for panic. Following the little white arrows on the rocks helps hikers stay on the 2-mile route, particularly on rocky sections where a dirt trail or footprints aren't visible. If you haven't seen a white arrow in a while, you may have wandered off the trail, and backtracking to the last white arrow can help you get back on track. This is all part of the adventure that is Fiery Furnace. If you've still got the energy for more hikes once you're done, you're in luck; Arches National Park also offers a hike to the incredible Delicate Arch.