Fiery Furnace - Arches NP
The Fiery Furnace is one of the best things in Arches NP. You must obtain a permit ($6) in person from the visitor center and watch a mandatory video before entering. There are only a few small arrows marking a path and some "dead end ahead" post scattered throughout. We noticed that most of the good things were somewhere just beyond the dead end signs and that arrows don't actually lead you towards any of the cool formation or arches hidden with the canyons.
Ranger : "Is this your first time entering the Furnace?"
Us: "Yep, pretty excited"
Ranger: "We recommend the first time you go on a guided trip with one of the rangers as every single day multiple people end up lost inside"
Us: " How do we get in on one of those?"
Ranger: " They leave daily April through October"
Us: "Ohhhh...."
Ranger: "Here is your permit good for today, Feb 18th, only... NEXT"
Don't be like one of those people who get lost. Do some planning, like punching in the coordinates for various arches into your GPS app. Also be aware that the high canyon walls will send your GPS on the fritz but it will still give you a decent idea of where you are.
I set a bunch of way points in this GPS file so you can have a rough idea of where to head, but this place is really made for exploring...
Surprise Arch
Skull Arch
Walk Through Arch
