Fiery Furnace is a geological feature at Arches National Park, which is five miles north of Moab in Utah along Highway 191. It is approximately four hours from the international airport at Salt Lake City. The Greyhound bus service travels along Interstate 70, making stops at Grand Junction, Colorado and Green River, Utah, whilst commercial van services operate between Moab and Salt Lake City as well as Grand Junction.
The park has over 2,000 cataloged natural sandstone arches including the famous Delicate Arch, as well asmany other unusual rock formations. Arches are defined by having an opening measuring at least three feet in any direction caused by the forces of nature, which in Arches National Park has exposed millions of years of geological history. Visitors here can see a landscape of varying colors, landforms and textures that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world.
The Fiery Furnace is a mazelike labyrinth of narrow sandstone canyons and is one of the most spectacular places to visit at the park. However, it is difficult to find and therefore it is recommended visitors take on of the guided tours. The Fiery Furnace tours are available twice each day between March and October, and can last up to three hours.
These hikes are considered to be quite strenuous so it is recommended visitors take the tour with a ranger first time around and is probably not suitable for children under the age of five and pets are not permitted. Children of all ages must be supervised by an adult at all times and good hiking boots and plenty of water are a must. Hikers will have to walk on irregular and broken sandstone as well as passing along high narrow ledges, so this is perhaps not the ideal tour for someone with a fear of heights.
Visitors will also come across narrow places in the rock that they will have to squeeze into and pull themselves up and through. Some of these places will require strength in holding the body off the ground by pushing against the sandstone walls with the hands and feet. These hikes are very popular so visitors may have to book a couple of days in advance and group numbers are restricted.
The parkis open throughout the year for 24 hours a day and includes a Visitor Center, which only stays closed on Christmas Day. The opening hours of the visitor center are 7.30am to 6.30pm between April and October and 8am to 4.30pm between November and March. Here visitors can find out about tours and programs at the park and rangers are located throughout the site to provide assistance and answer questions about the amazing landscape and arches.
Visitors should note that food, gas, lodging and similar services are not available in the park. Anyone with mobility impairments can access the visitor center and restrooms throughout the park as well as Devils Garden Campground site #37, the Park Avenue Viewpoint and the Delicate Arch Viewpoint.
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