Plan Your Visit to Arches National Park Travel Guide
Arches National Park is known for its amazing natural arch formations. You will also find towers, pinnacles, monoliths, sand dunes, sandstone fins, hoodoos, balanced rocks, slot canyon mazes, and slick rocks. Not-to-miss park highlights include Delicate Arch, Double Arch, Landscape Arch, Window Trail, and Park Avenue Trail. Park activities include hiking, camping, scrambling, canyoneering, horseback riding, rock climbing, and stargazing. Over 1.5 million people visit Arches National Park each year. Plan your visit with this Arches National Park Travel Guide.
You are excited to visit Arches National Park and want to know the best time of year to visit, where to stay, what not to miss, and where to eat while there. Researching the best things to do while visiting Arches National Park while working full time is overwhelming and you don’t have hours to spend on the internet. Save time and plan an unforgettable trip full of top activities with this Arches National Park travel blog.
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Where is Arches National Park
Arches National Park is located in southeastern Utah five miles north of Moab on US 191. The closest major airport is Grand Junction, Colorado. There is no public transportation inside Arches National Park.
Facts About Arches National Park
This area became a national monument in 1929 and a national park in 1971.
An opening with 3 feet in any direction is considered an arch. Arches National Park has the highest density of arches in the world, there are over 2,000.
Forty-three arches are known to have collapsed since 1977.
Landscape Arch is the longest arch on the continent and the fourth-longest in the world. This arch is unstable and could collapse at any moment, visit soon.
Delicate Arch is 46 feet high and 32 feet wide. Delicate Arch is the most famous arch in the park and in the world. It is on the Utah license plates and has been on a postage stamp. Also, the Winter Olympics torch was passed through the arch in 2002.
The opening of the Double Arch is 112 feet, and it spans 144 feet. Double Arch was the setting of a scene in an Indiana Jones movie.
There are 64 arches in Devil’s Garden.
Balanced Rock weighs approximately 3,577 tons.
Arches National Park became a certified International Dark Sky Park in 2019.
Scenes from Thelma and Louise were filmed at Arches.
Best Time of Year to Visit Arches National Park
Summer is hot and crowded. Expect temperatures over 100 with little to no shade. Winter temperatures may be below freezing and snow is possible. Spring and fall bring moderate temperatures and fewer crowds. Wildflowers bloom April to July.
Accommodation in Arches National Park
The only lodging inside the park is the Devils Garden Campground, reservations for the 51 sites are available at Recreation.gov. Backcountry overnight permits are available at the visitor center. There are additional campsites, hotels, and vacation rentals are located in Moab
Plan Your Arches National Park Itinerary
Things to Do at Arches National Park
Take the 18-mile Arches Scenic Drive to the Devils Garden stopping at the viewpoints on the way.
Photograph Balanced Rock and Skyline Arch.
Take the Salt Valley Road to Tower Arch.
Spend the day canyoneering at Fiery Furnace slot canyon maze, permit required.
Do some rock climbing in the Garden of Eden.
Check out the 1900s Wolfe Ranch.
Attend a ranger lead stargazing program.
Be sure to check the Arches National Park Service for current events.
Arches National Park Hikes
Check out Sand Dune Arch and Broken Arch, .3 mile RT.
See North ad South Windows and the Turret Arch on the 1.0-mile RT Windows Trail.
Take the 1.1-mile RT Cove of Caves trail past the Parade of Elephants to the Double Arch.
Hike 1.6 miles RT to Landscape Arch, then turn the other way and check out Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch.
Take the 2 miles RT Park Avenue Trail through sandstone monoliths to Courthouse Towers.
Explore the 2.6-mile loop that links together Sand Arch, Broken Arch, and Tapestry Arch.
Hike 2.6 miles RT to Tower Arch.
Watch the sunset at Delicate Arch, 3.2 miles RT.
Hike 4.9 miles RT to Dark Angel or 5.2 miles RT to Tower Arch.
7.9-mile loop of the Devil’s Garden.
Take a ranger-led hike through the Fiery Furnace maze.
One Day in Arches National Park
Drive straight to the Windows Trail for sunrise. It will be crowded, choose a spot by Turret Arch. Visit the North and South Windows before crossing the parking lot to the Cove of Caves. Hike to Double Arch passing the Parade of Elephants on the trail. Tip: be sure to photograph Turret Arch through the North Window Arch.
Stop to photograph Balanced Rock and Skyline Arch on the way to the Devil’s Garden. Hike the 1.6 RT miles to Landscape Arch. Return and turn left to visit Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch.
Walkthrough a small slot canyon to Sand Dune Arch just as it is getting warm, there is shade on the trail. Continue on the trail to Broken Arch.
Drive the scenic road, stop at viewpoints, and enjoy your picnic lunch during the hottest part of the day.
Walk the Park Avenue Trail sandstone monoliths to Courthouse Towers in the late afternoon as the temperature cools.
Visit Delicate Arch for sunset. The bad news is it will be crowded. The good news is this is a slick rock trail and it will be easy to find your way by following everyone else. Consider stopping at the Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint on the way.
Tips for Visiting Arches National Park
Arrive early. Parking at trailheads often fills before 7:30 am resulting in restricted access for 3-5 hours.
You are not permitted to park off-road. If the lot is full, move on to the next location.
Use the restroom before you arrive and expect traffic congestion between March and October.
Drink at least 1 gallon of water per day in the desert climate.
There are no food services, pack a picnic lunch and snacks.
Cell service is inconsistent, download offline maps.
There is no public WiFi at Arches.
Wear layers, temperatures change quickly in the desert.
There are no services in Arches, fill the tank before arriving.
Pets are not allowed at overlooks, on or off hiking trails, or in the visitor center.
Avoid hiking during the middle of the day during the summer months.
Look for cairns (small rock piles) marking trails of slick rock. Do not move them or make your own.
Stay on trails, and do not destroy the area’s cryptobiotic crust.
Sandstone crumbles and is dangerous. It is easier to climb up than down, be careful.
You may not climb on named arches.
Be alert for rattlesnakes.
Most climbing routes are closed from March through August to allow raptors to breed.
Bicycles and e-bikes are allowed on paved and unpaved roads that are open to the public and ride single file.
Backcountry roads are not passable after rain.
ATVs and off-roading are prohibited at Arches.
Check the Park Calendar for Ranger-Led Programs.
Practice Leave No Trace Principles.
Purchase an America the Beautiful Pass and keep exploring National Parks.
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Plan Your Trip to Arches National Park
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