UT · National Parks
Arches National Park
76,000 acres of eroded sandstone fins, balanced rocks, and the highest concentration of natural arches on earth.
2,000+
Named Arches
76K
Acres
17mi
Of Trails
1971
Established
Our Take
Of all of the National Parks, Arches provides the best single day experience of any park in the system. Unlike other small parks you can explore in a day but feel underwhelmed by (hello, Hot Springs), Arches provides an enormous amount of visual “bang” for the buck for such a compact park. There’s a great scenic drive that gets you easy access to each distinct area of the park, and with only 17 miles of official trails all of Arches’ key geological features such as the Windows, Double Arch, Landscape Arch, Park Avenue, Balanced Rock, and more are on relatively short trails. Even the “longer” trails such as Delicate Arch and the more distant arches in Devils Garden are still more on the “moderate” than strenuous side at least compared to other parks. Assuming you get an early start, you can experience a ton of the park in a day. We still recommend spending far more than a day in the area, however, so you can experience other amazing places nearby.
The key thing for a successful trip in Arches is planning around and for the heat. Visit in Spring or Fall if you can, and plan your longer hikes for cooler mornings whenever possible. We like to do the longer, more strenuous hikes like Delicate Arch and Devil’s Garden first thing in the morning (if you do Delicate Arch at sunrise you can still get into the Devil’s Garden parking lot by 8-8:30am, which is what we did), take a long break around lunch time to avoid hiking during peak heat, and then hit smaller shorter trails like Windows and Park Avenue in the afternoon. This naturally gives you a short break in your car’s AC between each of these smaller trails as you drive between them, and you can keep doing smaller overlooks and trails until you feel satisfied and ready to return to the comfort of your hotel or RV.
Recommended for
Stargazing
Photography
Geology
Kids
Scenic Drives
Petroglyphs
Top Things to Do
Hike Delicate Arch ▼
Delicate Arch is one the most photographed geological formations on earth, and an iconic symbol of Utah’s desert landscapes. This 3 mile round trip trail is found in the very heart of Arches National Park, and alternates between fairly easy dirt trails and some short but strenuous slickrock climbs. While the Arch itself is stunning, make sure to take the time to take a full 360 look at your surroundings, which include views of the La Sal Mountains, sweeping vistas of the park’s desert landscape, and the sandstone gulch along the north side of the vista point. This gulch in particular is a missed opportunity for sunrise and sunset photos, as it lights up in stunning pinks and oranges when you hit it at the right time.
Hike Devil's Garden ▼
Devil’s Garden, like Delicate Arch, is something that needs to be experienced to really understand as no single photo can capture it. The trail starts between towering sandstone fins, passes expansive views of juniper flats, and then leads into rocky outcroppings featuring large arches. Landscape Arch, the longest arch in North America is easily hiked as a 1.8 mile out and back, but this trail has numerous off shoots and options to expand your hike to see more arches. Experienced hikers looking for a challenge may want to tackle the primitive section that loops back down from Double O Arch to Landscape arch, but this requires route finding, scrambling, and sometimes a water crossing — if you tackle it, be prepared with lots of water, maps, and a GPS device to help you just in case you get turned around.
Explore The Windows ▼
Just past Balanced Rock, you’ll find the side road for the Windows Section of the park with several short but highly worthwhile trails. The North and South Windows and Turret Arch are part of the 1.1 mile Windows Loop trail (though most people don’t do the back half of the loop), and Double Arch is an easy .6 mile round trip from the lower parking lot. While the Windows tend to be the most popular to photograph in this area, Double Arch is the second largest span and the tallest opening of all the arches in the park, and it’s sheer presence is incredibly impressive as you get up closer to it. While this section of the park is best experienced in the early morning for photographs and lighting, this is also a great option for an easy afternoon activity as each trail is short and manageable even in higher temperatures.
Explore Park Avenue ▼
Whether you’re only stopping for the accessible Overlook or embarking on the 2 mile round trip trail, Park Avenue is a great late afternoon stop when the sun begins to drop and walls light up with color. The Park Avenue trail takes you down into a wash that is flanked on either side by vertical canyon walls with massive presence, featuring rock formations given names like “Queen Nefertiti”, before existing near the Courthouse Wash further down the scenic drive. While the trail can be done in one direction (1 mi) if you have someone to pick you up on the other side, most people will do the out and back to keep logistics simple, and you can choose how much of the trail you want to explore before you head back if you need to keep it shorter.
Take A Jeep Tour ▼
One thing that immediately becomes clear the second you enter the main gateway town for Arches and Canyonlands is that Moab is a hot spot for off-roading adventure, and you are in the heart of Jeep Country. Numerous tours are available to take you to amazing places only accessible with deep off roading capabilities, including UTV or side by side tours that even traverse narrow sandstone fins to reach high vistas.
Visit Mill Canyon Dinosaur Track Site ▼
Utah is known for its dinosaur fossils, and just north of Moab you’ll find the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Track Site where you can see both well preserved tracks as well actual bones still embedded in a canyon wall along a 1.8 mile loop trail. The track site is on an easy dirt road accessible by all types of vehicles, including RVs, but getting back to the bone trail requires a more nimble AWD or 4WD with higher clearance to navigate the sand (and we do not recommend attempting it when the sand is wet). You can walk this road back to the Bone Trail instead of drive it, as there is a smaller parking lot at the start of the road, but know that it’s a bit of sandy slog to get to the trail head that way. Allison is a big fan of dinosaurs and Utah Raptors in particular, so we paired this with a quick stop at the new Utahraptor State Park Visitor Center nearby which is tiny but interesting for dinosaur enthusiasts — you can even buy a replica of the “velociraptor” claw used in the original Jurassic Park film.
Potash Road Scenic Drive ▼
If you’re visiting Arches and Canyonlands, we highly recommend exploring Potash Road as a scenic drive! This 30 mile round trip will have you driving between stunning vertical cliff walls and the Colorado River, and is amazing in the early morning and sunrise to really bring out the color in the rock. Along the route you’ll pass popular spots for climbers, ancient petroglphys you can see from the roadside, and stunning geological formations on either side of the road. When you reach the Potash factory, where you’ll turn around, you’ll be able to see the mesa Dead Horse State Park is located on to the west. Getting there is easy, with the entrance on the south side of the highway between Moab and the Arches entrance, and it’s worth checking out even if you only have time for half the drive.
Hike Corona Arch ▼
Located at the halfway point of the Potash Road scenic drive, Corona Arch deserves its own entry — this is our personal favorite hike in the Moab area but can be easy to miss if you’re only looking at hikes in the parks themselves. If you find Arches too crowded or want something with a bit more adventure, Corona Arch is a 2.4 mile round trip where you get to see Pinto Arch from a distance (or optional side trail), pass Bowtie Arch, and then walk up to and under the massive Corona Arch. The “adventure” part comes in the form a small chains and ladder segment, so it does require some basic ability to pull yourself upwards but the reward is well worth it. We saw people of all abilities make it all the to the arch, and our six year old handled it like a pro.
Visit Canylands National Park ▼
Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are often visited as a pair, with the exit for Canyonland’s Island in the Sky District just 7 miles up the road from Arches. While there is a short drive to actually get into the park, it’s a scenic one as you climb from the valley to the top of the mesa. From here you can opt for a scenic drive stopping at stunning view points such as the Grand View Point or Green River Overlook, or explore various hikes including the famous Mesa Arch that features in many photographer’s bucket list for sunrise shots. We highly recommend both the Island In the Sky District and Needles District, so check out our dedicated page on Canyonlands to learn more about this great park.
Visit Dead Horse State Park ▼
Dead Horse State Park is a small park easily visited on the way into Canyonlands, with turn off for the park’s entrance being just before Canyonlands' official entrance. While this is a separate fee from the US National Parks pass and Canyonlands, it’s well worth the price of admission to explore the namesake Dead Horse Point — we’d even go so far as to say this is a much more stunning vista than Canyonland’s overlooks, as the more distinct details and points of interest like the Colorado River’s gooseneck point or the curious blue pop of the Potash fields in the distance just make it more interesting to take in.
Our Tips
1
No Timed Entry In 2026
While Arches had a Timed Entry system in recent years requiring a reservation to enter the park, it is not in effect in 2026. This does mean the long entry lines are back during the busy season, though, so it’s best to arrive early or in mid afternoon to avoid the wait at the entry station.
2
Pack A Lunch
There is no food or snacks available for purchase in the park, so either pack a lunch or expect to head outside the park for lunch. The only water is available at the Visitor’s Center and Devil’s Garden trailhead. We love REI’s foldable travel cooler for this purpose, it does great at keeping lunch meat and supplies cool even when in a baking car (just grab ice from your hotel’s ice machine or a gas station).
3
Stay Hydrated
It’s easy to underestimate how much you’re sweating in the desert, because it will evaporate on your clothes and you won’t “feel” like you’re sweating. If you’re hitting the trail, carry water (even our six year old carries a hydration pack) and some salty snacks to help replenish electrolytes. If you’re often getting a headache or “crashing” when you get back to your hotel, water or electrolytes are likely culprits.
4
Start Your Day Early
Temperatures can soar in Arches, especially during the summer, and parking lots for popular hiking trails such as Delicate Arch can fill up by 8:30am. Beat the heat and the crowds by starting your day early. We’re normally a coffee shop in the morning kind of family, but for the desert we try to start our day at sunrise to take advantage of the lower temperatures.
5
Take A Break 11am-2pm
On hot days in peak summer, mid-day can be brutal. A great way to handle this is to plan more strenuous hikes like Delicate Arch or longer routes in Devil’s Garden first thing in the morning, take a break during peak sun, and then come back to the park around 2-2:30 to tackle shorter activities near the entrance such as Park Avenue, Balanced Rock, or the Windows in the afternoon.
6
Consider a Sunrise Start for Delicate Arch
Capturing sunset at Delicate Arch is often on visitor’s bucket lists, but this popular trail can be very tricky to find a spot in the parking lot. We opted to start 45 minutes before sunrise using headlamps, even though we had never done anything like this before, and it was a highlight of our time in the park. By the time you start getting up to the arch and any risky ledges, you’ll have the lighting you need to see.
When To Visit
Our pick: Mid March to Early May.
Unlike mountain parks that are still snowed in by May, the ‘shoulder’ season in early spring is the best time to visit Arches National Park. The temperatures are moderate, and you avoid the peak heat and crowds that settle in by late May and June. Fall is another wonderful time to visit the park for similar reasons, but if you’re planning a road trip to visit other Utah parks such as Zion or Capitol Reef, we recommend visiting in spring so you’re able to see the best wildflowers and bright green river growth in those parks.
If you have school age children, this makes for a great Spring Break trip, but keep in mind that Utah residents will have a similar idea and the parks will feel a little more crowded that week. While we have seen recommendations to avoid Moab during the Moab Easter Jeep Safari, our last trip overlapped with the event and while it was a bit busier it was by no means miserable. If your dates are fully flexible, it can be better to avoid the event due to increased hotel prices, but if this is the only time you can visit Arches it won’t ruin your trip. If you ever feel too crowded, pop over to Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse State Park, Potash Road, or the Mill Creek dinosaur sites, and you’ll find a bit more quiet.
Unlike mountain parks that are still snowed in by May, the ‘shoulder’ season in early spring is the best time to visit Arches National Park. The temperatures are moderate, and you avoid the peak heat and crowds that settle in by late May and June. Fall is another wonderful time to visit the park for similar reasons, but if you’re planning a road trip to visit other Utah parks such as Zion or Capitol Reef, we recommend visiting in spring so you’re able to see the best wildflowers and bright green river growth in those parks.
If you have school age children, this makes for a great Spring Break trip, but keep in mind that Utah residents will have a similar idea and the parks will feel a little more crowded that week. While we have seen recommendations to avoid Moab during the Moab Easter Jeep Safari, our last trip overlapped with the event and while it was a bit busier it was by no means miserable. If your dates are fully flexible, it can be better to avoid the event due to increased hotel prices, but if this is the only time you can visit Arches it won’t ruin your trip. If you ever feel too crowded, pop over to Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse State Park, Potash Road, or the Mill Creek dinosaur sites, and you’ll find a bit more quiet.
Average Park Visitors by Month
Temperature by Month
Cold (< 55°F)
Ideal (55-80°F)
Hot (> 80°F)
Average
How To Get There
Visitor Centers
Arches Visitor Center
Arches’ visitor center is located on your right just after you pass the entrance station. This new visitor center opened in 2005, and the modern architecture features bronzed sculptures of local wildlife out front (a favorite of children who love to climb up on them), a massive bank of windows in the back looking up at a towering cliff, and a replica of Delicate Arch in its information section.
Entrances
1
Main Entrance (US-191)
Arches National Park only has a single entrance, five miles north of Moab on US-191.
Entrance Fees
Car
$30
Motorcycle
$25
Person/Bicycle
$15
Annual Park Pass
$55
Gateway Towns
5
mi south
Moab Our Pick
Known as a premier destination for outdoor adventures ranging from mountain biking and river rafting to off road jeep tours, Moab has a strong selection of hotels and restaurants to fit a wide range of budgets. We recommend staying in Moab to optimize time in the parks rather than on the road.
Best for: First-timers, families, anyone who wants easy access to the parks and local restaurants.
47
mi north
Green River
A quieter alternative with significantly lower prices, Green River can be a good option if you are also planning a day trip to Goblin State Park. However we do recommend staying in Moab in most cases unless you have a hard budget limit, as this will add 30-45 minutes each way just to get to the park entrance, and dining options are few in Green River.
Best for: Budget travelers, crowd-avoidant visitors.
Common Questions & Answers
Is there Timed Entry?
No, Arches National Park is not using a Timed Entry system in 2026, though it has used one in the past. To avoid getting stuck in a long entry line, we recommend arriving before 8am or after 3pm during peak season.
Can Arches be experienced in a day?
Arches is a fairly compact park, and you can get a great and fairly complete experience from the park in a day, but you need to start early and make some trade offs. What we wouldn’t recommend is trying to do both Arches and Canyonlands in a day, unless you are only planning to do the scenic drives and overlooks.
Can I stay in the park?
Devils Garden Campground is the only place to stay within the park. The campground takes reservations between March through October but is open on a first-come first-served basis November through February. During the March to October season the campground is typically full every night, so reservations are highly recommended (or you’re most likely going to be turned away).
How can I do Fiery Furnace?
Fiery Furnace is a challenging loop trail through a maze-like collection of standstone formations, and can only be done by applying for an individual permit for $10 per person or making reservations for a ranger led tour spring through fall for $16 a person. Reservations for the ranger tour can book out months in advance, so if this is high on your list be sure to reserve your spots well ahead of time. Children under five are not allowed on either hike. GPS units do not work well within the Fiery Furnace, and it can be very difficult to navigate, so we do recommend the ranger led tour over individual permits.
What's the hiking like in Arches?
Unlike Yosemite, Yellowstone, or Glacier where you may find a dozen or more 8-15 mile trails with thousands of feet of elevation gain, Arches is more a collection of smaller hikes that you can stitch together. This is actually great given the high temperatures most months, because it means you can create a packed itinerary of smaller hikes but never be too far from your car if you find the heat takes a bigger toll on you than expected.
If you could only do one hike in Arches, what would it be?
Corona Arch. 🙂 Okay, more seriously, Delicate Arch. It's an icon for a reason, and it's hard to explain just how stunning it is to see in person, especially at sunrise or sunset when the reds, blues, and greens of the surrounding landscape stand out like something out of a fine painting.
Sunrise or Sunset for Delicate Arch?
Unless you’re a professional photographer looking for that perfect sunset shot of Delicate Arch, we recommend sunrise over sunset. It’s nice to arrive at an empty parking lot before dawn and have the place mostly to yourself before the crowds start rolling in at first light. Keep in mind that you’ll need a headlamp either way, but sunrise is a little more forgiving - if you don’t have a headlamp, you can start walking just as predawn light starts to hit and be on the safest part of the trail, and by the time you get to the ledges you’ll still have pretty good light for photographs but also be able to see clearly for the trickier parts of the trail.