Delicate Arch is the hike that defines a visit to Arches National Park. After a short stretch on a rolling gravel trail, the route climbs steadily across slickrock, levels out briefly on a sandy bench, then makes one final climb before the grand reveal of Utah’s most famous arch. It’s only when people begin taking their turn beneath the arch that you realize just how massive it is. Crowds are part of the Delicate Arch experience, but this is one hike that’s worth sharing with everyone else who made the climb.

Park Avenue is easy to overlook because it doesn’t feature any arches, but skipping it means missing one of the most distinctive landscapes in Arches National Park. From the overlook, a series of steps descends to the valley floor, where the trail winds between massive sandstone walls before ending near Courthouse Towers. Unlike the park’s signature arch hikes, Park Avenue is less about reaching a destination and more about walking through the landscape itself. If your schedule allows, save it for late afternoon, when warm light brings out the texture and color of the sandstone.

The Windows and Turret Arch Loop is a great family friendly trail where you can experience several arches in very close proximity. A short, easy walk connects North and South Window, Turret Arch, allowing you to walk right under the arches. It’s quieter here in the mornings, as well, when the crowds are hitting other trails. Looking through the Windows toward Turret Arch reveals one of the park’s classic views, while wandering around the arches offers a different perspective from nearly every angle. Plan a little extra time here; you’ll likely spend longer exploring than the short distance suggests.

If you’re exploring the Windows section, Double Arch is one of the easiest and most rewarding short hikes in Arches National Park. A brief walk leads to two enormous arches joined at one end, where you can scramble across the slickrock and explore from almost any angle. It’s only when you begin walking beneath the arches that the pockets of sky between them make it seem almost impossible that so much sandstone can still be standing, and you understand just how massive the arches truly are.

Devils Garden has many different ways to explore it, but we have a clear recommendation to get you started. First, at a minimum make sure you visit the world’s longest arch at Landscape Arch. This two mile round trip is very approachable even with younger children. Then if you have the time, sturdy shoes, and a tolerance for drop offs continue on the primitive trail toward Double O Arch. From here you’ll head off the sandy trail and onto a sandstone fin with steep drop offs as you climb to Double O.

Fiery Furnace is the most adventurous hike in Arches National Park, and for first-time visitors we heavily recommend the 2½-hour ranger-guided tour instead of the self-guided permit. There is no conventional trail in the Fiery Furnace. Instead you’ll work your way through a maze of sandstone fins, narrow passages, dead ends, and short scrambles where finding a route through the rocks is part of the experience. Children under five are not permitted, as the terrain requires agility, squeezing through narrow gaps, and occasionally using your hands and feet to brace yourself on walls to proceed. While it requires a reservation and a degree of personal strength, it makes for an incredibly memorable experience.

Although it’s outside the boundaries of Arches National Park, Corona Arch is too good to leave off of a best hikes list. Located along the incredibly scenic Potash Road, the trail climbs gradually across open desert before a short section of chains and a ladder add a bit of adventure on the way to one of the region’s most impressive arches. Bowtie Arch appears first, but Corona Arch still manages to exceed expectations when it comes into view. Don’t let the mention of chains scare you off, this was our six year old’s favorite hike the entire trip.