Arches National Park
Utah
Making our way across the state of Utah, Arches National Park is the first park you can stop at on your way to conquer the “Mighty Five” if you’re coming from the Salt Lake City airport. This is the path I followed.
This park is situated within a five-minute drive of Canyonlands National Park and is a 3.5 hour drive from the Salt Lake City airport. This park is smaller than many of the others but offers spectacular views of, as you may have guessed, many orange and red arches. Double Arch, Delicate Arch, and Balanced Rock are all some of the most identifiable and unique viewpoints within this park. Read on for hiking and camping trips to make your trip to Arches a truly memorable one!
Pro Tip: I did not know this when I first visited the park and it caused a headache for me: Timed entry reservations are required to visit this park. From April 1 to July 6 and August 28 to October 31, between the hours of 7am and 4pm, you must have a timed entry reservation or you will not be able to enter the park. You may purchase your timed entry ticket at recreation.gov. A park fee or pass is also required. You can pay at the gate if you do not have a pre-purchased pass.
Arches National Park Stats
When to Visit Arches National Park
Below is a chart outlining the average number of visitors and temperatures for each month in Arches National Park as of 2023.
Plants and Animals at Arches National Park, Utah
The national park service tracks each animal and plant species sighting in the park. The data below is a summary of the NPS Species database, updated in 2024.
Arches Best Hikes
True to its name, Arches National Park has some of the best stone arches in Utah. As you drive through the park, you will see bright, massive orange arches popping up everywhere. I would personally recommend planning some hikes around sunrise or sunset, as the light off the rock formations during this time of day is spectacular. Avoiding midday hikes also helps keep you safe: especially mid-summer, the temperatures in the park easily reach the 100s daily.
Double Arch
This is a very easy hike and a great one to kick off your day! Double Arch is the tallest and second-longest arch in the park. A short 0.6 mile loop trail from The Windows parking lot will take you right up to this masterpiece. This is a gently sloping, easy trail, but pets aren’t permitted. Once you get to the arch, should you feel comfortable, consider scaling and climbing around it to get some great views of the park and explore the arch from all angles.
Across from the Double Arch trailhead is The Windows trailhead, which leads into a well-known part of the park featuring a concentration of arches, like North Window, Turret Arch, and Delicate Arch. Read on for more information on this hiking spot.
Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch is situated within a concentration of arches in the park called The Windows. This is the largest free-standing arch in the park at 46 feet high and 32 feet wide at its base. The full trail to see the arch up close and personal is a 3-mile loop up a 480 foot ascent. Do not underestimate this trail’s difficulty. Make sure you have plenty of water, sun protection and good hiking shoes before attempting this hike. The views at the end make it worth it!
Balanced Rock
This iconic geologic feature looks like it is barely hanging on…and in a way, it is. One massive boulder is precariously stacked on top of another, and due to erosion, one day this massive boulder will fall. Today is the day to see Balanced Rock, before it is too late!
This is one formation in the park that’s easily viewable from the park road. You may also choose to park near the rock and complete the short 0.3 mile hike along its base, to explore it in closer detail. There is also a picnic area across from the park with a toilet and picnic tables under a covered canopy, should you choose to take a break here. Remember to Leave No Trace!
Sand Dune Arch
Another short, relatively easy hike, Sand Dune Arch allows you the unique opportunity of hiking through deep sand to reach this secluded arch. This hike is only 0.4 miles out and back from the parking lot, and will take most hikers only about 15-30 minutes to complete. It’s not wheelchair accessible and pets aren’t allowed on this trail. This is a child-friendly hike.
Should you choose to extend your hike, you may cross a patch of grassland to connect to the Broken Arch Loop trail, a 2.3 mile round trip hike. A section of this trail hikes through the Devil’s Garden Campground.
Devil's Garden Campground
The Devil’s Garden Campground is the only campground available in Arches National Park. You can reserve spots at the campground between March 1 and October 31, but be warned, this campground is normally completely full. Make a reservation up to six months in advance at recreation.gov. It’s highly encouraged that you have a back-up plan in case you can’t get a site. When I visited the park, I stayed at an Airbnb in Moab, which is a short drive from the park. There are plenty of hotels in town as well.
From November to February, sites at the campground are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There are 51 sites available at this campground, but no electric or RV hookups. This campground does offer drinking water, picnic tables, grills, and both pit-style and flush toilets.
Arches National Park History
Rock markings at places like the Courthouse Wash Panel Trail indicate that Archaic Native Americans roamed this land near the Colorado River as long as 4,000 years ago. Ranchers, prospectors, and farmers began settling in the region in the 1880s and 1890s.
Word of the natural beauty of Arches began to spread quickly. In 1929, Arches was declared a National Monument by President Herbert Hoover and in 1971, President Richard Nixon changed the designation from a National Monument to a National Park.
Other Resources:
If you’re planning a trip to Arches National Park, check out the additional resources below for help.
