The Ultimate Guide To Arches National Park
Arches National Park , an exemplary work of nature's craftsmanship!
The couple of thousand sandstone arches in Arches National Park, Utah, create a landscape that’s quite unique in the entire world!
Located in Moab, Utah, Arches National Park contains the highest density of natural sandstone arches in the entire world. There are about 2,000 natural sandstone arches of different shapes and sizes found in Arches National Park. The park’s also home to the renowned Delicate Arch featured in the 2002 Winter Olympic torch relay.
The creation of the unique landscape at Arches National Park started several million years ago. The layered and colorful sandstone arches we see today were part of the seabed in the area. The geological upheaval caused the seabed to rise several hundred feet above the ground. Since then, several natural processes, including water, wind, and soil erosion, freezing and thawing, and earth’s gravity, have shaped the arches and unique rock formations in Arches National Park.
Besides the unparalleled scenery, Arches National Park offers numerous hiking and rock climbing opportunities.
The Arches National Park is home to several hiking trails and allows rock climbing in certain areas with proper permits and equipment. You can explore Arches National Park by driving through the park and stopping at several viewing areas and pullouts along the way, or you could do a guided tour of the park offered by a few local tour companies in Moab.
Here is my ultimate guide to Arches National Park, featuring must-see places, attractions map, suggested itinerary, hiking trails, campgrounds, hotels, and restaurants in Arches National Park.
Planning Your Trip To Arches National Park
Arches National Park is open year-round, with the main road and several trails accessible even when it snows in the park!
Best Time To Visit Arches National Park: Arches National Park is open year-round, March through October being the peak season. The park roads and the main trails are plowed and accessible even when it snows. If your primary purpose is hiking, camping, or rock climbing in Arches National Park, it is best to visit the park outside the winter months. However, summers can get quite harsh in Arches National Park, making hiking longer trails extremely strenuous from June through August.
Arches National Park Operating Hours & Seasons: The park is open all year-round and 24 hours a day. However, the park’s visitor center timing varies by season, closing a little early in the winter months. Summer is the peak season for hiking, rock climbing, and camping in Arches National Park. Winter undoubtedly presents a unique scenery of snow-capped arches and rock formations at Arches National Park but comes with limited services and access to only a few main roads and trails in Arches National Park.
Transportation & Parking Inside Arches National Park: There’re parking lots at all major trailheads and viewing areas. However, during the peak seasons, the park gets quite crowded, and it might be challenging to find parking near the popular spots in the park, including the Delicate Arch and Devils Garden. Unfortunately, there’re no shuttle services offered at Arches National Park. The only couple of ways to avoid long wait times at parking lots are by coming early in the morning or using one of Moab’s local tour companies to tour the park.
Time Required At Arches National Park: One of the things I admire about Arches National Park is the accessibility and the well-paved roads, letting people drive up close to many arches and rock formations. Due to this, you could spend as little as half a day and still be able to see all the major attractions in the park. But, if you have time, you could spend 2-3 days hiking the several trails and visiting some of the remote and pristine sections of Arches National Park.
Arches National Park Passes & Permits: Besides the entrance fee, there’re a few activities in Arches National Park that require permits, including Fiery Furnace Hiking Permit, Canyoneering Permit, and Rock Climbing Permit. The Fiery Furnace Hiking Permits can only be obtained in person from the Arches National Park Visitor Center. Canyoneering & Rock Climbing Permits can be obtained from the visitor center or online at archespermits.nps.gov.
Lodging Near Arches National Park: The lodging choices in Arches National Park include camping in Devils Garden Campground, located inside the park, and a few chain hotels and bread and breakfasts located in the town of Moab. You will find my recommendations on lodging and dining options near Arches National Park in the later section of the post.
Arches National Park Guided Tours: There’re several tour companies in Moab that offer guided tours of Arches National Park, including Moab Adventure Center, Adrift Adventures, and a few others. The guided bus tours are the best option to explore Arches National Park’s major attractions if you have limited time.
Getting To Arches National Park
The best way to get to Arches National Park is by flying into Canyonlands Field airport in Moab, Utah!
Airports Near Arches National Park: The Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Salt Lake City, Utah, is the closest and the major airport near Arches National Park. However, it’s about 240 miles from Arches National Park and about 3 hours 40 minutes drive.
I’m not a great supporter of driving long distances, so I highly recommend flying directly into or taking a connecting flight to Canyonlands Field airport in Moab, Utah. Canyonlands Field Airport (CNY), Moab, Utah, is located just 15 miles from Arches National Park.
Given Arches National Park’s proximity from Colorado, you could also choose to fly into one of Colorado’s domestic airports, including Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT), Grand Junction, Colorado, about 109 miles from Arches National Park, and Cortez Municipal Airport (CEZ), Cortez, Colorado, 123 miles from Arches National Park.
Train Services To Arches National Park: While there’re no direct train services to Arches National Park, you could take an Amtrak train to the closest possible Amtrack station to the park. From there, you can hire a taxi, use a ride-hailing service to get to Arches National Park or to a Car Rental company.
- Green River Amtrak Station: Located about 50 miles from Arches National Park, Green Rivers, Utha, is the closest Amtrak station to the park. However, Green Rivers is a small town, and you may not find many services; your best option is to hire a taxi or use a ride-hailing service to Arches National Park or a Car Rental company.
- Grand Junction Amtrak Station: Located in Colorado, about 110 miles from Arches National Park, Grand Junction is the second closest Amtrak station to Arches National Park. The Gand Junction Amtrak station has better services than Green River, with Car Rental companies offering pick-up services from the station. The drive to Arches National Park from Grand Junction, Colorado, is very scenic.
Bus Services To Arches National Park: Like Amtrak train services, Greyhound also connects several US cities to many Utah cities. Green River, Utah, is the closest Greyhound bus stop to Arches National Park, from where you can hire a cab to get to Arches National Park or to a Car Rental company.
Things To Do In Arches National Park
Arches National Park Attractions Map
Arches National Park Brief Overview
The park’s entrance is located on the Arches Entrance Road, about 5 miles from Moab, Utah. There’s an entrance station near the gate, followed by the Arches National Park visitor center. Arches National Park Entrance Address: GPS Lat: 38.6166 Long: -109.6163.
Located just past the Arches National Park entrance station, the visitor center is open year-round except on Christmas. Also, the visitor center timings vary by season, closing a little early in the winter months. The Arches National Park Visitor Center has an information booth, a small theater playing a short movie about the park’s history and geology, and a store. The visitor center is a great place to start your Arches tour, and this is where you can get your Fiery Furnace hiking permits, which can be obtained only in person, and Canyoneering & Rock Climbing permits if not already bought online at archespermits.nps.gov.
Arches National Park Scenic Drive
The Arches Scenic Drive is one of the most picturesque drives in the US, with well-planned roads and viewing areas that provide easy access to some of the park’s major attractions!
The Arches National Park Scenic Drive is about 54 miles roundtrip drive stretching from the Arches National Park entrance station to the Tower Arch, located north of the park. The Arches scenic drive is a well-paved road with pullouts, viewing areas, and parking lots at all significant arches, rock formations, and trailheads in the park.
The Arches Scenic Drive is very well-planned and organized, letting visitors drive up close to the rock formations and see much of the park without hiking or walking long distances. However, the Arches National Park scenic drive is heavily trafficked, and finding parking might get difficult in the peak seasons.
The only way to tour the Arches Scenic Drive is by driving yourself or using one of Moab’s local tour companies. If you’re visiting Arches National Park during the peak seasons or have limited time, the guided Arches tours are worth considering. You will find my recommendations on Arches National Park guided tours in the later section of the post.
The Arches Scenic Drive is quite customizable! You can spend as little as a couple of hours and still be able to see all the significant rock formations!
Whether you have just a couple of hours or a couple of days, you can tailor your Arches National Park trip accordingly. If you’re short on time, the best option is to drive the Arches Scenic Drive and making brief stops at all major viewing points. Below I have listed all significant arches and rock formations that are a must-see in Arches National Park, and most of them are visible without having to walk or hike long distances.
Best Arches & Rock Formations
Whether you’re just driving the Arches Scenic Drive or hiking, here’re the must-see arches in the park!
While there’re several arches and rock formations in Arches National Park, here’re the best and must-see arches on your trip. Most of them are accessible via short hikes and can be seen from the viewing areas, but if you have time, you could hike some of the trails and get close to some of the arches.
Park Avenue
Park Avenue
This is the first stop along the Arches Scenic Drive and is home to some of the stunning rock formations in the park, including towering sheer sandstone walls stacked one on top of the other and massive monoliths. This is also the starting point of the Park Avenue hiking trail, a moderate two-mile scenic canyon hike.
Courthouse Towers
Courthouse Towers
The second stop on the Arches Scenic Drive, the Courthouse Towers viewpoint, offers spectacular views of several towering spires in the Park. The viewing area is located right at the parking lot and has signs pointing out the distinct spires in the region, including Baby Arch, Three Gossips, Ring Arch, and the Tower of Babel.
Balanced Rock
Balanced Rock
One of the most photographed and famous rock formations in Arches National Park, the Balanced Rock is visible right from the road and also has an easy 0.3 miles loop that lets you walk around this incredible rock formation.
The Windows Section
The Windows Section
The next stop on the Arches Drive, The Windows Section, is the most popular section in the park as it’s home to several magnificent rock formations and arches in the park, including North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch. There’s an easy 1-mile roundtrip hike that provides access to these rock formations.
Double Arch
Double Arch
Located close to The Windows area, the Double Arch is the second-largest and sporadic rock formation in Arches National Park. The rare rock formation of the Double Arch consists of two arches that are joined at one end. The arch can be viewed from the parking lot, and there’s also an easy 0.5 miles roundtrip hiking trail leading to its base.
Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch
The iconic landmark of Arches National Park, the Delicate Arch, is a world-renowned rock formation! The finishing and the details on the arch appear to be crafted very delicately, and so it’s called “Delicate Arch.” The Delicate Arch trail is a strenuous 3 miles roundtrip hike, but you could also get a distant view of the arch from the lower / upper viewing areas.
Fiery Furnace
Fiery Furnace
The Fiery Furnace area in Arches National Park is a maze of narrow passageways between several sandstone spires with sudden dead ends. The Fiery Furnace area can be hiked only along with a ranger or by obtaining hiking permits. There’s also a viewing platform that offers a good view of the site.
Sand Dune Arch
Sand Dune Arch
One of the hidden gems of Arches National Park, the Sand Dune Arch, is visible only via a short and sandy walk. The hike to Sand Dune Arch is an easy 0.4-mile roundtrip hike through a narrow canyon with a part of the trail passing through sandy terrain.
Skyline Arch
Skyline Arch
Located not too far from the Sand Dune Arch, the Skyline Arch literally sits on Arches National Park’s skyline and is visible from several other places in the park. There’s a short and easy 0.4 miles roundtrip hike that takes you to the base of the Skyline Arch, but the arch itself is visible right from the trailhead.
Landscape Arch
Landscape Arch / Devils Garden
The Landscape Arch, accessible via a moderate 1.9 miles roundtrip hike starting at Devils Garden, is the longest and the thinnest arch in Arches National Park. The Devils Garden trail is a popular hiking trail in the park and is home to several other spectacular rock formations.
Tower Arch
Tower Arch
Remotely located on the north of the Arches National Park, the Tower Arch is a massive arch with a large opening measuring about 92 feet in length at the base. However, the Tower Arch is visible only via a strenuous 3.4 miles roundtrip hike and involves a few steep climbs.
Hiking In Arches National Park
There’re several hiking trails in Arches National Park, and most of them are easy and moderate hikes!
The majority of the hiking trails in Arches National Park are short, flat, family-friendly, and you don’t need to be a professional hiker. That said, the couple of strenuous hikes, the Delicate Arch hike and Devils Garden Loop, are quite challenging but absolutely worth the effort!
I have organized all the hiking trails in Arches National Park by their difficulty levels – Easy, Moderately Strenuous & Highly Strenuous. You will also find my recommendations on hiking trails based on the time you’re planning to spend in the park in my suggested itinerary for Arches National Park.
Desert Nature Trail: A self-guided short nature walk lets you explore flora and fauna in the area.
- Trailhead: Visitor Center
- Distance: 50 Yards Roundtrip
- Time: 15 Minutes
Balanced Rock Trail: This’s an easy 0.3 miles loop that lets you walk around this incredible Balanced Rock formation.
- Trailhead: Balanced Rock Trailhead
- Distance: 0.3 Miles loop
- Time: 20 Minutes
Double Arch Trail: A short hike through a sandy terrain leading to the base of Double Arch.
- Trailhead: Double Arch Trailhead
- Distance: 0.5 Miles Roundtrip
- Time: 20 Minutes
The Windows Trail: This’s an easy hike with a gradual climb leading to some of the best rock formations in the park, including North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch.
- Trailhead: The Windows Trailhead
- Distance: 1 Mile Roundtrip
- Time: 45 Minutes – 1 Hour
Sand Dune Arch Trail: The hike to Sand Dune Arch is an easy hike through a narrow canyon with a part of the trail passing through sandy terrain.
- Trailhead: Sand Dune Arch Trailhead
- Distance: 0.4 Miles Roundtrip
- Time: 30 Minutes
Skyline Arch Trail: A short and flat hike to the base of the Skyline Arch.
- Trailhead: Skyline Arch Trailhead
- Distance: 0.4 Miles Roundtrip
- Time: 20 Minutes
Landscape Arch Trail: Starting from the Devils Garden area, this is a relatively long trail but is flat and easy.
- Trailhead: Devils Garden Trailhead
- Distance: 2 Miles Roundtrip
- Time: 1 Hour
Park Avenue Trail: This is a moderately strenuous one-way hike from the Park Avenue parking lot to the Courthouse Towers parking area. You could arrange for a pickup at Courthouse Towers parking area or hike back to the Park Avenue trailhead, doubling the hiking distance.
- Trailhead: Park Avenue Trailhead
- Distance: 1 Mile One way/2 Miles Roundtrip
- Time: 1 Hour One way
Delicate Arch Trail: One of the most popular hikes leading to the Delicate Arch is a long hike and involves steep climbs.
- Trailhead: Delicate Arch Trailhead
- Distance: 3 Miles Roundtrip
- Time: 2.5 Hours
Devils Garden Trail: This is the longest hiking trail in Arches National Park, leading to some pristine areas and spectacular rock formations in the park.
- Trailhead: Devils Garden Trailhead
- Distance: 7.2 Miles Roundtrip
- Time: 5-6 Hours
Tower Arch Trail: Remotely located on the north of the park, the Tower Arch trail leads to Tower Arch and a few other unique rock formations, including Marching Men and Parallel Arch.
- Trailhead: Tower Arch Trailhead
- Distance: 2.6 Miles loop
- Time: 2.5 Hours
Fiery Furnace: The Fiery Furnace area is a maze of otherworldly rock spires in Arches National Park with sudden dead ends and can be very tricky to explore on your own. The Fiery Furnace area can be explored only via a ranger-led hike or by obtaining day-hike permits from the visitor center.
Suggested Itineraries, Guided Tours, Hotels & Restaurants
Arches National Park is one of the most accessible National Parks in the US, with well-planned scenic drives and viewing areas, allowing visitors to drive up close to several attractions without hiking long distances. That said, Arches National Park is also home to many hiking trails letting you explore some of the pristine areas and rock formations, and if you have time, you must hike some of the trails in the park!
I have organized my Arches National Park trip itinerary and my recommendations based on the number of days you plan to spend in the park.
1 Day Arches National Park Trip Itinerary: If you’re visiting Arches National Park just for a day, your best option to see most of the park is by driving the Arches Scenic Drive.
- Drive the Arches Scenic Drive.
- Stop briefly at all viewing areas along the drive.
2 Day Arches National Park Trip Itinerary: If you have two days in the park, I would recommend driving the Arches Scenic Drive and hiking one of the popular hiking trails in the park.
- Day 1 – Arches Scenic Drive.
- Day 2 – Hike the Delicate Arch trail, the most popular trail in the park.
3 Day Arches National Park Trip Itinerary: Same as the 2-day itinerary, plus the Fiery Furnace ranger-led hike.
- Day 1 – Arches Scenic Drive.
- Day 2 – Hike the Delicate Arch trail, the most popular trail in the park.
- Day 3 – Explore the Fiery Furnace area along with a park ranger, or get a day-hike permit to explore the area on your own.
4 Or More Days In Arches National Park: If you’re spending four or more days in the park, definitely do the Arches Scenic Drive, hike all easy trails, explore Fiery Furnace and hike the Tower Arch or Devils Garden to explore some of the secluded areas in the park.
- Day 1 – Arches Scenic Drive.
- Day 2 – Hike the Delicate Arch trail, the most popular trail in the park.
- Day 3 – Explore the Fiery Furnace area along with a park ranger, or get a day-hike permit to explore the area on your own.
- Day 4 – Hike Devils Garden Trail or Tower Arch Trail to see some of the pristine areas in Arches National Park.
The guided bus tours are the best option to explore Arches National Park’s major attractions if you have limited time.
There are several local tour companies in Moab that offer several guided tour options of Arches National Park, including guided bus tours, guided hiking tours, photography tours, and a few others. I have first-hand experience with Moab Adventure Center and highly recommend their guided bus tours, but you will find a few other tour companies offering similar tour packages.
- Moab Adventure Center offering bus tours
- Adrift Adventures offering van and bus tours
- Deep Desert Expeditions offering guided hikes
- Tom Till Tours offering photography tours
Lodging inside Arches National Park is limited to its only campground, Devils Garden Campground, located near the Devils Garden area with 51 campsites. However, you will find quite a few decent dining & lodging options in the nearby town of Moab.
Hotels Near Arches National Park: Moab is the closest town to Arches National Park, located 5 miles from the park’s entrance, and is the best place to form your base when visiting Arches National Park. Though Moab is a small town, it offers decent lodging choices, including a resort and a few chain hotels and bread and breakfast. However, the hotels tend to sell out, and so I highly recommend making reservations in advance.
- Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Spa: Located 20 miles from Arches National Park, the Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Spa is the most luxurious lodging option near Arches National Park. With great views, SPA services, and several dining options, Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Spa is a great place to stay in Moab when visiting Arches National Park.
- Moab Springs Ranch: Located about 4 miles from Arches National Park, The Moab Springs Ranch offers luxurious Townhouses and Bungalows. With fully furnished rooms, great views, private patios, Moab Springs Ranch is an excellent choice near Arches National Park.
- Hotels & Bread and Breakfasts: You will also find several chain hotels and a few locally owned bread and breakfasts near Arches National Park, including Springhill Suites by Marriott Moab, Hyatt Place Moab, and Hampton Inn Moab.
Restaurants Near Arches National Park
While there’re no restaurants inside Arches National Park, you will find several dining options in the town of Moab. Here’re my top picks for restaurants near Arches National Park
- Arches Thai for excellent Thai food
- Sweet Cravings Bakery & Bistro for quick bites
- Cowboy Grill in Red Cliffs Lodge for fine dining with great views
- Sultan Mediterranean Grill for some rich Middle Eastern food
- Miguel’s Baja Grill for some delicious Mexican food
Other Utah Attractions & Related Posts
I hope you enjoyed reading the post, The Ultimate Guide To Arches National Park, and I hope this will help you plan your trip to the Arches National Park. You can find other Utah attractions in my Utah Travel Guide.
Happy feeding your soul!
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