If you’re looking for the ultimate Arches National Park itinerary for your trip to Moab, you are in the right place! Whether you have 1 day or multiple, this post has a day-by-day breakdown of how to spend your time here and get the most out of your trip.
We visited Arches for the first time in October of 2024 and spent 2 days exploring the park while on our week-long trip to Moab. I was initially worried about crowds since it is one of the more popular National Parks in the US, but we really didn’t have any problems! I was blown away by the gorgeous sunrises, beautiful arches, and otherworldly scenery.
After implementing a timed entry system in 2024, Arches is much less crowded now than it used to be and makes for a much better experience.
Keep reading for the best way to spend 1, 2, or 3 days in Arches National Park, including maps, photos, where to stay, and more!
Arches National Park Overview
Arches is a compact park located near Moab, Utah. There are over 2000 sandstone arch formations located within the park boundaries, and even more outside the park!
The park has one entrance and one Visitor’s Center located right off of Highway 191, just 10 minutes north of Moab.
Arches National Park Road (often referred to as the “Arches Scenic Drive”) is the main road that runs mostly north-south through the park. Most of the park attractions are located off of this road.
There are a few main sections in Arches to explore: Courthouse Towers, The Windows, Delicate Arch, The Fiery Furnace, and Devil’s Garden. The map below shows these areas and other major points of interest.
Related: Top 16 Things to Do in Arches National Park
The Best Time to Visit Arches National Park
The best time to visit Arches National Park is in the spring or fall. Temperatures in the Moab area are brutally hot in the summer, plus the parks will be swarmed with people once the kids are out of school.
In Utah, most hikes don’t have treecover to shade the trails, so you get full sun exposure most of the time. It’s important to prioritize hiking early or late in the day because of this.
October is another busy time to visit since you get all the fall breakers, but the weather is perfect. However with the timed entry system, crowds in the park were much lower than I expected, so I wouldn’t worry too much about this. If you really want to avoid the crowds, try visiting the last week of October or early November instead.
We visited in the middle of October and had daily highs in the 80s for most of the week, but the morning and evening temperatures were perfect. Almost everyone we met in Moab was there for fall break.
Visiting Arches in the winter can also be a magical time to visit, especially if you get lucky with a dusting of snow. Large amounts of snow are rare, so it’s unlikely that park roads would become impassable. Going in the winter means shorter days and colder temperatures, but also much lower crowds.
How to Get to Arches National Park
Arches National Park is located just 10 minutes north of Moab, Utah. The entrance gate is located right off of US Highway 191 that goes through town.
The most convenient airport to fly into and rent a car is Salt Lake City. We found the SLC airport to be incredibly easy to navigate, clean, and quick to get through. Since it’s a Delta hub, we were able to get the only direct flight to and from Indianapolis for our trip.
It will take you about 3.5 hours to drive from Salt Lake City to Moab. You’ll take I-15 south to Spanish Fork, and then spur off on US-6 until it turns into US-191, hop on I-70 east for a few miles, and then catch I-191 south again until you reach Moab.
Here are driving times to Arches National Park from nearby popular destinations:
- Moab, UT: 5 miles / 10 minutes
- Salt Lake City, UT: 229 miles / 3.5 hours
- Grand Junction, CO: 109 miles / 1.5 hours
- Canyonlands Island in the Sky District: 28 miles / 30 minutes:
- Capitol Reef National Park: 133 miles / 2 hours
- Bryce Canyon National Park: 261 miles / 4.5 hours
- Zion National Park: 302 miles / 4.5 hours
- Grand Canyon South Rim: 332 miles / 5.5 – 6 hours
- Phoenix, AZ: 473 miles / 7.5 hours
- Las Vegas, NV: 454 miles / 6.5 hours
Related: Capitol Reef Itinerary: How to Spend 1-4 Days at Capitol Reef National Park
Fees & Timed Entry Requirements
In 2024, Arches National Park implemented a timed entry system to help with traffic congestion and parking issues. Between April 1st and October 31st, you will need a timed entry slot to enter the park between 7 am and 4 pm. You do not need a timed entry permit if you enter the park before 7 am or after 4 pm.
A timed entry ticket costs $2.00 and does not include admission to the park. You will need to purchase a timed entry slot in addition to admission to the park if you plan to enter between the hours of 7 am and 4 pm between April and October. This permit gives you 1 hour to enter the park entrance gate (ex. purchasing timed entry for the 8-9 am or 2-3 pm time slot means you have that hour to enter the park gates and can stay in the park for as long as you’d like).
I suggest purchasing your timed entry ticket(s) a few weeks ahead of time as the earlier time slots and weekend slots tend to sell out quickly. Purchase timed entry here.
Admission to Arches National Park costs $35 per vehicle, unless you have the America the Beautiful National Park Pass.
If you plan to visit 3 or more National Parks or Monuments on your trip to Utah (or within one year), getting the America the Beautiful National Park Pass will save you money vs. paying the separate fees at each park. It costs $80 and you must order ahead of time as they will ship you a physical pass.
OUR EXPERIENCE: I purchased a timed entry slot for 8 – 9 am on 2 separate weekdays, but we didn’t end up using it. We started our days in Arches early and got to the park around 6:30 am to do sunrise hikes. If you don’t mind early mornings (and/or are coming from the Eastern time zone like us where it doesn’t feel as early), I highly recommend this as the crowd levels are much lower, sunrise is gorgeous, and hiking in cooler weather is much nicer.
How Many Days Do You Need in Arches National Park?
Since Arches is such a compact park, you can see a lot of it in just one day. However, if you want to see the highlights and do the iconic hike to Delicate Arch in one day, prepare for a long day with a lot of walking and hiking (roughly 10 miles).
If you’d like to see the main highlights, do a longer hike, visit the remote Klondike Bluffs section of the park, and/or explore the Fiery Furnace, I recommend spending 2-3 days in Arches National Park.
Where to Stay Near Arches National Park
There are no lodging or restaurants located within Arches National Park. The best place to stay is in Moab, which is just 10 minutes south of the entrance gate to the park.
Moab is an outdoor lover’s hub and has tons of restaurants, chain hotels, adventure companies, and more. You won’t have any trouble finding a hotel or food in this town!
Moab is also a convenient location for visiting Canyonlands National Park, so you can settle in one place for multiple days.
We stayed in an Airbnb just south of downtown since I traveled to Moab with my family and we wanted a larger space. I enjoy staying in more comfortable Airbnbs with a full kitchen when we are settled somewhere for a long period of time vs. staying in a hotel.
It’s up to you to decide what works best for your family size, budget, and preferences. There are options for everyone!
Related: 15 Can’t-Miss Things to Do at Canyonlands Island in the Sky District
Helpful Tips for Visiting Arches National Park
Timed entry tickets aren’t required for this itinerary if you plan to enter the park before 7 am. Most of the days in these itineraries have you starting with a sunrise hike, so you’ll likely want to enter the park before 7 am anyway.
If you don’t mind missing sunrise and/or want to sleep in more, purchase your timed entry tickets a few weeks in advance to ensure your desired time slot.
Pack a lunch for each of your days in Arches. Because of the timed entry requirements, you won’t be able to leave the park for lunch and come back until after 4 pm. We found that an early start + packing a lunch allowed us to enjoy the park until mid-afternoon when we were ready to return to Moab.
1-Day Arches National Park Itinerary
SUNRISE AT THE WINDOWS
Start your busy day in Arches by getting to the park in time for sunrise. A great place to watch the sunrise is from The Windows section of the park. It’s located close to the entrance gate and it’s just a short, easy walk to the North Window.
You will see lots of people gathered in the North Window for sunrise because it is absolutely gorgeous.
After sunrise, walk the short trails to the South Window and Turret Arch.
DOUBLE ARCH
Double Arch is located across the street from The Windows, so it is convenient to visit at the same time. You can leave your car parked at the Windows and walk the short 0.7-mile trail up to the arch.
You can climb up under the arch and get some really cool photos. Doing this trail shortly after sunrise means you might have it all to yourself for a brief moment!
HIKE TO LANDSCAPE ARCH
When you’re finished at The Windows, head to the Devil’s Garden Trailhead at the end of the park.
You will hike just a portion of this trail today to Landscape Arch, due to time constraints. Landscape Arch is the longest arch in North America, spanning 306 feet. It is only 6 feet in diameter at its narrowest point, and a large portion of it collapsed in the 90’s!
The round-trip hike to Landscape Arch will be 1.9 miles with 252 feet of elevation gain. You’ll also see Partition Arch to the right of Landscape Arch from this viewpoint as well.
I also recommend doing the short detours to Tunnel and Pine Tree Arch (this will add about half a mile to your hike, bringing the total distance to 2.4 miles). The trails to Landscape, Tunnel, and Pine Tree Arch are well-marked and easy to follow.
Eat your picnic lunch on the trail when you get hungry, or grab a picnic table after your hike at the Devil’s Garden Campground nearby.
SCENIC DRIVE VIEWPOINTS
After lunch, spend the afternoon visiting the viewpoints along the Arches Scenic Drive. It’s easy to do these viewpoints as you make your way back to the entrance from the Devil’s Garden section of the park.
Here are the places you’ll want to see in order coming from Devil’s Garden:
- Skyline Arch
- Sand Dune & Broken Arch
- Fiery Furnace Viewpoint
- Delicate Arch Viewpoints (The lower viewpoint is a short, easy walk, but the upper viewpoint requires a 1 mile hike with 177 feet of elevation gain. For the sake of time, I’d skip the Upper Viewpoint since you will be doing the big hike to Delicate Arch later and that is a much better view!)
- Balanced Rock
- Courthouse Towers Viewpoint
- La Sal Mountains Viewpoint
- Park Avenue Viewpoint
Feel free to leave the park and grab an early dinner when you’re finished with the scenic drive viewpoints. Rest up and get ready for one more hike to end your day!
LATE AFTERNOON HIKE TO DELICATE ARCH
Return to the park at 4:00 pm (when a timed entry ticket is no longer required) and hike to Delicate Arch. This is by far the best thing to do in Arches National Park, and going in the late afternoon around sunset will give you great lighting for photos.
This hike is short and steep, but it’s absolutely worth the trek to get up close and personal with the arch. It’s a 3.2-mile, out-and-back trail with 629 feet of elevation gain.
The trail starts out easy, and will take you past the Wolfe Ranch Cabin and some petroglyphs. You’ll then have a steep climb up some slickrock and then hike along the edge of a large sandstone dome with a steep drop off to your left. When you finally make it around the bend, your jaw will drop at the view of Delicate Arch!
There will be a lot of people on this trail as it’s the most popular thing to do at Arches. You will have to wait in line to get a photo of you under the arch, but that’s okay since the scenery is incredible!
Head back to Moab for the night to conclude your day in Arches!
2-Day Arches National Park Itinerary
With two days in Arches, you’ll be able to see the highlights at a more leisurely pace, hike to Delicate Arch, and hike all of the Devil’s Garden Trail.
Part of this itinerary is the same as the 1-day itinerary above, so I will briefly summarize the itinerary for the day below. Check out the previous section for more details!
Day 1: The Windows, Double Arch, & Devil’s Garden Trail
SUNRISE AT THE WINDOWS & DOUBLE ARCH
Spend your first morning in Arches watching the sunrise at The Windows section of the park. Visit Double Arch after sunrise.
DEVIL’S GARDEN TRAIL
After sunrise, head to the Devil’s Garden Trail. Spend the rest of the day hiking the entire loop trail.
Doing the entire loop will result in a 7.8-mile hike with 1085 feet of elevation gain.
You will get to see 7 total arches on this trail, hike on a steep fin, use your route finding skills on the primitive portion of the trail, and admire sweeping views of the area.
The trail to Pine Tree, Tunnel, and Landscape Arch is easy, but becomes challenging after that. You’ll want to download the offline AllTrails map so you don’t get lost on the primitive trail and bring plenty of water, your packed lunch, and good hiking shoes.
We unfortunately didn’t have time to hike the entire trail, so we just did the portion to Landscape, Tunnel, and Pine Tree Arch. This trail is consistently rated as the best hike in Arches, so I definitely recommend hiking the entire trail if possible!
We will be doing this trail on our next visit to Moab and then I’ll update this post!
Day 2: Delicate Arch & Scenic Viewpoints
SUNRISE HIKE TO DELICATE ARCH
Spend the morning on your second day in Arches hiking to Delicate Arch for sunrise. We did this hike at sunrise and loved the experience!
SCENIC DRIVE VIEWPOINTS
When you’re done hiking, visit the main viewpoints off of Arches Scenic Drive:
- Skyline Arch
- Sand Dune & Broken Arch
- Fiery Furnace Viewpoint
- Delicate Arch Viewpoints
- Courthouse Towers Viewpoint
- La Sal Mountains Viewpoint
- Park Avenue Viewpoint
This concludes your 2-day Arches National Park itinerary!
3-Day Arches National Park Itinerary
Spending 3 days in Arches will allow you to do everything on the 2-day itinerary and allow you to explore the Fiery Furnace or the seldom-visited Klondike Bluffs section of the park.
Day 1: The Windows, Double Arch, & Devil’s Garden Trail
This itinerary is the same as the day 1 itinerary above:
- Sunrise at the Windows
- Double Arch
- Devil’s Garden Trail
Day 2: Delicate Arch & Scenic Viewpoints
This itinerary is the same as the day 2 itinerary above:
- Sunrise hike to Delicate Arch
- Viewpoints along Scenic Drive
Day 3: Fiery Furnace (Permit Required) or Klondike Bluffs
Spend your last day in Arches hiking through the Fiery Furnace or visiting the remote Klondike Bluffs section of the park.
If you’re efficient and get an early start, I think it’s possible to do both of these things on the same day. Don’t forget to pack a lunch!
FIERY FURNACE
Exploring the Fiery Furnace beyond just visiting the overlook requires a permit. You can do a ranger-led hike through the Fiery Furnace in the summer months, or visit yourself by doing a self-guided hike.
You’ll wander and scramble over the labyrinth of fins, slots, and abrupt dead ends inside the Fiery Furnace. It is really easy to get lost, so make sure to have an offline map and use your route-finding skills!
Permits for hiking the Fiery Furnace are released at 8 am Mountain Time on a rolling 7-day window and sell out quickly, especially on weekends and during peak season. My suggestion is to set a calendar reminder a week before you want to hike and try for a permit as soon as the window opens.
Since we visited in October, the Ranger-led hike wasn’t an option and we unfortunately were not successful in getting a self-guided hiking permit. I’ve heard that this experience is absolutely incredible, so I definitely recommend trying for a permit if you have time in your itinerary!
Read more about visiting the Fiery Furnace and book hiking permits on the NPS website here.
KLONDIKE BLUFFS & TOWER ARCH
If you weren’t successful in getting a Fiery Furnace permit (or you’re not quite up for the adventure), consider checking out the Klondike Bluffs section of the park.
The Klondike Bluffs section is a seldom-visited, remote area of Arches National Park. It requires driving 7.5 miles on a dirt road to get here.
This road is fine in a 2WD car as long as it’s not raining or snowing. There is a turnoff for Salt Valley Road between the Devil’s Garden and Fiery Furnace areas of the park.
You’ll get incredible views over the Salt Valley and the option to hike to Tower Arch. It’s a 2.4-mile trail with 600 feet of elevation gain. If you want to ditch the crowds, this section of the park is the best place to do it!
This concludes your 3 day Arches National Park itinerary!
If You Have More Time
VISIT CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK. Hopefully, your trip to Moab includes visiting Canyonlands National Park as well. You can easily fill 2-4 more days visiting both the Island in the Sky District and the more remote Needles District. Drive the Shafer Canyon-Potash Road loop for the ultimate day of off-roading!
EXPLORE MOAB. There are plenty of shops, restaurants, and adventure tours in Moab. Take a sunset river cruise on the Colorado River, walk the short trail at the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite, or drive the scenic UT-128 along the Colorado River to the Red Cliffs Lodge for lunch.
More Information on Southern Utah
CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK: Explore Arches’ neighboring National Park while you’re in Moab. Check out the can’t-miss things to do in the Island in the Sky District, drive the Shafer Canyon-Potash Road Loop, or get off the beaten path in the Needles District.
DEAD HORSE POINT STATE PARK: This state park provides an incredible panoramic vista over the Colorado River, and it’s on your way to Canyonlands Island in the Sky District.
CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK: Visit Utah’s most underrated National Park located just 2 hours west of Arches. Check out my 1-4 day Capitol Reef itinerary, the top things to do in Capitol Reef, and the best hikes in Capitol Reef.
HANKSVILLE, UTAH: Hanksville is a tiny town between Capitol Reef and Moab that is near some otherworldly landscapes. Here’s how to visit Factory Butte and the Moonscape Overlook, hike to the Long Dong Silver Spire, or explore Goblin Valley State Park.
GRAND STAIRCASE ESCALANTE NATIONAL MONUMENT: Nestled on one of the most scenic highways in the US, Grand Staircase is a massive National Monument that is home to incredible waterfalls, slot canyons, and remote outdoor adventures. It typically gets overshadowed by the Mighty 5 National Parks, but it is just as impressive.
BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK: Bryce Canyon is an incredible amphitheater of sandstone hoodos. It is a compact park, so you can thoroughly explore Bryce Canyon National Park in just one day.
ZION NATIONAL PARK: Visit Utah’s most popular National Park. Hike the famous Angel’s Landing, the Narrows, and do the scenic drive. Zion is still on my list of parks to visit, and is currently experiencing lots of overcrowding issues. I plan to visit during the off season when we get a chance!
