Arches National Park is a truly magical place. Over 2000 sandstone arches are found within the park boundaries along with other incredible scenery.
We visited Arches for the first time in October of 2024 and spent 2 days exploring the park. I was initially worried about crowds since it is one of the most 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.
This post will cover the 16 best things to do in Arches National Park. Arches is a pretty compact park, so it is possible to do a lot of things in just one day.
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, 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.
Related: 15 Can’t-Miss Things to Do at Canyonlands Island in the Sky District
How to Get to Arches National Park
Arches National Park is located just 10 minutes north of Moab, Utah. The 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 Arches National Park and 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 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
Arches 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, 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.
Related: 15 Best Things to Do in Capitol Reef National Park
Arches National Park Overview
Arches National Park has one entrance and one Visitor’s Center located right off of Highway 191 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.
I’ve annotated the map below with some of the major points of interest. Download a high-resolution map here.
16 Best Things to Do in Arches National Park
1. Hike to Delicate Arch
Hiking to Delicate Arch is hands-down the best thing to do in Arches National Park. Not only is Delicate Arch the symbol of Utah, it is also used to represent the entire National Park Service as well.
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!
My biggest tip for this trail is to do it at sunrise or sunset. If you go in the middle of the day, the sun will wash out your photos and it will be hot and crowded. We hiked to Delicate Arch at sunrise on a weekday and got there just before the sun crested the surrounding mountains, which made for incredible photos without the sun being too bright.
2. Walk the Windows Loop and Turret Arch Trail
The Windows Loop trail is a short trail to 2 arches: the North and South Windows. The Turret Arch Trail also spurs off this trail as well. The hike to all 3 arches is an easy 1.2 miles with negligible elevation gain.
This is a great place to watch the sunrise. You’ll see lots of people gathered in the North Window looking east to watch the sun rise over the horizon.
My only complaint about this experience was a loud and obnoxious family sitting under the arch right in the middle of everyone’s photos during the best part of sunrise when we were there. Everyone else was really respectful except for them, so please think about others when you are visiting popular areas of Arches National Park!
3. Do the Arches Scenic Drive
Arches National Park Road winds through the entire park and is an efficient way to see a lot of the arches and scenery in the park.
You can see a lot of attractions from the road or with just a short walk:
- Park Avenue
- Courthouse Towers
- Petrified Dunes Overlook
- Balanced Rock
- The Windows
- Double Arch
- Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint
- Fiery Furnace Overlook
- Skyline Arch
Doing this drive also allows you to get your bearings in the park and help you figure out which areas you want to spend more time exploring.
4. Explore Double Arch
My favorite arch in the park is a toss up between Delicate Arch and Double Arch. Double Arch is just what you think it is- 2 arches that share the same stone and connect on one side.
Double Arch was formed from downward water erosion. Millions of years ago when this area was just a rock, pools of water formed on top of the sandstone (potholes). Over time with the freeze-thaw cycle, that water slowly eroded the top of the stone until a hole formed and created Double Arch.
Double Arch is located near The Windows section of the park and is accessed by a short 0.7-mile trail. You can climb up under the arch and get some really cool photos. Standing underneath Double Arch also causes an echoing effect, so it’s best to be quiet and listen to the sounds of nature here.
We did this trail shortly after sunrise and had it all to ourselves for a brief moment. It was truly incredible.
5. Hike to Landscape Arch
Landscape Arch is the longest arch in North America, spanning 306 feet. It is only 6 feet in diameter at its narrowest point.
Large segments of this arch actually collapsed in the 90’s, so who knows how much longer Landscape Arch will be around to enjoy!
To get to Landscape Arch, you have to do some hiking. It’s located along the Devil’s Garden Trail, about one mile in. This round-trip hike 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. Even if you don’t plan to hike the entire Devil’s Garden Trail, plan on hiking to Landscape Arch at a minimum during your visit.
6. Go Stargazing
The Colorado Plateau has some of the darkest skies in the lower 48 states, making it a popular destination for stargazing. Arches National Park is no exception. In 2019, it became an International Dark Sky Park.
Panorama Point and The Windows both make great stargazing locations inside the park.
Rangers will occasionally do stargazing events as well. Check the NPS website here for the most up to date calendar.
We had a full moon during our visit so it wasn’t the best time for stargazing, but we did catch the A3 ATLAS comet!
7. Check Out the Park Avenue Viewpoint + Optional Hike
Park Avenue is a unique valley full of stunning rock formations near the entrance gate to the park. You’ll see the Courthouse Towers and the La Sal Mountain Range as well. There are no arches here, but the scenery is great!
Visit the Park Avenue Viewpoint or take the trail down through the valley on a hike.
The trail connects Park Avenue with the Courthouse Towers Viewpoint, so if someone in your group doesn’t mind not hiking, they can drop you off at Park Avenue and then pick you up at the Courthouse Towers. This will make your walk just under 1 mile long and it will all be downhill. Doing the roundtrip hike (out-and-back) is a total of 1.8 miles and 298 feet of elevation gain.
We skipped doing this hike, but we did visit the viewpoint. I feel that there are better short hikes in the park, so I would skip it for now unless you have lots of time to explore the park.
8. Hike the Devil’s Garden Trail
The Devil’s Garden Trail is consistently ranked as the best hike in Arches and gives Delicate Arch a run for its money. 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, snacks, and good hiking shoes.
We unfortunately didn’t have time to hike this entire trail, and only hiked the easy portion to Pine Tree, Tunnel, and Landscape Arch. At a minimum, you definitely need to hike this portion of the trail. Next time we are in Moab, we will be hiking the entire loop!
9. Visit the Fiery Furnace
The Fiery Furnace is a maze of sandstone fins that turn a reddish hue at sunset. If you get lucky enough to score a hiking permit, you can wander the labyrinth of fins, slots, and abrupt dead ends inside the Fiery Furnace.
There are 3 ways to visit the Fiery Furnace:
- Visit the Fiery Furnace Overlook (no permit required): This is the easiest and only way to see the Fiery Furnace without a permit.
- Do a Ranger-Led Hike (permit required): Have a park ranger guide you through a 2.5-hour hike through the Fiery Furnace with a group. This is only offered May through September, so if you’re visiting during shoulder season it won’t be an option.
- Do a Self-Guided Hike (permit required): Make sure you have offline maps and have someone in your group that is good at retracing their steps! It is really easy to get lost in here if you’re not careful.
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.
If you get a hiking permit for the Fiery Furnace, you will not need a timed entry permit to enter Arches National Park. The self-guided Fiery Furnace permit is good for all day, and you can enter the park whenever you’d like!
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.
Read more about visiting the Fiery Furnace and book hiking permits on the NPS website here.
10. Hike to Sand Dune and Broken Arch
Sand Dune and Broken Arch can be visited by a short trail that connects both arches. You can hike the entire loop for a total of 2.8 miles and 321 feet of elevation gain, or hike it as an out-and-back (what we did) for a shorter, 1.5-mile hike.
Sand Dune Arch is tucked in a large slot canyon through a sandy wash, and was a delightful surprise when we turned to the right and saw it! Broken Arch doesn’t look broken until you get up close and see the crack through the middle.
This is a fun, easy trail with unique scenery. Definitely don’t miss it on your visit to Arches!
11. Explore Skyline Arch
Skyline Arch is a short, easy trail that is quick to visit. You can see it from the road, so you don’t even need to get out of your car!
If you do the short hike, there are some large rocks to scramble up right in front of the arch. We had a blast climbing on the rocks and taking pictures.
This area also seemed to be less crowded than other areas of the park, and we had the end of the trail all to ourselves during the middle of the day.
12. Check Out Balanced Rock
Balanced Rock is just what it sounds like: a huge rock balanced on top of a sandstone foundation.
These types of formations are created when the softer rock underneath harder rock erodes away and leaves a large formation on top of a small collar. I’m sure one day the rest of the foundation will erode away and Balanced Rock will fall over. Until that day, it is here for us to enjoy!
There is a short 0.3-mile trail that loops around Balanced Rock. A visit here will only take a few minutes.
We had a little bit of rain on our trip to Arches and I was able to capture a rainbow behind Balanced Rock!
13. Visit the Upper and Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoints
Delicate Arch is definitely best viewed by hiking the trail up to it, but there are 2 viewpoints that you can see it from if you’re not up for a strenuous hike. Both viewpoints are located in the same area.
The Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint doesn’t require any hiking. It’s just a short walk to an overlook where you can see Delicate Arch way off to the distance.
You can get a slightly better view from the Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint, but you will have to hike a round trip distance of 1 mile with 177 feet of elevation gain. If you don’t have the time or energy for the big hike to Delicate Arch, the Upper Viewpoint can be a good alternative.
Seeing Delicate Arch from this far away makes the rock formation look like little clay sculptures sitting on a ledge!
14. View the Courthouse Towers
The Courthouse Towers Viewpoint points out some creatively-named rock formations. You’ll see the Three Gossips, Tower of Babel, Sheep Rock, the Organ, and Baby Arch.
We had fun finding each rock formation and having that “ah-ha!” moment of why they gave each one its name.
This viewpoint also connects to the Park Avenue Trail.
15. Have a Picnic
There are no restaurants inside Arches National Park, so this is a great place to pack a picnic lunch to enjoy. With the timed entry requirements, it is difficult to leave the park for lunch and come back, unless you wait until after 4 pm.
There are tons of grocery stores and restaurants with takeout options in Moab to pack a lunch.
The Devil’s Garden Campground and Panorama Point are my favorite places to picnic in Arches, but there are plenty of other picnic areas throughout the park!
16. Hike to Tower Arch in the Klondike Bluffs
The Klondike Bluffs section of the park is a seldom-visited, remote area. 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!
Best Things to Do in Arches With Limited Time
Let’s be honest: you could spend an entire week exploring every nook and cranny in Arches National Park.
But with the neighboring Canyonlands National Park and the rest of the Utah Mighty 5, your trip probably includes multiple stops through southern Utah. It’s unlikely you’ll get to do everything in Arches on this list unless you have 3+ days.
So what are the best things to do in Arches with limited time? Here are my recommendations:
HALF DAY IN ARCHES:
Do the Arches Scenic Drive and stop at The Windows, Double Arch, Balanced Rock, Upper and Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoints, Skyline Arch, and hike to Landscape Arch if you have time.
Alternatively, you could do the big hike to Delicate Arch, but this won’t leave much time to do anything else in the park.
1 DAY IN ARCHES:
WIth one day in Arches, you can hike to Delicate Arch at sunrise and then spend the rest of your time doing the scenic drive and seeing the highlights. Visit The Windows, Double Arch, Balanced Rock, Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint, Skyline Arch, and Sand Dune Arch. You can also hike to Landscape Arch if you still have time.
This day will be a lot of hiking, so bring a packed lunch, snacks, and plenty of water.
2 DAYS IN ARCHES:
Spend your first day in Arches hiking to Delicate Arch at sunrise and visit the viewpoints along the scenic drive.
Spend day 2 hiking the entire Devil’s Garden Trail, exploring the Fiery Furnace if you can get a permit, or visit the Klondike Bluffs section and hike to Tower Arch if you’re comfortable driving on a dirt road.
I hope this post inspired your visit to Arches National Park! Which area of the park are you most excited to explore? Let me know in the comments below!
-Megan
More Information on Southern Utah
CANYONLANDS NATIONAL PARK: Explore Arches’ neighboring National Park by checking out the 15 best things to do in the Island in the Sky District or my guide on driving the Shafer Canyon-Potash Road Loop.
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!
