Editor’s Note: During our Utah travels, we were bummed that Arches National Park, one of the nation’s most popular natural attractions, was closed due to the pandemic. It soon opened up just after we passed into Colorado. After getting to know Justin Joseph and his girlfriend Alex in Glacier National Park, we continued to stay in touch, and I was so jealous when I saw that they were exploring Arches National Park! So naturally, I asked Justin if he wanted to provide some info about Arches, and I’m excited to share his blog post with you all. To follow Justin, Alex and their two dogs Moose and Leroy, check out @TheVantroverts on Instagram.
We’ve traveled to quite a few national parks at this point, and feel that Arches National Park should be on your top five “must-see” list when it comes to visiting our nation’s most beautiful places. Arches isn’t overwhelmingly large like some national parks can be and we feel that spending two days exploring the park will let you see most of what the park has to offer.
Things to Know Before You Visit Arches National Park
Arches National Park is a quaint park nestled in the red rock deserts of Southeastern Utah. It spans approximately 119 square miles and it is home to the largest collection of naturally occurring rock arches, balancing rocks, and other geological formations in the world. Arches received their International Dark-Sky Certification in 2019, and is considered one of the best locations to watch astral events from behind the archways and gaze into the arms of the Milky Way.
The compact size of Arches National Park actually came to be a pleasant surprise to us. We found that walking to the arches didn’t keep us from our van or our pups (who were inside) for too long. Sometimes we find that when we are in National Parks our dogs don’t get a chance to really get out, stretch, and exude energy, so we felt a little less guilty for making them wait on us seeing the arches.
A huge factor that motivated us to spend time exploring Arches National Park was the close proximity to Canyonlands National Park, the atmosphere in the city of Moab, and the abundance of disbursed camping in the area. From the stunning green rock of Klondike Bluffs, to the sheer rock cliffs of Castle Valley, and the snowcapped Manti La-Sol mountains; the area surrounding Arches leaves much to be discovered, and much to be charmed by.
One of the best aspects that came from visiting Arches during the fall was the sudden change in weather conditions. When we arrived in early October we were experiencing days in the mid 80s and nights in the low 50s. Towards the end of October, the weather changed and it snowed in Moab and the surrounding areas. Although it was pretty cold, it was also absolutely stunning. Visiting during the Fall provided us the ability to explore the desert without sweltering heat, but also to enjoy Arches National Park blanketed in snow.
If we had to pick a time of year to return it would definitely be during the Fall. The gateway to Arches is on Highway 191 and is a stoplight with one turn lane in either direction. Occasionally Arches will reach its maximum capacity, and the National Park Service closes the gates and displays signs stating to come back in a few hours once the park clears out. There is a small parking area outside of Arches for those who choose to wait, or a tall sand dune on the other side of the highway for those who choose to wait and have a bit of fun during the interim.
For the adventurous parkgoer, there are two 4×4 roads that will take you inside of Arches National Park via alternate entrances. Please note that these 4×4 roads are impassible for most 4x4s after rainy or wet conditions. On the west side of the park there is an unpaved sandy road called Willow Flats. It runs for about 3.2 miles into the heart of Arches at Balanced Rock and Turret Arch. Alternatively, Salt Valley in the north eastern corner of the park is a rocky path in that is also unpaved and sandy, but please note this road is only designed to be driven north to south. This road is about five miles long and just as treacherous, but takes you to Landscape Arch and Double O Arch in the Devils Garden section of the park.
Arches is located roughly five miles north of the city of Moab, where you can find anything from bike rentals to jeep tours, skydiving to ATV/UTV rentals, to raft tours and rock climbing schools, or pretty much any other extreme desert sport that can be done. After a long day of exploring Arches or the desert around it, Moab Brewery has you covered with craft beer, above-average food, and gelato.
Before we dive into the details of our favorite hikes in this park, we feel the need to make this known: Arches National Park is a Leave No Trace hotspot. Arches is a heavily traveled park with thousands of visitors per year. Over time vandalism, litter, pet waste, and visitor-created trails have deteriorated the natural landscape of Arches National Park. For more information please click here. Thanks in advance for leaving no trace!
The Best Hikes in Arches National Park
Regardless of how you enter Arches National Park you should definitely check out some of the hikes. The great thing about the size of Arches is that most of the hikes in the park are doable in one day if you are on a time crunch, or have pets waiting on you in the car. There are more primitive trails scattered through Arches National Park, but the following trails sum up our experiences, and we hope you can also make lasting memories in this treasured place.
Park Avenue Trail
Distance: 2 miles (out and back) | Elevation Change: 320 feet
Beginning at the main entrance of the park you will quickly come across the Courthouse Towers, Sheep Rock, The Organ and Tower of Babel. There is a short hike called Park Avenue that can be completed in 15 to 30 minutes depending on your pace. We would strongly recommend this hike for anyone visiting Arches; it provides stunning views of massive rock formations from the valley floor. Heads up — there are no toilets available at the Park Avenue trailhead.
Balanced Rock, Double Arch, Turret Arch, and the Windows Hiking Trails
Distance: 2.0 miles (out and back) | Elevation Change: N/A
As you drive further into Arches you’ll stumble across Balanced Rock, Double Arch, Turret Arch, and the Windows arches. There is a parking lot at the base of balanced rock that follows the main road and visitors can take a short walk around the Balanced Rock.
From Balanced Rock hang a right and head down to the Garden of Eden for some stunning archways and more short walks. The Garden of Eden area does fill up relatively quickly during the day, and there is no overflow parking, so if the parking lot is full, we recommend moving onto a different section, but stopping by on your way out of the park. There are pit toilets located at Balanced Rock parking lot and Garden of Eden upper parking lot.
Delicate Arch
Distance: 3 miles (out and back) | Elevation Change: 480 feet
After visiting the Garden of Eden section guests will continue up the main road in a northbound direction towards Wolfe Ranch and Delicate Arch. We did not complete the Delicate Arch hike, but were told it was an easy hike and totally worth it. For guests who choose not to hike there is an option to see the Delicate Arch from a viewpoint at the end of the road. The climb is short, but steep to get to the view from the parking lot.
Landscape Arch
Distance: 1.6 miles (out and back) | Elevation Change: N/A
Guests continuing on into the park will, again, head north to Landscape Arch and the Devils Garden hiking area. This was one of our favorite sections of the park. We took a short hike into Landscape Arch, and then began the trek to Double O Arch.
Double O Arch
Distance: 4.5 miles (out and back) | Elevation Change: N/A
This hike was not only visually breathtaking, but also physically. There is a fair amount of climbing, scrambling, walking, and balancing precariously before reaching Double O, so buyer beware! We elected to do this hike to Double O after it had snowed, so the rock face was icy, there was snow on the ground and on the rocks, and temps in the 30s when in the sun. Our hike was perilous, but totally worthwhile once we saw the arches. We would recommend this hike to be taken only by able bodies who are able to lift their own body weight, and scramble rocks. As this hike is over the sandstone ribs of Arches, hiking boots are strongly recommended because of their increased traction.
Where to Camp
There is only one campground within Arches National Park, called the Devils Garden Campground. It’s open March 1 through Oct. 31, and is usually full every night during the on-season — so aim to have a reservation. Between November through February, the campsites here are first-come, first-serve.
We typically disperse camp a majority of the time, so we opted to camp at Klondike Bluffs, Willow Springs, and Dalton Wells Rd. At each of these locations, there are loads of mountain biking and spectacular rock formations. There were a bit of mice, so that was a small problem, but very nice otherwise. If you stay at Klondike Bluffs, drive allllll the way in the back for views of Arches National Park.
Love this post? Don’t forget to check out our other travel guides for more details on our favorite places to visit, which hikes are best for families, and where to camp!
