Arches National Park is part of the “Mighty Five” National Parks you can visit in Utah, and while it isn’t the most popular one (read: Zion), it is home to the most stunning and most diverse natural arches out there.
And while there are plenty of things to do here, Arches National Park is actually quite reasonably sized in comparison to its neighbour Canyonlands National Park.
What that means is that it is very possible to explore a lot of this park, even if you only have a short amount of time.
If you’re looking for a step-by-step itinerary to the most popular hikes, and what I recommend based on the amount of time you have, you can skip to that here.
How close is Arches National Park to Moab?
Arches National Park is only a 5-10 minute drive from Moab, making it very accessible. It also adds to the reasons why it is a very popular destination for all tourists.What is the best time of year to visit Arches?
Because of the dry, hot weather in Utah and the minimal shade in the National Park, visiting here during the summertime can be dreadful. Therefore, the best time of the year to go if you can be flexible is just before the summer (April – May) or right after (Sept – Oct) due to cooler, more moderate temperatures.Arches National Park Itineraries
Here we go. You only have a limited amount of time, but want to see all of the most popular hikes. I’ve broken this down into a few sections depending on the time you have for a full itinerary:If you only have a few hours, or don’t want to do a lot of hiking:
This option is perfect if you only have a few hours that you can squeeze into in your schedule or day, or you aren’t really up to do much hiking, but still don’t want to miss out on this amazing National Park.Check out Balanced Rock:
This hike around the base of Balanced Rock is fairly easy at only 0.3 miles (0.5km), but really, you don’t even need to do any hiking for this since you can get a clear view of this picturesque rock formation straight from the parking lot! Quite funny looking to me, but it’s a great thing to see if you don’t have much time!View the amazing Double Arch:
This is one of my favourite arches of the park. The best part is, it’s only an easy, flat 0.5 mile (0.8km) round-trip hike from the parking lot and it is spectacular. The neat thing about this hike is that once you get up to the arches, you can climb onto the arches themselves and also get a great view of the park.
Lastly, stop by the Delicate Arch Viewpoints:
Delicate Arch is probably Arches National Park’s most famous and most visited arch. And well, can you blame them? It’s pretty iconic. There is a hike that takes you directly to Delicate Arch but if you don’t have much time, there’s two different viewpoints that you can still have a great view of it to snap a great picture. The lower viewpoint is only 100 yards, while the upper viewpoint is 0.5 miles (0.8km)If you have about half a day and don’t mind a bit of hiking:
This option is for those who have a bit more time and don’t mind doing some hiking. You don’t want to spend your whole day hiking, but also still want to see the most popular arches and get to explore the park.Hike to Delicate Arch:
While the viewpoints of this arch are great to view from a distance, it doesn’t do the arch the same justice as getting up close and personal. Beware that this hike is listed as “difficult” as it does have some steep areas and very little shade, so take my advice – start this earlier in the day if you can before the crowds and the afternoon heat. It’s 3 miles (4.8km) roundtrip, and takes the average person about 2 hours to complete. Give yourself some time to take breaks.
Next, feast your eyes on the majestic Landscape Arch:
Grab a drink and fill up at the Landscape Arch lot as the only place you can fill up water other than the Visitor Centre. This relatively flat trail is 1.8 miles (2.9km) round trip and features the beautiful and majestic Landscape Arch, which is one of the longest natural arches in the world (longest in the US!).
Lastly, climb up to see The Windows:
The Windows hike is great because it’s a three-in-one! You get to see multiple arches – the North Window, South Window, and the Turret Arch and is an easy 1 mile (1.6km) trail that you can return to the parking lot with the same path. Because of the positioning of the windows, it’s also a great place to snap some photos with the North and South Window, within plain view of the Turret Arch.
Last but not least, if you have a full day to visit and an adventure-seeking hiker:
Dance with the Devil in Devils Garden (Trail):
This is the most difficult and longest trail in the park.
However, don’t let that scare you because the arches you get to see on this trail are striking, to say the least. You’ll get to see multiple arches, and go through unique, but challenging hiking terrains. The entire loop is 7.2 miles (11.6km), but always allow for more time to navigate through some of the steep ascents and descents, as well as breaks.
This trail starts off easy to its first arch, the Landscape Arch, but then gets progressively more difficult as you go. It then leads to a steeper ascent towards Double O Arch, with short side trails to Navajo and Partition arches. After the Double O Arch, there is another slightly longer side trail to Private Arch before the last leg.
This loop ends via steep, exposed slopes which is the most difficult part of the trail (also named the Primitive Trail) so be sure to always watch your footing and bring plenty of water.
… And you’re done! For the more adventurous, there are also two longer optional side trails to the Dark Angel and the Primitive Arch, but if you choose to embark on these trails, make sure that you have enough food & water and time to get back before the sun goes down.
Have you tried any of these hikes? What did you think? Did I miss any? Or if not, which arch are you most excited to see? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
