Exploring Arches National Park Utah This Year

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There are no words to adequately sum up Arches National Park Utah, but I’ll give it my best shot. What a place. A marvelous, wonderous area that feels like the land that time forgot.

For millions of years, the red rocks have been worn down by the elements to create thousands of natural arches, big and small. This is one of the best national parks in the United States – and one where it doesn’t seem possible to take a bad picture.

Where Is Arches National Park

Arches National Park is one of the Mighty Five national parks in Utah and arguably one of the most interestingly unique.

The sedimentary rocks that makes up the most famous sights of Arches National Park are over 200 million years old. And while it’s been a long time since dinosaurs roamed the Earth, with Arches you can just imagine them at home in this area.

Arches National Park is right around the corner from Moab, a town known for its love of the outdoors. Only 4-miles away, it’s the closest national park to the town. You can drive there in about 10 minutes.

Because of the proximity to Moab, stunning scenery and relatively compact size, Arches is a popular place. In the summer you’re best to arrive first thing, or later in the day, as otherwise there can be waits at the entrance.

How Big is Arches National Park Utah?

Arches is the second smallest of the five national parks in Utah, after Bryce Canyon National Park. Although the park is 119 square miles in size, the road from one end to the other is only about 20 miles each direction. That’ll get you all the way to the Devils Garden trailhead.

The park has only about 52 miles of paved roads, and all the major sights can be easily seen from the main roadway. That shouldn’t stop you from getting out to explore though. Take a walk along some of the trails or to the various viewpoints.

There are over 20 main trails throughout the park, ranging from 0.3 miles to 7.2 miles in length. The longest and most difficult is Devils Garden, which begins at the end of the main road through Arches National Park.

What’s So Special About Arches National Park?

I mean, just look at it. This is one fantastic looking place. In fact, you could very well be led to believe you’d stepped onto another planet, Arches is so out of this world.

The main reason, and possibly the most obvious one given its name, is that Arches National Park has over 2000 natural arches.

These arches are formed through a unique combination of the soft sedimentary red rock and rain water seeping through tiny fractures in the stone. Over time, arches are formed as pieces of the rock are chipped away.

Another interesting thing to look for in Arches National Park are ancient pictographs and petroglyphs. These native American rock markings depict scenes of animals and people and are up to 4000 years old.

As well as the otherworldly red rocks and historic art, Arches National Park is also famous for being a Dark Sky Park. That is, a place which is known for restricting artificial light, and therefore is more free from light pollution. There are less than 200 designated Dark Sky places worldwide, and Arches is one of them.

Being a Dark Sky Park means that the park is open 24 hours so that people can come in and observe the stars and night sky.

How Much Does Arches National Park Cost?

Being a National Park, there are entrance fees in place. An individual will cost $15 – that’s if you’re hiking or cycling in, without a vehicle.

A fee of $30 applies to private vehicles and includes all occupants. If you have the America The Beautiful Annual Pass you won’t need to pay an extra entrance fee to get in. The annual pass is $80.

There is currently a pilot program for Arches National Park between April and October, whereby you need to reserve in advance. Timed ticket entry is a one hour slot for $2. Time slots are opened 3 months in advance. Reserve your time slot here.

Note that timed entry advanced reservations are not needed before 7am or after the last slot at 4pm. They also aren’t required between November and end of March.

Top Travel Tip: Entering Arches after 5pm also means you don’t have to pay for an entrance ticket. Perfect for viewing the night sky from the confines of the dark sky park.

How Long Can You Spend In Arches National Park Utah?

You can spend a long time in the national park, or see a lot of things in a relatively short visit. I would plan for at least a couple of hours minimum – and that wouldn’t give you much time to get out of the car, or get to even the main points in the park. But if you don’t have much time you can probably see a couple of the major spots.

At the very least I would plan for 4-5 hours. That’s about the time it takes to drive the main road to the end and back with a few stops at points along the way. This still wouldn’t give you much time for any hikes, maybe just the odd short trail to a scenic point.

A full day in Arches National Park is recommended. Take some lunch (and remember to pack out your trash), and make a day of it. Choose a hike or two to some of the more interesting areas of the park, and find the perfect spot for a sunset if it’s been a nice day.

When is the Best Time to Visit Utah?

Any time but the middle of summer is probably the best answer I can give you. The summer months get incredibly hot and can be in excess of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (that’s high 30s for those who work in Celsius).

Between the soaring temperatures of June through August, and the popularity during the summer holidays I would avoid it if you can. April and May, or September and into October are actually really nice times to visit, but they are busy.

Main tourist season is March to November, with the outer edges of that season being quieter, but more unpredictable with regards to the weather.

The park is open year round – yes, even in winter. Moab, Utah does get snow and it be really cold in the winter months. This might impact some of the trails if you really want to go hiking. But if you’re looking for a more unusual experience, you might love the snow dusted red rocks that winter might bring.

The Best Ways to Visit Arches National Park

There are three main ways to get around Arches National Park: car, bus tour or bicycle.

The latter is not for the faint of heart. As already mentioned, while the park isn’t one of the largest, 20-miles one way is a long way if you’re not a proficient cyclist. Not to mention the fact that the road is single lane in each direction, and can be quite busy, you’ll want to take care if cycling. Please note bikes are not allowed on the trails.

A car is by far the easiest way to get around Arches National Park. Sure, you’ll have to pay the entry fee for the park (and potential timed entry), and you might struggle to get parking at some of the more popular spots if you’re there at a busy time. But, it is convenient, and gives you the most freedom to plan your day.

The last option is to ditch the car and let someone else do the driving. Moab is only a few miles down the road, and there are a couple of companies that offer daily bus tours into and around the national park. They know the best time of day to go to avoid the crowds, and their talented and knowledgeable drivers are the perfect tour guides.

On my last visit to Arches National Park I took a tour with the Moab Adventure Center. It was a 5 hour tour in the afternoon, and our guide was fantastic. She really knew her stuff, being a geology major with almost a decade working with the National Park Service.

The Top Sights in Arches National Park

You really can’t go wrong whatever you decide to do in Arches National Park. The whole place is magical, and with jaw-dropping views at every turn you won’t leave disappointed. There are, however, a few places you really shouldn’t miss, even if your time is limited.

PARK AVENUE

Within minutes of arriving at Arches National Park you’ll get to Park Avenue viewpoint. What a spectacular first look at the impressive towering red rocks. They almost look like skyscrapers.

There’s a lookout where you can gaze right down the middle of the epically gargantuan valley – and its a fantastic photo opportunity. See if you can spot Queen Nefertiti rock – it looks eerily similar to the famed Egyptian queen.

At the side of the lookout you can also access a short but interesting trail – it’s less than 2 miles long and ends at Courthouse Towers. Of course, if you only have one car in your group you will need to double back to get to your vehicle. But the trail is easy enough and allows you to see just how big everything here is.

COURTHOUSE TOWERS

A short drive past Park Avenue lookout (or a 2 mile walk if you’re following the trail) is the Courthouse Towers lookout. Here you’ll spot some incredible rock formations making up this part of the park.

The Tower of Babel, The Organ and the Three Gossips are the main formations to view. You can park very close by to see them with minimal walking. Perfect for those with mobility issues.

The Courthouse Towers area serves as the other end of the trail leading from Park Avenue. If you have two cars with you then park one at each end to make it easier.

BALANCED ROCK

You don’t have to ponder for long to wonder how it got this name. This smaller rock teetering on top of its larger stack could tumble at any minute – or it could take another thousand years. The next question is: which way will it fall?

The best thing about Balanced rock – other than the gravity defying formation – is that you can get a good 360-degree view of it. That’s because there’s a path all around it. The loop trail is very easy and can be done in 10-15 minutes even with a few photo stops.

The rock looks very different from every angle – from one angle I reckon it kind of looks like a mushroom cloud, although thankfully a little less deadly. If visiting around the shoulder seasons see if you can spot some snow-capped mountains behind it like I did.

SKYLINE ARCH

Not as easily visible from the road as most of the other arches and rock formations talked about so far, Skyline Arch is still an easy to get to viewing area. A few steps mark the start of the out and back trail leading to the arch.

The trail is very easy, and is only 0.2 miles in each direction. You’ll be able to get to Skyline Arch and back in about 10-15 minutes.

The arch is formed around a large sized hole on a sloping rock wall at the end of the trail. It’s quite the sight to see.

SAND DUNE ARCH

Personally this was one of my favorites in Arches National Park Utah. Partly because of the fun trail to get there, literally walking through a lot of sand, with tall rocks all around you. I kind of loved the long, narrow trail and a feeling of being insignificantly dwarfed by these monumental sandstone fins. Many people have compared walking here to walking through Petra, Jordan.

The second reason I really like it was because Sand Dune Arch was hidden in the midst of this unique trail. And it looks quite a lot like a raven. You definitely can’t see this one from the road so make sure you get out to explore.

The Sand Dune Arch trail is also a relatively short walk – only around 0.3 miles (half a kilometer). Because of the towering fins, the light sometimes finds interesting ways to get into the space and it makes for some really cool pictures.

DOUBLE ARCH

Double Arch can be seen from the parking area by the trail head. But to really get a good sense of how huge this thing is, you need to walk the short trail to get there. It’s a half mile round-trip to the tallest arch in the park, and the path is relatively easy and well laid out.

Unlike the barren area surrounding Sand Dune Arch, Double Arch trail gets you up close an personal with some local plant life. You’ll have spotted a few cacti along the way by now, but the main recurring tree you’ll see if the Utah Juniper.

They are fascinating to look at, all half-dead looking with twisted trunks and branches. My favorite thing to do was scratch the green “leaves” and smell the sweet juniper scent.

DELICATE ARCH

Delicate Arch has become synonymous with both Arches National Park Utah, and the state itself. It’s even depicted on the Utah state license plate. The way the light hits it and shines through it, the fact it is free standing, and the largest free standing arch in the park – all good reasons it gets the attention it does.

What’s also nice about Delicate Arch is that to really get to see it, you have to work for it. There’s a 3-mile round trip trail to take you there. In a place that gets super hot almost half of the year, this non-shaded trail can take a lot out of you. Be prepared, take plenty of water.

There is a viewing area at the start of the trail at the parking lot. But it is a distance away, so if you’ve got the time (and energy) I recommend taking to the trail. If you do, make sure to stop at Wolfe Ranch where you can view some petroglyphs of sheep and horsemen which are between 200-400 years old.

DEVIL’S GARDEN TRAIL

I don’t know about you but I reckon Landscape Arch looks a lot more delicate than Delicate Arch actually does. This dangerously thin looking arch is just one of a few you’ll see on the Devil’s Garden trail – the longest (and hardest) hike in Arches National Park Utah.

Find the ominously named trail at the end of the main road through Arches park. This hike will take you about 3-4 hours, but it’s filled with so many incredible sights. You’ll definitely want to make sure you leave enough time to include it on your trip, even if you can only do part of it.

While the whole Devil’s Garden Trail loop is almost 8-miles long, you can get to Landscape Arch and back in under 2-miles. That makes this one of the easiest parts of this trail to complete.

THE WINDOWS

Aptly named considering this section of arches literally frame the most scenic vistas. The Windows Section is the highest concentration of arches in Arches National Park Utah. In around 1.2 miles you can see the main North and South Window Arches as well as Turret Arch and a number of other, smaller but equally awe inspiring arches.

When you see the North and South Window Arches in person you’ll realize why they are nicknamed The Spectacles. These two arches are eye shaped holes and joined by a “nose” bridge. A really unique formation.

Across the way is Turret Arch. You can walk up a few steps and walk right through the arch. Many of the arches in the park you can get near, or even reach them by small paths or a small climb. But Turret is one of the few you can actually just stroll through.

Arches National Park Utah

If these photos don’t make you want to check out this famous national park, I’m not sure what will. It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. I think part of what I love the most is that growing up in the UK, and now living in western Canada, I’m used to everything being very green. And this is just so red.

I’m used to big mountains or rolling hills, but not the completely unique rock formations that you see in Arches National Park Utah. To say it feels like you’re driving through another planet is not overstating it.

You can spend a few hours in Arches, a full day or longer. If you have the time I recommend getting onto some of the longer trails and really experiencing the park on foot. This is a place I don’t think anyone will regret visiting.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Have you been to Arches National Park Utah? What about this park makes you want to visit?