Hey there! Are you ready to plan an unforgettable trip to Arches National Park?! This park contains over 2,000 cataloged natural arches, making it the world’s largest collection!
Nothing can prepare you for the grandeur of the red rock arches you will find here. It is absolutely breathtaking!
There is so much to do. You may have already looked at a map and been a little overwhelmed — and eager to make sure that you don’t miss the best sights.
I’m a former park ranger, and I’ll help you plan your vacation down to the details. I’ve extensively explored Arches and am here to help! Whether this is your first time to Arches, or if you are returning after many years and would like to be reintroduced to the park, this list of 10 things is for you.
What You Need to Know About Arches National Park
- Don’t miss out on anything during your trip! For the best experience, get an early start to your day and have a solid plan — like this detailed itinerary.
- This area of Utah can get extremely hot in the summer, so plan accordingly. Be sure to wear plenty of sunscreen, and NEVER hike without water. Two areas of the park offer drinking water — the Visitor Center at the beginning of the road, and the Devils Garden Trailhead at the end of the road.
- Arches has no in-park hotels or restaurants. If you want to stay overnight in the park, learn all about camping in Arches National Park!
- The soil in Arches National Park is a biological crust that has been living and growing for thousands of years, so stay on the trail. Please do not disturb the fragile soil.
- Numerous hiking trails converge and overlap in this park, so you don’t want to be caught hiking without a map. This is the map I use and recommend for Arches National Park.
Planning a trip to Arches can be overwhelming.
How do you make a solid plan if you’ve never been to the park before? How do you keep everyone in your group excited and engaged?
You can spend hours on the internet searching for things to do, but you still won’t find the insider tips and first-hand knowledge that I’ve gained from working as a park ranger.
If you’re hoping to see the best sights without getting stuck in traffic, circling parking lots, or being surrounded by people, check out this Arches Itinerary.
You will see all of the can’t-miss spots, plus get lodging and dining guides, driving directions, and insider tips!
Although there is an astonishing number of arches in this park, other great hikes and viewpoints without arches do exist. I’ll make sure that you don’t miss the sights that make this park so famous. Let the adventure begin!
Click NEXT to see the list of 10 things you can’t miss on your first visit to Arches.
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Hi, we are arriving in Las Vegas on the 1st full week of April. We will be driving to Moab on Sunday. Our plans were to hit all 5 UTAH parks (Arches, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Bryce and Zion) on our way back to Las Vegas. We would be leaving Las Vegas late on the following Saturday. This gives us full days Monday-Fri/Sat. We wanted to hit the highlights of all parks; perhaps seeing one or two of the parks via jeep trails/roads or horseback riding in a park. (obviously renting). We are not backpackers and would enjoy easy hikes as well as viewing the stars in one of the Dark Sky parks. Is this crazy? There will be 3 of us traveling, 1 teenager and 2 50+ year old adults. If so, do you have a recommendation on which parks to hit? Do you do specialized planning? Thank you! Love your site!
It will be tight, but doable. I have some suggestions for hitting all 5 parks in seven days here: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/how-many-days-should-i-spend-in-bryce-canyon-national-park/
I also have itineraries for the three busiest Utah parks here: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-park-trip-itineraries/ That will help you beat the crowds and make the most of your time in the area. Have fun!!
Hi,
I just came across your website while I’m in the beginning stages of planning a trip to Utah. Your articles regarding the parks are wonderful and informative. The pictures are most helpful as well. Thank you for the time and effort you put into this so the rest of us wouldn’t need to.
Thank you so much, Linda!
We are visiting in March, do you have any advice about the park at that time of year ?
It’s generally quite nice, but a little on the cold side. Snow and ice are still possible on the trails, so if you have traction devices like yaktraks I’d bring them for safer hiking. Enjoy!
Hi Ash, do you do custom itineraries? I am taking my 4 and 6 year olds and we are planning on hiking some of the parks between Zion and Arches. We’ve never been before and I’m seeing so many beautiful places I just don’t know where to start. We’ll be there in July so I’m hoping for short hikes less than 1.5 miles, preferably with waterfalls and places to swim, that my kids will enjoy. We are driving from Salt Lake City to Denver over 5 days so my goal was to hit a different park every day as we go east. I’m happy to pay for your services, we just need some advice! Thank you!
Hey Pete,
I don’t offer custom itineraries at this time, but you can find my recommendations here: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-park-trip-itineraries/ I try to keep the hiking trails short and family-friendly, so I think you’ll find some great advice in there for your particular situation.
Have a great trip!
Ash
Do your itineraries include up to date COVID related information and tips for visiting during this unusual time?
Yes! When you get an itinerary, you’ll also receive an email with additional instructions regarding COVID in the park.
Love all your precise directions! We are traveling next week, arriving in Moab area around 6, wondering about doing the park avenue trail on arrival ? One person in our group is not thrilled about climbing stairs, what is the trail like if we start at the courthouse tower end? Shuttle is not an option .. just want to do something on arrival!
You don’t have to climb the stairs if you start from Courthouse Tower….you can turn around before that and then just stop at the the other end to walk to the viewpoint from your car. Have fun!
I loved your article! Just wish I would have been able to read it 7-8 years ago before I went to Arches!! It truly is one of the most magnificent places in the US. Actually all of Utah is I think!
Thanks Cris! Hopefully you’ll get to visit again sometime soon!
What time of year did you go? We’re planning the last week of April, so hopefully it’s not too hot. Thanks for your post! I’m getting stoked to go!!
I go to Arches pretty much anytime but summer. Any of the other seasons are much more enjoyable in my opinion :)
We went to Arches this summer and it was absolutely beautiful! I took my 10 year old son and the two of us hiked all through the park. Our favorite Arches were Sand Dune Arch and Windows Arch. We took our time exploring and every chance we could pull off to explore we did. Since this was the Centennial year of the parks and fourth graders are free we took full advantage! I really recommend spending at least 8-10 hours in the park if you can spare 2 days you won’t be disappointed. We were there at the end of June and it was really HOT we had a cooler full of water and cool clothing.
I’m so glad that you had such a great experience! I’m sure that trip is one that you and your son will talk about for many years!! That’s great that you were prepared for the heat….it sure can be rough hiking out there during the summer. Stay in touch!
Ash
I went this past July and it was awesome. Missed seeing Delicate Arch but did see the Window Arch, Balanced Rock, Courthouse & Park Ave. Now I have an excuse to go back and stay longer next time
Awesome!
It’s always good to go back! Everything looks different each time :)
Didn’t the landscape arch fall several years ago? I was there in 2007 and it was still up. The hike to the Delicate Arch is my favorite. In fact Arches is one of the best parks.
Yeah a few big chunks of the arch fell off but it’s still standing! Quite an amazing place isn’t it?!?!
We hiked The Fins. Breathtaking! We were deep into the hike when a HUGE windstorm came upon us. Although we had to turn back before finishing, it is still memorable: The view, the nature up there, The strength of the wind, the adrenaline. Our group of 5, included two experienced climbers/hikers and one expert climber. 3 of us would do it all over again!!!
Wow sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing that experience — and I love your attitude. Sometimes Mother Nature has some tricks up her sleeve, but it doesn’t have to stop us from making some incredible memories!
We love visiting the National and State Parks and Monuments in Utah! Arches was amazing and so beautiful. Thanks for your posts on the NPs!
Thanks Janet! How lucky you are that you have been able to experience so many wonderful places. I love Utah for that reason…..there is always amazing things to do and see :)
My sister in law was visiting last week and she wanted to go to Arches. I had never been, but had pinned your post in case we ever made the trip down there. We studied your post before we went down and it was so nice to have the length of the hike and your “what you need to know” information. When we got our map, we already had these items planned and we were prepared.
The only thing I think you could have included was Sand Dune Arch. It was the best one for kids, there was a nice breeze, it was in the shade, not too strenuous, and there were a few cracks and crevices to explore. Part of the extended trail past the arch is closed right now because they had some problems with rocks falling, but you can still get to the arch to see. It was not crowded at all.
I’m glad that you guys had a great time Aliza! And thank you for the reminder….although we didn’t love Sand Dune Arch (we don’t have kids to appreciate it), it is a great place to go if you have small children. I will add it on to the end of my list for those that are traveling with their families!
Yes – Corona Arch is a must see. I have also wanted to hike Negro Bill Canyon but haven’t done that yet.
I have also heard good things about Negro Bill Canyon. Moab really has so many things to do….
Even though it’s not in the park Corona Arch rivals any of the arches inside the park. It’s a fairly short and easy trail that begins across from the Gold Bar campground on the river. I consider it a must do in the Moab area.
Bill, thank you for the recommendation! I have heard of Corona Arch but have never been there, so I will definitely check it out when I head down that way in a couple of weeks!