The Devils Garden Trail Guide — Arches National Park

If you’re looking for the ULTIMATE Arches National Park experience, a trip through the Devils Garden is an absolute must! While hiking this phenomenal trail, you’ll see not 1, not 2, but 8 different natural arches!!

The Devils Garden Trail is a fabulous adventure, complete with rock scrambling and route-finding, while still providing a relatively well-maintained trail for the everyday hiker.

What You Need to Know About Hiking Devils Garden

• Bring plenty of water with you!  You can fill up at the trailhead, but after that there is no water available along the trail.  Dehydration is a huge concern in Arches, and you’ll want to have at least 3-4 liters of water with you for this hike.

• If you plan on hiking the whole loop, be sure to bring a map!  I recommend this one, but at the very least, pick up this trail guide as you begin your hike.

• There is very little shade along this trail, and temperatures in Arches can exceed 100 degrees during the summer.  For your safety, avoid hiking during the hottest parts of the day.

• Because of the popularity of this area, the trailhead parking lot is almost always full.  The trail begins at the end of the Arches Park Road.  Detailed directions to the trailhead are located at the end of this post.

The great thing about this trail is that you can choose your level of difficulty.  The hike is divided into three different sections, progressively getting more difficult as you go along.  It is possible to still have a great time in the Devils Garden without going beyond your level of ability or comfort.

This trail is 7.2 miles roundtrip (including all the spur trails) and is outlined below.  Opportunities to shorten your adventure are explained if you decide not to hike the whole route.

Here we go!

The Landscape Arch Trail

As you begin your hike, you’ll enjoy a wide and flat trail that is great for hikers of all ages and abilities.  This section is often packed with people hoping to catch a glimpse of the longest natural arch in the United States — Landscape Arch!!

But instead of hiking straight to Landscape Arch, take some time to hike the short spur (side) trail to Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch.  You’ll find this trail about 0.2 miles from the parking lot.  The hard-packed trail travels down a hill and then splits again to take you to each arch.

When the spur trail splits, head right to get to Tunnel Arch. Notice there is another arch above and to the left—there are so many arches on this trail!

After snapping a few photos of Tunnel Arch, head back to the main spur trail and this time take a left.  After walking a very short distance, you’ll be at the base of Pine Tree Arch.

The spur trail to Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch is only 0.5 miles roundtrip and is definitely worth a side trip!

After you’ve seen both arches, backtrack back up the hill to get to the main trail again.  Now it’s time to head toward Landscape Arch!

After hiking another 0.6 miles, you’ll reach Landscape Arch. Take a moment to soak in the details. This narrow arch looks like it might topple at any moment. In fact, several large pieces have fallen off over the years (which is why a trail that traveled to the base of the arch has been permanently closed). The rock keeps thinning out and giving way to gravity.

Sometime soon, this arch may be gone.

Landscape Arch is incredible!!  Spanning 306 feet across, this arch is longer than a football field and is a worthwhile destination in-and-of itself.

Most people you’ve seen on the trail up to this point will turn around here.  The hike to Landscape Arch is 1.6 miles roundtrip if you decide not to continue on.

The Trail to Double O Arch

NOW FOR THE FUN PART!!  If you choose to continue exploring the Devils Garden, you are in for an adventure!!

From Landscape Arch, you’ll see a sign that says, “Caution, Primitive Trail.  Difficult Hiking”.  This is the trail you want!  You’ll follow this trail up the slickrock and gain about 250 feet in 0.25 miles.  The rock you are climbing up is known as a “fin”. The Devils Garden is full of them.

At some points, there are steep dropoffs on either side of the fin, but it stays nice and wide so as not to be too concerning.

The park rangers don’t recommend attempting this hike if the ground is wet, snowy, or icy, and I definitely agree with that.  You’ll encounter quite a few spots along the trail that would not be safe to navigate if you don’t have a dry place to put your feet.

When you reach the top of the fin, you’ll be rewarded with stunning views of Arches National Park!

Continuing on, you’ll hike another 0.25 miles or so before reaching another spur (side) trail.  This trail leads you to Navajo Arch and Partition Arch, and YES, you should take it!

This spur trail is 0.8 miles roundtrip to see both arches.  It splits, and you must decide which arch you’d like to see first.  We like to go to Navajo Arch first because it’s further, but it doesn’t really matter what you choose.  Take a right at the split if you’d like to see Navajo Arch first.

This arch is thick and low to the ground, almost giving the illusion of a cave entrance.

After enjoying Navajo Arch, backtrack a little way and find the turn-off to get to Partition Arch (still along the spur trail).  You definitely don’t want to miss this one!

Perched high on the cliff, Partition Arch is a picture-perfect window to some of the best views of Arches and the Devils Garden!

After taking a look at both arches, backtrack along the spur trail to return to the main Devils Garden Trail.  Continue on, heading deeper into the Devils Garden and closer to the stunning Double O Arch.

The dirt trail you are following ends after about 0.5 miles.  You’ll see a sign that says, “Double O Arch,” with an arrow pointing to the rock it’s next to.  I always find this part to be humorous, just because it looks like there’s nowhere to go (especially if you are by yourself and don’t have someone to follow).

But in fact, the sign points to the rock because you are supposed to climb up it!  After a small scramble, you’ll reach the top of another fin with astounding views in every direction!

Route finding can be confusing here.  Travel ON TOP of this fin for approximately 0.25 miles (it looks like you are supposed to go up and over it, but you’ll want to stay on it).  This part of the hike is fabulous, but watch your step as you go…there are a few steep drop-offs here.

The fin tapers down, and you will be brought back down to the ground.  A short spur trail leads to a viewpoint for the Black Cave Arch from here.  This arch is difficult to see (it literally looks like a dark spot….or a black cave).

As you continue along the Devils Garden Trail, you’ll have more scrambling to do along the slickrock.  Watch your step as you follow cairns that lead you down to the fabulous Double O Arch!

This arch has two openings stacked right on top of one another!

Double O Arch is the best place to stop for a break along this trail.  There’s shade here!  And you really can’t beat the view.

From this arch, you can see the Dark Angel formation.  A spur trail (0.8 miles roundtrip) takes you to the base of the Dark Angel if you’d like to get a closer look!

The hike to Double O Arch from the parking area is 4.2 miles roundtrip, and the hike to Dark Angel from the parking area is 5 miles roundtrip.

You can turn around here and go back the way you came if you choose not to continue on along the upcoming Primitive Trail.

The Primitive Trail

If you choose to hike the Primitive Trail back to the parking lot, you’re in for a real treat — you should have this section of the trail mostly to yourself!

BE AWARE that some route finding is required along this trail.  Keep an eye out for cairns (stacks of rocks) that mark the right path as you travel over the slickrock. The brochure for this hike states that “hikers should expect steep slopes, exposure to heights and dropoffs, rock scrambling, sandy conditions, and a pool of water to cross.”

All of this is true!  Assess your fitness level before attempting this trail….this is not somewhere you would want to be injured or lost.

After just a few minutes of hiking on the Primitive Trail, you may encounter a large pool of water that will require a jump to avoid wet shoes.  Depending on the time of year, you may find a few of these pools that will require some fancy footwork to avoid (this picture was taken in March).

Watch for the sign for Private Arch, and take the short spur trail if it interests you.  This is the last named arch along the Devils Garden Trail, and you’ll likely have the arch all to yourself.

Continuing along the trail past Private Arch, some rock scrambling is required.  Pictured below is the first larger climb that you’ll encounter.  Notice the small cairn marking the way.  Pay special attention to your footing — this sandstone isn’t called “slickrock” for nothing!

You’ll get up close and personal with these spectacular fins as you navigate your way out of the larger formations.  Absolutely gorgeous views await you through this section of the trail.

And again, you’ll likely have them all to yourself!

One final scramble is required to exit the fins and enter the wash that will lead you back to the trailhead.  It’s hard to tell in the picture, but climbing down off this fin can be challenging.  The rock slopes downward (with about a 15-20 foot drop), the sandstone is slick here, and there aren’t many good hand-holds.

It’s not very picture-perfect, but you may find it’s easiest to get down from here if you just sit and scoot!

After scrambling down the fin, you’ll enter a dry wash.  Follow this wash, but watch for a sign that takes you out of the wash to your right.  It’s easy to miss the exit point.

Upon exiting the dry wash, the trail will loop around and start traveling south back toward the parking lot.  Now you’ll be on the fringes of the Devils Garden, with phenomenal views of the La Sal Mountains in the distance.

You did it!  The Primitive Loop meets up with the hard-packed trail that leads to Landscape Arch.  When you meet up with this trail, continue heading south for approximately 0.8 miles to reach the end of your Devils Garden adventure.

The trail through the entire Devils Garden (spur trails included) is 7.2 miles roundtrip.  The hike to Landscape Arch is easy, to Double O Arch is moderate, and the Primitive Trail is strenuous.  Take a look at this NPS trail guide for more specific information.

Getting Here

From the entrance to Arches National Park, follow the road for 18 miles to the far north end of the park.  The park road ends here and loops back around.  Along the loop, you’ll pass the entrance to the Devils Garden Campground.  After passing the campground, park in any available spot you find as you drive around the loop.

The trail starts near the restrooms and water spigots.

Enjoy your time in the Devils Garden!

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