In this guide, you’ll find how to spend 1 day in Arches National Park – one of the most popular national parks in Utah, USA.

Imagine more than 2000 rock formations in the shape of arches! That’s Arches National Park! Arches National Park is one of the most amazing national parks and part of Utah’s Mighty 5 list (the 5 best national parks in Utah).

In addition to its beauty, this park stands out for its fun trails that take you to some of the best arches at Arches National Park, such as Delicate Arch.

In this park, we can admire not only arches but also spirals, pinnacles and balanced rock formations. Most of these rock formations result from erosion caused by water, ice and extreme temperatures over more than 100 million years.

This park attracts many visitors because, besides the amazing landscapes, some of its attractions are easily accessible, making it possible for people with reduced mobility or lower fitness levels to visit it.

Throughout this post, you’ll find tips on things to do in Arches National Park, but also other useful information such as:

• How long to spend in Arches National Park
• Best time to visit Arches National Park
• Hotels near Arches National Park
• Best hikes in Arches National Park
• Entrance fee for Arches National Park

Arches National Park is located near Moab, in the state of Utah. Of the major cities in the United States, Salt Lake City is one of the closest to Arches National Park. The journey by car takes around 3h30 (370 km/230 mi).

One day in Arches National Park is the ideal length for a first visit and for those who want to visit the park’s main attractions, including some hiking trails.

To give you an idea, I spent about half a day in the park (I entered at around 8 am and left at 3 pm) and was able to do all the activities I’ll mention below.

However, if you have a bit more time available in the region, you can add a day to your Arches National Park itinerary. If you do so, you’ll be able to wander around the park without rushing around and maybe include some guided tours of Arches National Park to some iconic sites, such as Fiery Furnace, for example.

The best time to go to Arches National Park is in spring and early autumn, as temperatures tend to be milder and there are fewer visitors.

The weather in Arches National Park varies greatly throughout the year. Summers tend to be quite hot, with temperatures often exceeding 37 °C (99 °F). For example, if you visit the park at this time, you should be extra cautious due to the heat, as there is little shade throughout the park.

On the other hand, winters are milder but much colder, with maximum temperatures ranging from -1 °C (30 °F) to 10 °C (50 °F) and snow is also possible.

When it comes to the number of tourists, the park’s busiest months are from March to October. In my case, I visited in mid-April and, even though there were already quite a few visitors, the visit was still very pleasant and I didn’t have any trouble finding parking spots or entering the park.

Like other national parks in the USA, you have to pay for a ticket to enter Arches National Park.

There are various entrance tickets and passes available. For example, entrance fees with a private vehicle are 30 USD (the price is per vehicle, not per person). There is also an annual pass which costs 55 USD.

💡 EXTRA TIP: For some time now, there are reservations for Arches National Park. If you visit the park between 1 April and 31 October and decide to enter it between 7 am and 4 pm, you must choose a time slot to enter the park before your visit (it’s called a timed entry permit), to avoid queues when entering the park. Each vehicle only needs one ticket and it must be purchased here. It costs 2 USD and you can purchase this permit up to 3 months in advance.

However, if you wish to visit other national parks in the United States, other options are more worthwhile. One such example is the America the Beautiful annual pass. This pass costs 80 USD per vehicle and is valid for one year for all the national parks in the country. Given the average price of entry to the various parks, you only need to visit 3 national parks in a year to make it worth buying America the Beautiful! More information about the passes is available here.

Any of these tickets or passes can be bought at the entrances to the various national parks. I should warn you, however, that some entrances/parks may only accept card payments. You can also buy your entrance tickets online if you wish to spend less time queuing to enter the park😉. Even though it might reduce the time in the queue, you’ll always have to show the pass the enter the park, which can also take some time during peak season.

If you choose to buy the America the Beautiful annual pass, once you’ve bought it, you’ll need to show your pass and ID when entering each park, as the pass is non-transferable.

The mobile network in Arches National Park is quite limited, so you should be prepared for no internet access. Therefore, I strongly suggest downloading the map of the park area to be available offline on Google Maps.

This park isn’t exactly close to any of the big cities in the USA. In fact, the closest airports to Arches National Park are as follows:

• Canyonlands Field (CNY) – 15 minutes by car from the park
• Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT) – 1h30 drive from the park

However, both these airports are regional, so they only have a few internal connections within the country and with reduced frequency. So, it’s probably better to fly out to Salt Lake City International Airport. From Salt Lake City to Arches National Park is about 3h40 by car.

💡 EXTRA TIP: When I visited Arches National Park, I was doing a road trip through other national parks in the United States. There’s no doubt that renting a car was the best option, as it gave me a lot of freedom to prepare my itinerary. I rented a Toyota RAV4 from Avis in Los Angeles and really enjoyed their service. Although I didn’t need this feature for what I visited in Arches National Park, I paid a bit more and decided to rent a high-clearance vehicle, which is an excellent option if you want to drive on some of the dirt roads that exist in the US national parks.

Arches National Park has only one entrance, located just off US Highway 191. Although the park is open 24 hours a day, the ticket booth at the entrance is not open 24/7. So if you arrive at the park very early or late, there probably won’t be anyone at the booth. In that case, you’ll have to pay the park entrance fee (or show a pass you already have) when leaving the park.

Public transport within the park is non-existent, so the best way to visit the park is by car. In fact, one of the must-do activities is driving through Arches National Park on the Arches Scenic Drive.

This route is 31 kilometres (19 miles) long and starts at the park’s entrance and ends at the start of the Devils Garden trail. As well as being a beautiful drive (even without getting out of the car!), this is the road that takes you to some of the most important attractions in Arches National Park.

For most of the areas in the park (and the ones I’m going to recommend you visit throughout this post), a “normal” vehicle is enough and you don’t need a high-clearance vehicle. However, there are some roads in the park where a 4×4 is necessary.

However, the most popular activities in the park don’t involve passing through dirt roads, so a “normal” car will most likely be more than enough 😉.

There are no lodges in Arches National Park. So, the most convenient option is to stay in Moab, a small town with plenty of accommodation options (and restaurants too!), about 15 minutes drive from the park.

In my case, I ended up staying in one of the most basic motels in Moab, but despite the simple facilities, I enjoyed the experience. I stayed at Adventure Inn Moab, which had parking available just outside the room and breakfast included. It was fairly basic, but perfect for those just looking for a clean, comfortable place to rest at the end of a full day.

In any case, there are other accommodation options available in Moab (and at quite different price ranges), such as:

Alternatively, you can also use the campsite at Arches National Park – Devils Garden Campground. Given the popularity of this park, I advise you to book the campsite in advance if you want to camp there between 1 March and 31 October. During the rest of the year, the campsite is open on a first-come, first-served basis. More information can be found on the official website of Arches National Park.

An important tip when planning a trip to Arches National Park is that there are no restaurants or supermarkets inside the park. To make the most of your time in the park, I suggest bringing some snacks for the day and a picnic for lunch.

Although they will provide a paper map when you enter the park, you can access it in advance here. This map includes some of the best activities for those who want to spend a day in Arches National Park.

In addition, I recommend downloading the park’s map on Google Maps beforehand, as the mobile coverage may be limited and there is no Wi-Fi. You can find maps of all the national parks in the United States here.

Although I’m starting this Arches National Park itinerary with this point of interest, this is actually something you’ll visit throughout your day in the park.

The Arches Scenic Drive is the road that runs through the main area of this national park, starting at the park’s entrance off Highway 191 and ending at Devils Garden. Driving this road is certainly a memorable experience in itself and will involve several stops along the way at several points of interest.

About 5 kilometres from the park’s entrance, you’ll find Park Avenue viewpoint, from where you can see the Three Gossips rock formation. This is also where the Park Avenue trail starts, linking the Park Avenue viewpoint to the Courthouse Towers viewpoint.

The trail is 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) one way and it is a relatively easy one, especially if you hike from Park Avenue to Courthouse Towers.

However, although I enjoyed the trail, I think other places in the park are far more interesting, so I would only do this trail if I had plenty of time to visit Arches National Park. The trail takes about 1 hour (round trip).

Moreover, since this is not a circular trail, you’ll have to walk another 1.6 km (1 mi) back to your car at the Park Avenue viewpoint, once you reach the end of the trail. So, my suggestion is that you visit the Park Avenue viewpoint and walk a few metres along the trail, but not the whole thing.

If you’re also curious to see the Courthouse Towers, you can do so from the viewpoint further along Scenic Drive.

Useful information about the trail:

• Distance: 3.2 km (2 mi) round trip
• Recommended duration: 1h roundtrip
• Difficulty: Easy
• If possible, walk the trail in one direction only. I recommend taking the trail from Park Avenue to Courthouse Towers
• Car parking is available at both ends of the hiking trail

Next up is another viewpoint and one of the most beautiful in the park! In addition to the views of the La Sal mountains, which are magnificent, especially when covered in snow, here you’ll find a panoramic view of the park’s rock formations.

Depending on the weather conditions on the day you visit, you may have better or worse visibility over the mountain range from this viewpoint.

We continue towards one of the best-known rock formations in Arches National Park – Balanced Rock. As the name suggests, it’s one rock balanced on another. I know it may seem strange that this is an attraction, and I have to confess that I doubted this would be worth including on the itinerary, but the truth is that I really enjoyed visiting it.

Although Balanced Rock is visible from the road and the car park, there is a small loop trail around it. The trail is only 400 metres (0.3 mi) long and it’s quite an easy walk.

I especially recommend visiting it at sunset, as the rock’s reddish tones become even more evident. In fact, sunset at Arches National Park is one of the most magical moments of the day and, as such, an excellent time to visit some of the park’s attractions.

Useful information about the trail:

• Distance: 0.4 km (0.3 mi) loop
• Recommended duration: 20 min round trip
• Difficulty: Very Easy
• Car parking is available next to Balanced Rock

Make a small detour from the Scenic Drive to visit the Garden of Eden. This is a quick stop and also a viewpoint with panoramic views of the park, including La Sal Mountains and some of the most famous arches in Arches National Park, such as Turret Arch, North Window or South Window.

Continuing on the so-called The Windows Road, I now suggest visiting what was one of my favourite parts of this national park. This is also the area of the park where you’ll find the highest concentration of arches.

You can visit three of the park’s most famous arches on a short 1.1 km (0.7 mi) round-trip trail. The trail passes the North Window, South Window and also Turret Arch. Allow between 45 minutes and 1 hour to do this trail, take photos and walk under some of these arches.

One of the most iconic photographs of this national park is taken from behind the North Window, allowing one to observe the Turret Arch from another perspective.

There is also the option of taking a longer version of this trail via a primitive trail. However, I warn you that this trail isn’t as well marked as others..

Useful information about the trail:

• Distance: 1.1 km (0.7 mi) round trip
• Recommended duration: 45 min round trip
• Difficulty: Easy
• There is parking available close by or, alternatively, next to Double Arch (which is located slightly below)

A few metres from all the arches I mentioned above, you’ll also find Double Arch, which is just as spectacular. It consists of two arches, one of which is the tallest arch in the park at around 34 metres (112 ft) high.

From the car park, the route to reach this arch is fairly simple, taking about 1 km (0.6 mi) round trip. This is one of the few arches where it is possible to climb the rocks below the arch.

💡 EXTRA TIP: There is a car park for the Double Arch and another for Windows and the Turret Arch. However, on days with lots of visitors, you may want to leave your car in one of the car parks to visit both sites as it might be hard to find a parking space and the distance between these two attractions is minimal.

Useful information about the trail:

• Distance: 1 km (0.6 mi) round trip
• Recommended duration: 30 min round trip
• Difficulty: Easy
• Car parking is available nearby or, alternatively, near the Windows and the Turret Arch

We head off on what will be the most challenging trail on this route, but also the most rewarding. It’s time to visit what is, for many, the best arch in Arches National Park. Just to give you an idea, this arch is so famous that it appears on Utah’s car licence plates 😆.

The arch is visible from some viewpoints, but nothing beats the feeling of seeing it up close. It may look small from afar, but it’s huge. In fact, you only realise its true size when you get close to it.

The trail to Delicate Arch is about 4.8 kilometres (3 mi) round trip and is relatively demanding, as the way there is mostly uphill. In addition, the trail itself is fun, but there are no magnificent views, which makes it a bit boring.

📝 USEFUL INFORMATION: Allow around 1.45 to 2 hours for this trail. In my case, it took me 40 minutes to go up (at a fairly good pace) and 35 minutes to come down, with only 30 minutes at the top.

Nevertheless, even though is quite demanding going all the way up there, it’ll all be worth it once you see this majestic arch. I must admit that I was a bit scared when I approached the arch, as the terrain is uneven and steep. However, most people seemed to be able to get up there without too much difficulty. So, it really depends on how adventurous you are, I guess!

Useful information on the trail to Delicate Arch:

• Distance: 4.8 km (3 mi) round trip
• Recommended duration: 1h45 to 2h (round trip)
• Difficulty: Moderate because it’s mostly uphill on your way to the arch
• There is a car park near Wolfe Ranch on Delicate Arch Road

Since this is the main attraction in this park, don’t expect to be here alone. In the busiest seasons, it can even be difficult to find a parking space near the start of the trail at Wolfe Ranch.

💡 EXTRA TIP: Some of the most beautiful times to visit this arch are sunrise and sunset. However, these are also some of the most popular!

If, for some reason, you can’t hike the trail to Delicate Arch, I suggest you visit one of the following viewpoints:

• Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint – involves a 0.8 km (0.5 mi) hike with a few climbs
• Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint – the views from Delicate Arch are worse, but access is easier

Delvis Garden is another of Arches National Park’s best hikes. The difficulty of this trail depends on how far you decide to hike, and you can visit several arches along the way, such as Landscape Arch, Pine Tree Arch, Tunnel Arch, Navajo Arch, Partition Arch and Double O Arch.

The complete Devil Garden Loop Trail is indeed demanding, with a total distance of 12.6 km (7.8 mi). However, the good thing about this trail is that it’s possible to hike only parts of it, these being the distances (round trip) to the main points of interest along the way:

• Landscape Arch – 3 km (1.9 mi)
• Double O Arch – 6.6 km (4.1 mi)

In my case, as I had limited time, I decided to hike to Landscape Arch, which is the longest arch in the park at 93 metres long (306 ft), and from there I also took a short diversion to Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch.

When travelling from the car park to Landscape Arch, you’ll see signs for Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch before reaching Landscape Arch. However, you can visit Landscape Arch first and then return to these 2 arches on the way back to the car park.

It used to be possible to walk over the Landscape Arch, but after part of it collapsed in 1991, it is no longer possible to get close to it. Even so, it’s impressive to see this arch from a few metres away.

Just before you reach Landscape Arch, you will see signs for the Tunnel Arch and the Pine Tree Arch. Visiting these two arches is a diversion from the main trail to the Landscape Arch and adds about 1 kilometre (0.6 mi) round trip. The Tunnel Arch isn’t that impressive, but Pine Tree Arch is quite photogenic 🥰.

I ended up spending 7 hours in the park (8 am to 3 pm), but if you have a bit more time, I suggest you continue along this trail to Double O Arch.

Useful information about the Devils Garden trail:

• Distance: depends on what you decide to hike but the shorter version to Landscape Arch is 3 km (1.9 mi) round trip
• Recommended duration: 1h if you only hike to Landscape Arch
• Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
• There is a large car park near the Devils Garden trailhead

There are so many stunning places to see in Utah that I understand that you might feel tempted and try to squeeze the best out of each one in order to see as many places as possible. So, if you’re only planning to only spend half a day in Arches National Park, here’s my suggested itinerary (starting at 8 am and finishing at 1 pm – 1.30 pm):

• Drive to the start of the Delicate Arch trail and begin with the most demanding trail of the day. I know it’s going to be tempting to want to stop at the various stops until you reach Delicate Arch trailhead, but we’ll get to those places later on.
• Continue driving on the Scenic Drive of Arches National Park until you reach its end to hike part of the Devils Garden trail to Landscape Arch.
• Observe Balanced Rock from the parking lot
• Drive on the Windows Road and hike that small trail that goes through North Window, South Window and also Turret Arch. Make sure not to miss Double Arch as well.
• Stop at Garden of Eden Viewpoint.
• Visit the Park Avenue Viewpoint.

In terms of the distance you have to hike, this half-day in Arches National Park covers 9.9 km (6.2 mi) on foot, split between several hikes. The most demanding is undoubtedly the one to Delicate Arch, but it’s also one of the most spectacular in the park, which is why I highly recommend it.

It will certainly be a busy morning/afternoon, but I believe it’s doable and will give you a good idea of what this Utah national park is all about.

I know it’s possible to visit the highlights of Arches National Park in just one day. However, if you have a little more time available, other places in the park also seem interesting. So here are a few suggestions:

• Sand Dune Arch: an arch easily accessible via a sandy track (0.5 km/0.4 mi)
• Fiery Furnace: Especially magical at sunset because of the colours it turns. This place isn’t an arch, but it’s quite popular nonetheless. You can visit it on a guided tour with park rangers or with an individual permit. Find out more here. There’s also a more easily accessible Fiery Furnace viewpoint.
• Skyline Arch: very easily accessible arch via a 0.6 km / 0.4 mi trail.
• Broken Arch: easily combined with Sand Dune Arch. On its own, the trail to Broken Arch is 2.1 km (1.3 mi) long.
• Tower Arch: more demanding 4.2 km (2.6 mi) trail in a more remote part of the park
• Tapestry Arch: an interesting option for those visiting the Devils Garden, as it is easily accessible and close to the car park of the Devils Garden campground.

💡 EXTRA TIP: It is possible to combine the Sand Dune Arch, the Broken Arch and the Tapestry Arch into a loop trail. This trail is about 4.5 km (2.8 mi) long and takes between 1h30 and 2h.

Hiking trails in Arches National Park are super interesting and fun. However, depending on the weather conditions during your visit, you should consider some aspects. These are some of the park’s official recommendations:

• Protect from the sun with a hat, sunglasses, light clothing and sun cream.
• Ensure the necessary hydration while hiking any trail.
• Make sure you have food when you enter the park as there is nowhere to buy food inside the park
• Plan your visit in advance to avoid going on the trails at the hottest time of the day
• In the colder months, it’s important to be prepared for cold temperatures
• On days with fewer hours of daylight, make sure you return from the trail when there is still light since it gets dark earlier
• If you’re going to walk a trail alone, tell someone you know that you’re doing it.

Finally, don’t forget the Leave No Trace principle, by complying with its 7 principles: prepare your visit in advance, dispose of rubbish in appropriate places, leave everything the same way as you found it, minimise the impact of any campfires, respect wildlife, be respectful to other visitors and comply with the camping rules.

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