Visiting Arches National Park

At 76,519 acres, you will easily be able to fill a few days with things to do in Arches National Park. In fact, you will have to pick and choose what you most want to see.

We had two days to spend in Arches National Park. The first day, we drove the Arches National Park Road to the Double Arch Trail, stopping at all of the scenic overlooks along the way. The first stop is Moab Fault Overlook. The fault line runs a little below the utility poles. It always freaks me out a bit, to be looking at a major fault line while vacationing. We also saw the San Andreas Fault line when we were in Joshua Tree National Park.

Just a mile down the road, the next stop is Park Avenue Overview. There is a 1.8 mile trail here; however, we were visiting during the middle of summer and decided not to hike in the extreme heat. Make sure to stop for the view, even if you do not plan on hiking.

My first tip would be, visit during spring, fall or winter. The timing of our trip could not be negotiated, so we were not able to see as much as we would have liked. Because of the summer heat and lack of shade, we limited our hikes to under a mile, and during the morning and late afternoon.

The La Sal Mountains viewpoint is just 1/2 mile further along the road. There are parking lots at all of the viewpoints, but some are larger than others. 

Next up, is the Courthouse Towers Viewpoint (1.2 miles down the road) and trailhead. The trail is 1.8 miles RT and is rated moderate. We only stopped to admire the views, then jumped back into the air conditioned car.

We took our first ‘hike’ at the Balanced Rock Viewpoint. As it is just a .3 mile loop, it really wasn’t much of a hike, plus it is rated easy. So, even in the summer heat, it was manageable.

The trail brings you around the entire rock formation. We came back here at night, for stargazing. Although Arches is an official International Dark Sky Park, we did see more stars when we were on Mauna Kea in Hawaii. I’m sure if we would have driven deeper into the park, the stars would have been even better; however, there was a full moon, so it may not have made much of a difference on this particular night.

Our final stop for the day was the Lower and Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoints. The lower viewpoint is only 50 yards from the parking lot. We also did the Upper Viewpoint, which is .7 miles. We did have plenty of water with us, and much to my son’s horror, I carried my solar shade umbrella with me. We did see quite a few people seriously struggling, of course, none of them had water. Never underestimate the toll heat and the blazing sun, with no shade, will take on you.

Finally, here’s a short video of driving through the park, just to give you a feel for the park. I apologize for the dirty windshield; my usual focus is photography….I make videos while my husband drives to keep myself from offering him ‘helpful driving tips’. 

Things To Know Before You Go

1. The park currently has a reservation system in place from April 1st – Oct. 31st. You can make reservations at recreation.gov. 
2. At the beginning of the road into the park is a Visitor Center.  It has restrooms, water, souvenirs, maps and a ranger. The summer hours are from 8 am – 6 pm.
3. The park is open year round 24 hours a day, with some holiday closures. There is also a limited amount of camping. Check here for closure dates.
4. The current entry fee (2024) is $30 per carload. They also accept the America the Beautiful Pass, as well as some others. Veterans are always free. Check here for more information.
5. Take the heat warnings seriously – 4 people died in the park in 2023 while hiking.
6. There are a good variety of hikes to take, from easy/short to hard/long. Even if you plan to do no hiking, I still recommend visiting the park, as there is so much to see just stopping at all the scenic viewpoints.
7. Be sure to have plenty of water, sunscreen, sunglasses and proper footwear. If possible, I’d plan your visit for spring, fall or winter, especially if you would like to do a lot of hiking.

We spent a little over 6 hours in the park on our first day. I would love to go back to the park again when the weather is conducive to hiking. I’m grateful that we were able to see so much of the park in our limited time frame.

The next morning, we started off early, as we wanted to get some hiking done before the heat really kicked in. We were able to get three hikes in before 11:30 a.m. We did the Sand Dune and Broken Arch Trail, The Skyline Arch Trail and The Fiery Furnace (this hike requires a permit). As always, wishing you happy travels and fantastic adventures in this thing called life.

(All pictures are available as Fine Art Prints or Digital Downloads for purchase through Alamy. If you see something you like, click on the link. If you are unable to find it, use the Contact Me page and I will make sure the image is available.)

More Desert Hikes

Hiking Cathedral Rock in Sedona, Arizona

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona

Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona

Visiting Joshua Tree Park in Twentynine Palms, California

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