We visited Arches National Park as part of our southwest road trip. We started from Monument Valley with a stopover at Four corner monument. Click here to read our experiences from the previous day.
On the way, you can also stop at The Needles, one of the sections of Canyonlands National Park.
Lovely scenery as we go along Route 191.
Wilson Arch is an amazingly unique and beautiful arch right off the side of the road; as we got closer to Moab, UT. You can either hike up the steep hill to get closer or enjoy the views from the side of the road.
We reached Moab, UT, around 3:00 pm with all the stops we made on the way. We stayed in Moab, UT, for three nights, and there were several hotels and restaurants to choose from.
Arches National Park entrance was 5 miles from Moab, and the entrance fee was $30, which was covered in the annual pass. There was no lodging and food inside the park. Here is the official website to learn more about Arches National Park.
Update: To enter the park from April 3 through October 3, 2022, visitors will need Timed entry ticket.
The top thing to do is to drive the 19 miles scenic road which runs through the park and see park’s largest arches.
We drove to The Windows Section which contains a large concentration of arches including North Window, Turret Arch, and Double Arch.
Double Arch is the tallest arch in the park and visible from the windows loop. It is a short .5 miles roundtrip from the parking lot.
The Windows View Point and Trail is 1 mile round trip from the parking lot and leads to North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch.
North Window
North and South Window
Turret Arch
Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint You can see the most famous Delicate Arch from a distance from this viewpoint. You can also hike a .5-mile round trip to see from Upper Viewpoint.
Balanced Rock is a must-see rock formation and is visible from Park road. You can hike short .3 miles to get closer.
The time of the day makes a massive difference in the picture. Balanced Rock in the evening
Some other views on our drive.
We saw some people rock climbing on this rock.
Park Avenue leads to a viewpoint down a corridor of towering rock walls and spires. It is a 1-mile hike one way.
You descend stairs to walk the trail among massive monoliths toward Courthouse Towers Viewpoint.
The trail ends at Courthouse. You can also do it in reverse order starting at Courthouse, but then it’ll be an uphill walk.
Tip: If someone in your party can drop you at the trailhead and meet at the endpoint; otherwise, you have to do the 2-mile round trip.
La Sal Mountains Viewpoint is the first viewpoint when you enter the park and offers an excellent overview of red rock scenery.
Delicate Arch is the most famous arch in the park. It is a strenuous 3-mile round trip hike. Delicate Arch is most famous for sunset pictures, but the day we visited was scorching, so we decided to do the hike in the morning to avoid the heat. We parked the car in Wolfe Ranch Parking lot. It took 2-3 hours to do this hike.
Looking back at the trail crossing open slickrock with no shade.
Just before you get to Delicate Arch, the trail traverses a narrow rock ledge.
Fiery Furnace Viewpoint is a labyrinth of narrow sandstone canyons. You can see them from a viewpoint. Entering the Fiery Furnace requires tickets for a ranger-led hike or permits for exploring on your own.
Beautiful views on the side of the road.
We drove to Devils Garden Trailhead, which offers a range of short and strenuous hikes. We hiked till Landscape Arch visiting Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch on the way. After Landscape Arch, it becomes strenuous, but you can hike till Double O Arch(4.0 miles) or the whole(7.9 miles)
Tunnel Arch
Pine Tree Arch
Landscape Arch is 1.8 miles round trip and we returned back after that. If you want you can hike till Double O Arch(4.0 miles) or whole(7.9 miles)
Sand Dune Arch, hike through deep sand to find this hidden arch between tall sandstone walls. It is short and easy .4 miles round trip hike.
Broken Arch, you can continue after Sand Dune Arch, and the trail crosses a large meadow to Broken Arch. It is an easy 1.2 round trip hike.
Skyline Arch It is a short and easy .4 round trip hike
We stayed three nights in Moab, UT, and visited Arches and Canyonlands National park. Since there is no lodging and food inside the park, you can pack a picnic lunch if you plan to stay in the park for the whole day. When we visited, it was scorching, so we did longer hikes in the morning and short and easy hikes and viewpoints in the evening. We took a break from the heat in the afternoon and rested in our hotel.