Long Weekend Series: Arches National Park
Updated: Apr 12, 2023
Welcome back to my “A Long Weekend in…” series! In this series I’ll take you through an itinerary for three days in and around a national park or other public land. These itineraries are primarily made for people who enjoy hiking and are visiting a park or area for the first time and want to hit the main highlights.
A Long Weekend in…
Arches National Park
About the Park
Arches National Park was re-designated a national park in 1971. Located in Southeastern Utah, the park protects over 2000 arches, the largest concentration of them in the world. The arches were created from Entrada Sandstone some 300 million years ago. Arches National Park is perhaps best known for Delicate Arch, the massive free-standing arch featured on Utah's license plate.
Entrance Fees
Arches National Park costs $30 per vehicle to enter and is good for seven days. Entry is free with one of the annual passes such as the America the Beautiful Pass. As of 2023, between the beginning of April and the end of October, entry to the park requires a timed entry pass that you can purchase for $2 on recreation.gov. The tickets become available 3 months in advance with some additional tickets being made available at 6 pm MDT the day before. The ticket gets you in from 7 am to 4 pm; you must enter between your designated entry slot but after that you can come and go as you please.
Day One
Hike the Devil’s Garden Loop
If you want to see a bunch of arches in one go, then this is the hike for you! In 7.8 miles, you can visit eight incredible sandstone arches plus a rock spire. The most well-known arches along the hike are Landscape Arch, the longest arch in the world, and Double O Arch, two arches stacked atop each other. The hike to Landscape Arch is short and easy but it becomes more difficult en route to Double O Arch with some minor rock scrambling, walking across rock fins, and elevation gain. The Primitive Trail section is the most difficult part of this hike and does involve some mild route finding but is very scenic. For a detailed account of this hike, check out my blog post here!
Hike to Skyline Arch
If you have the energy, hike the 1.0 mile round trip trail to Skyline Arch that’s just up the road from the Devil’s Garden parking lot. You can get a good view even partway down the trail.
Drive the scenic road and enjoy the various pull outs
After the workout that morning, take a breather and take a leisurely drive through the park, stopping at the many pull outs. Some of my favorite roadside stops include Balanced Rock, Panorama Point, Park Avenue (also a nice short hike!), and the Fiery Furnace overlook.
Day Two
Visit The Windows section
Early the next morning, head over to The Windows section to see another amazing collection of arches. Arriving around sunrise will allow you to see them with fewer crowds than later in the day, but given the area’s popularity, still expect to see a fair number of people. The main arches here are Double Arch, North and South Window Arches, and Turret Arch. Double Arch is what it sounds like - two arches that branch off of each other to form a really cool alcove-like area. If you have the ability, it’s worth climbing up underneath the arches for a different perspective.
The two Window Arches almost look like a pair of glasses from below. There is a hiking trail that loops through and around these arches that is overall easy but does require climbing some stairs and having sturdy footing. My favorite view in this area is the area behind the North Window, where I was able to see Turret Arch framed in the arch of the North Window. To get to the prime viewing spot, hike through the North Window (that’s the one on the left if viewing the two arches from below) and scramble up the rocks behind it. The light is best in the morning!
Explore the Fiery Furnace
The Fiery Furnace is a massive collection of rocks, spires, and arches that create a maze-like interior for people to explore and willingly get lost. Due to the fragile and challenging nature of this area, one must obtain permits ahead of time to be able to visit. The self-guided permits go up on recreation.gov seven days in advance, with only 75 permits available per day. Prior to COVID there were also ranger-led hikes through the Fiery Furnace — I expect these will resume in 2023. The Fiery Furnace is best described as a hiker’s playground. It involves climbing over rocks, squeezing through narrow passage ways, and route finding, never knowing what you’ll find around the next corner. The route through the Furnace is not well marked. There are a few small white arrows that point out the right direction, but they are very easy to miss so I would recommend downloading the map on AllTrails just in case. Pro tip: whenever you come across a sign that says “Dead End,” be sure to go down the side canyon and explore the dead end as there will always be a little surprise!
Hike to Sand Dune Arch
Sand Dune Arch is a cute little arch tucked into some sandstone fins surrounded by soft orange sand. The hike is 0.4 miles RT and is an easy one to squeeze into your day. If you have more time/energy, you can extend your loop to include Broken Arch.
Day Three
Watch the sunrise at Dead Horse Point State Park
Today begins outside of the park on the outskirts of Moab. There are few other places in the area better for watching the sunrise than the main overlook at Dead Horse Point State Park. The park does require a $20 entrance fee but it is so worth it. I’ll just let these pictures do the talking:
Hike to Corona Arch
Just outside of the national park on BLM land is a short hike to the massive Corona Arch. Throughout this 2.4 mile hike, you cross slickrock surrounded by rock walls with blind arches that will someday become true arches; that landscape itself is honestly stunning enough even without the arches. There is a short ladder that you have to climb and a small section that you have to climb up using a rope for assistance but it’s very doable. Just before reaching Corona Arch — which you’ve been staring at from a distance for awhile now — you’ll pass Bowtie Arch which almost looks like a starlight with how it’s angled. Corona Arch is one of the area’s best arches and reminded me a bit of a rainbow.
Watch the sunset at Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch is the most iconic thing to see at Arches National Park. In fact, it’s so iconic that it is pictured on Utah’s license plate. The hike itself is moderate but doable with most people with a basic level of fitness. The afternoon is when the sun shines best onto the arch, with the arch practically glowing in the golden orange light of sunset. Due to this, sunset is the most popular time to hike to the arch, but I think the sight is worth the crowds. To learn more about this hike, check out my blog post on Delicate Arch! Prior to starting this hike you can also walk down to the Lower Delicate Arch viewpoint just down the road to catch a different vantage point of the arch. The trail is 200 yards and flat, level, and wheelchair accessible.
If you have more time
Visit Canyonlands National Park (deserves its own three day itinerary - keep an eye out!)
Hike to House on Fire
Hike Fisher Towers
Explore Goblin Valley State Park
Hike through Little Wild Horse Canyon
Drive the Shafer Trail from Canyonlands to Moab
Check out the area’s petroglyphs and dinosaur tracks
Pro Tip
Midday is probably the worst time of day to be in the park. Not only is it the busiest, but during the summer months it is also the hottest. One way I got around this was by hiking in the park in the morning, leaving the park and visiting something else in the area or having lunch, then returning in the late afternoon for more hiking and sightseeing. Note that this method will only work if you have a timed entry ticket or if you visit in the off-season when the timed entry tickets are not in effect.
While you're in town
Moab has a surprisingly diverse and delicious food scene for such a small town; don't miss out! Some of my favorite places to grab food are Thai Bella and Sweet Cravings Bakery + Bistro. There are lots of little family friendly attractions in the area as well!
Where to Stay
There are all sorts of different accommodations in Moab, from AirBnB's, high end hotels, motels, luxury camping, RV campgrounds, and dispersed camping. I generally disperse camp while in the area as it is abundant and convenient. You can find these spots using apps like freecampsites.net or iOverlander.
Visiting Arches for the first time? Pin this for your trip planning!
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