The Ultimate One Day Itinerary for Arches National Park
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Arches National Park is truly a red rock wonder in eastern Utah. With its breathtaking sandstone arches (over 2,000 of them!), towering pinnacles, giant balancing rocks, and mesmerizing vistas, it’s a haven for travelers looking for an incredible change of scenery. You probably know this park from the infamous Delicate Arch which is a staple on the Utah license plate! Arches still holds it’s spot in our top 5 favorite National Parks and in this guide we’re going to give you everything you need from hikes, viewpoints, and must sees to have a perfect day in Arches from sun up to sun down!
Arches is NOT a dog friendly park
Unfortunately, most trails within the park are not dog-friendly to ensure the safety of both pets and the fragile environment. However, dogs are permitted in certain areas of the park, like paved viewpoints, picnic areas, and along roads. It’s vital to keep them leashed and respect the park’s rules regarding pets so we can all continue to enjoy this park and its natural beauty for years to come. If you do not have an insulated van or camper with air conditioning and pet monitors, please consider boarding your pets outside of the park for the day as temperatures in Arches are extremely dangerous for pets left in vehicles, especially during the summer months with temperatures often reaching over 100ºF. You can view Arches pet policies here.
When to Visit
For the best weather, visiting from April-October is ideal. In April/May and September/October, you can expect very temperate weather typically highs of 60-80ºF. From June-August, you can expect hot temperatures sometimes reaching over 100ºF during the day and 60-70ºF+ at night. These temperatures are very dangerous for visitors so please be sure to bring lots of water, food, sunscreen, and proper clothing. We have visited in July and September and found September to be much more comfortable! Although, you can still expect it to be crowded at this time. If you are visiting between April 1-October 31, you WILL need to purchase timed entry, unless you are visiting the park before 7am or after 4pm. You can purchase that here.
Things to Consider
Consider purchasing the America the Beautiful Interagency Annual Pass for $80, this pass grants you access to all U.S. National Parks for a year. Since most National Parks charge a $30-40 entrance fee, purchase the America the Beautiful Pass could pay for itself when you visit just two to three parks!
You can purchase the America the Beautiful pass below from REI!
What to Pack
Keith’s Recommendations:
Hannah’s Recommendations
(in addition to what Keith has)
How to Get Here
Arches National Park is located near Moab, Utah, making it relatively accessible by car. The nearest major airport is Salt Lake City International Airport, approximately 236 miles away. If you plan on adding Arches to a Utah National Park roadtrip and are starting from Zion, you may also find flying into Las Vegas is a convenient option as well. Either way, the best option for getting to Arches will be by renting a car, which you can do here. Several shuttle services and tour companies operate from Moab to the park, providing convenience for those without personal transportation. Viator has tons of opportunities to explore the area, inside and out of the park! If you’re interested in booking an experience, such as the Arches National Park 4×4 Adventure from Moab, you can find that here!
Where to Stay
Moab is such a special little town and there are so many unique places to stay when you’re here. If you’re looking for the typical hotels like Holiday Inn, you can book that here. BUT if you’re looking for somewhere unique to stay, you can stay in the National Park at Devils Garden Campground. And if you’re fine with being outside of the park, you will find some really incredible places to stay here like this villa with a climbing wall, Under Canvas Moab, or this Tiny House!
The Perfect One Day Itinerary for Arches National Park
Sunrise Hike to Delicate Arch
Bright and early, start your day at Delicate Arch with a sunrise hike! This hike is 3 miles round trip and we consider it moderate if you take your time, and strenuous if you try to hike it fast like we inevitably seem to do every time. We would recommend starting the hike about an hour before sunrise so you can take your time getting to the top and have some time to cool down before the sun comes up. Even in September, there were a lot of people doing this hike for sunrise and even more during the summer months so pack your patience and remember to kindly share the space with others 🙂
Devils Garden Loop
After you return from your sunrise hike to Delicate Arch, we recommend heading back to Devils Garden Loop since this is the end of the road in the park. There is quite a bit of parking back here, but it does fill up fast so it’s best to get there as early as you can! Once you arrive, head off to the Landscape Arch trail! This hike is 1.8 miles round trip and fairly easy to navigate. Along the way you will see Tunnel Arch and can hike past Landscape Arch to Navajo or Partition Arch. The entire Devils Garden Loop trail is 7.9 miles and takes you to Landscape Arch, Double O Arch, Dark Angel, and the primitive trail – plus you can take short detours to Navajo or Partition Arch. We recommend only hiking as far as Navajo or Partition Arch if you only have one day because there’s still a lot left to see in the park after this loop. From Devils Garden Loop, each stop will be in order toward the parks entrance!
Skyline Arch, Sand Dune Arch, and Fiery Furnace Viewpoint
- Skyline Arch: just a short 0.4 mile roundtrip hike! You can see this arch from the road, however, it is worth it to hike at least halfway to get a closer look.
- Sand Dune Arch: also a short 0.4 mile roundtrip hike, however, you hike through sand to get to this arch which adds a little bit of a challenge. Just past the arch, you can hike in a little further and climb the rocks, but DO NOT climb or jump on the arch.
- Fiery Furnace Viewpoint: If you have just one day in Arches, the Fiery Furnace hike takes a bit too long to be able to fit the rest of this itinerary in so the viewpoint will do! If you choose to do the Fiery Furnace hike, you will need to obtain a permit ($10) through recreation.gov.
Skyline Arch- Sand Dune Arch
- Sand Dune Arch
Take a break for Lunch
Now is your time to recharge. You can stay parked at the Fiery Furnace Viewpoint or go ahead and drive to the next point (Windows/Double Arch parking lot). Have lunch, take in the views, drink some extra water here as it’s probably getting hotter in the day, and get ready for the next few arches because they’re fun ones!
North & South Windows, Turret Arch, and Double Arch
- The Windows & Turret Arch: a 1 mile roundtrip hike to see all 3 arches, this is an easy trail with gravel steps and can be done in about 30 minutes! By this time in the day, there will be quite a few people here so be mindful to kindly share the space with each other.
- Double Arch: our FAVORITE arch in Arches National Park (tied with Delicate Arch) – there’s just something magical about it. It’s a flat trail, 0.6 miles round trip, but the sheer size of the arches is incredible. We loved hiking up into the arch and being able to stare up at them in awe. And the best part is, this is a very quick hike and can be done in 15 minutes!
- Double Arch
- Windows
Double Arch
Turret Arch
A few more stops to finish off your day
- Garden of Eden: this viewpoint is a very quick stop off point so it’s worth it if you still have the time! This is more like an open hiking area with no designated trail.
- Balanced Rock: a quick 0.3 mile trail, you can hike this or simply view it from the trailhead – but it is a must see. I mean, how can a rock balance on such a small base like that?!
- Courthouse Towers Viewpoint and Park Avenue: The area of monoliths and towering walls. Between these two areas you can see The Organ, the Tower of Babel, Sheep Rock, Three Gossips and the La Sal Mountains! We spent less than an hour in this area of the park, but you can do more or less depending on your preferences!
Arches National Park, though vast and diverse, can be beautifully experienced even in just one day. We find that there is just enough time to see everything or to do less stops and spend more time at your favorite spots. While this park is busy, it is busy for good reason and even with the crowds you can still have an enjoyable time. There’s a reason this park remains in our top 5 favorite National Parks and we hope you enjoy it too! It isn’t just a place; it’s an experience. During your visit, please respect the environment, plan accordingly, and make the most of your time to immerse yourself in the beauty of this park. As always, remember to Leave No Trace!
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