One Day in Arches National Park

Length of stay: 1 day
Visited: May 2024

Arches National Park is located in eastern Utah. It is home to the densest concentration of natural stone arches found anywhere in the world with just over 2,000 of them. Below the surface lies a thick layer of salt which, along with water, ice and extreme temperatures, helped form the arches, monoliths, pinnacles and other rock formations found in the area. There is a paved scenic drive through the park that provides access to many viewpoints and hiking trails to better enjoy the arches and red rock landscape.

We were a day ahead of schedule so we decided to make a spontaneous trip to Arches since it wasn’t too far from Grand Junction. Except it wasn’t that spontaneous as we first needed to get a timed entry ticket to visit the park. In an effort to prevent overcrowding, Arches implemented a timed entry system a couple of years ago between April 1 and October 31. Tickets can be reserved three months in advance, but there’s also a limited number of tickets available one day in advance that can be reserved online as well. We managed to snag one of the last minute tickets for entry in the mid-morning.

Despite the timed entry system (and the fact that we were visiting on a Monday), there was still a huge line of cars as we rolled into the entrance of the park. It took about 30 minutes for us to get through. While we waited we counted the number of cars that were turned around (which was surprisingly a lot), likely for not having booked a timed entry ticket in advance. I can only imagine how crazy this place gets on the weekend or during the summer. This was quite the contrast from when we visited in January last year when it wasn’t very busy.

After stopping at the visitor centre to refill our water, use the restrooms and check out the exhibits, we continued along the scenic drive through the park. We stopped at a few of the viewpoints to see some of the interesting rock formations. First up was the Park Avenue Viewpoint. The massive sandstone fins reminded early visitors of skyscrapers lining a big city street. There’s a trail that leads down and across the canyon floor, but we had other plans for the day.

Some of the other viewpoints provided views of La Sal Mountains, petrified sands dunes and more towering rock formations, all with descriptive names like the Three Gossips, the Organ and Courthouse Towers.

We headed to the Windows section of the park where there are more arches, viewpoints and hiking trails. The parking lot for the Windows Trail was completely full, but we managed to find a spot at the nearby Double Arch, so we started there.

The trail for Double Arch (1km round trip, rated easy) is short and sweet. There’s a wide path that leads through the sand to the base of two giant arches that are joined at one end. It is the tallest (34m or 112ft) and second-longest (44m or 144ft) arch in the park.

We walked back the way we came. From the parking lot there’s a short connector path that leads to the upper parking lot and Windows Trail (1.6km loop, rated easy). The trail leads to the North Window, South Window and Turret Arch. We followed the wide path towards the arches. At the junction the trail splits off with the Windows to the left and Turret Arch to the right. Since there was no one directly in front of us on the path to the right we decided to go there first.

The trail then loops around to the North and South Windows. This is where most of the crowds were, waiting to take selfies in front of the arches. We weren’t into that. So instead we took the primitive route that passes behind the Windows. This section of the trail is more rugged and the path is narrower, but there weren’t any people around.

It was approaching lunch time so we headed to Panorama Point where there’s a picnic area. Except it was closed off, along with the Skyline Arch, because of construction. The road was also reduced down to a single lane. Instead we continued driving and stopped at Devils Garden where there’s another picnic area. It was quite blustery outside so we quickly scarfed down our food.

From the picnic area we walked to the trailhead for Devils Garden which boasts of having a high concentration of arches. There are a few different options with multiple side trails depending on how much distance you want to hike and whether you’re up for an adventure. The last time we visited Arches we hiked to Double O Arch and Dark Angel and explored all the spur trails on the way. It was a lot of fun, but there were some dodgy sections. And we weren’t sure how much time baby M would give us. So we decided to hike to Landscape Arch (2.9km round trip, rated easy).

The path is gravel, wide and well-signed. After a few hundred metres there’s a turnoff for Tunnel Arch (0.2km one-way) and Pine Tree Arch (0.3km one-way).

We then continued onward to Landscape Arch. There were a few ups and downs to warm us up, which was actually kind of nice as the wind was a bit chilly. As we approached Landscape Arch, the path became full on sand. And then we reached the viewing platform.

Landscape Arch is the longest arch in the park and all of North America. It measures 93 metres (or 306 feet) base to base.

The trail continues to Double O Arch and involves a steep climb up a sandstone ridge. But this was the end of the hike for us. We turned around and walked back to the parking lot.

L

114 thoughts on “One Day in Arches National Park

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      Oh absolutely! The landscape is so neat with all the arches and other interesting rock formations. It’s also a very accessible park with a lot of viewpoints along or near the road so you don’t even have to work hard to see many of the arches. Thanks so much for reading and for your kind words. Enjoy the rest of the weekend. Linda

  1. brandib1977 says:

    Lovely photos. Looks like a perfect day for exploration! I was there in 2018 and you didn’t need a ticket at that point. We would arrive in the pitch dark early morning so we could watch the sun rise from a different vantage point each day. Then we would hike in the morning before it got hot or busy and be done at lunchtime. We would see next to no one all morning but then meet a mile long string of cars trying to get in.

    It was the very best schedule for us but I suspect this wouldn’t be possible now.

  2. kagould17 says:

    Absolutely stunning and a beautiful day to visit too. Yes, these kinds of places become victims of their own success, as is now happening in Banff National Park. So glad it all worked out for you Linda. Happy Saturday. Allan

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      I was surprised at how busy Arches was considering we were visiting on a weekday during the shoulder season. Even with a timed entry ticket, we still had to wait 30min to get into the park. It’s too bad about Banff becoming super popular too. While it’s great that so many people want to get outside an enjoy the parks, I’m so not a fan of the crowds (and the stupid things some tourists do). This is why we can’t have nice things.

  3. Lynette d'Arty-Cross says:

    When I visited I was practically by myself (it was late September). It’s amazing how so many locations are filling up, and for much longer periods now, as well. I recently read that Rome is going to require a fee for the Trevi Fountain to try to thin out the crowds and lessen the damage that’s occurring. As Allan said, a victim of its own success. Arches is such a fascinating park. To me it felt very timeless, primordial, almost. Beautiful pictures, Linda.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      That’s amazing! Lucky you to have the park mostly all to yourself! We visited Arches last January and it was much quieter then, which is just how we like it.

      It’s great that some parks are trying to prevent overcrowding by requiring timed entry tickets or issuing a limited number of day passes. Many of our provincial parks in Ontario have started doing this too, which has been working out well. While it’s great that so many people want to enjoy nature, it does come with its drawbacks. We tend to ruin things for ourselves, the wildlife, and nature. It’ll be interesting to see whether the entrance fee to visit Trevi Fountain will have an impact and whether other free attractions will follow suit.

  4. Janet says:

    Ugh, I know all about the “day passes” into the park, at least for Yosemite. It sure curtails how often I visit. Those rock formations and arches are beautiful, and their names are so fitting. Looks like another unique visit with nature.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      The landscape in Arches is beautiful and some of the arches look like they’re defying gravity. Many of our provincial parks require a day pass as well. And you can only reserve them up to five days in advance (except if you book a campsite there). It makes it hard to be spontaneous, but it’s a small price I’m willing to pay to not have to fight for parking and deal with even more crowds.

  5. GeoDel PhotoTravelogue says:

    It was different back in 2020. We did a spontaneous visit to the park while en route from Ouray CO to Salt Lake City. Few cars and few people. Probably because it was right after the start of Covid. We did enjoy all the views.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      Lucky you to experience a quieter side of Arches!! I must say, it was really nice how quiet the roads and trails were during the start of the pandemic. We definitely took advantage of it and explored some parks closer to Toronto that we otherwise would have avoided due to the heavy traffic.

  6. Willie Torres Jr. says:

    This is absolutely beautiful! It’s on my bucket list, and I hope to experience it one day. Thank you so much for sharing and bringing us along on this journey.

  7. leightontravels says:

    It’s amazing to me just how many of these parks there are, and each one with its own distinctive look and backstory. The Three Gossips is wonderful and very aptly named. The rock shot you took from behind the windows looks to me like a Venetian mask, while the tallest formation in the double arch (and cover) shot really looks like… ah I’m not gonna even finish the sentence.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      Oh I know! There’s something special about each of the parks and it’s been neat learning more about their history and geology. I’ve always wondered about who comes up with the names of some of these things. I couldn’t help but laugh at your comment about our cover picture!

  8. Travels Through My Lens says:

    Arches is such an amazingly beautiful place, and your photos have captured its beauty perfectly! We visited in October a few years ago, and although the park was packed with visitors, we did our best to see as much as possible. Your photos are spectacular!

  9. Book Club Mom says:

    These are incredible pictures, Linda. I always appreciate your experienced comments and advice and how easily you adapt to changes. This is definitely one I’d like to visit! Hope you are doing well!

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      Thanks for your lovely comment. It’s not often that we’re ahead of schedule! I’m glad we managed to squeeze in a visit to Arches as it’s such a neat park. I hope you’re able to visit someday and see all the arches and rock formations for yourself.

      Things with us are going well. Baby M is now nine months and loves crawling around. I imagine travelling will become much more challenging now! Hope all is well with you.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      I can see why it’s on your bucket list. The landscape is stunning with all those arches and red rock formations. And it’s close to a bunch of other national parks like Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Colorado National Monument, which makes for an excellent road trip. It seems like the day-use permits or timed entry tickets are becoming more popular. I don’t mind it as it’s a great way to control the crowds. It does require more careful planning though. Thanks for reading. Hope you had a great weekend.

  10. Bernie says:

    Wow! What an area of stunning, unique natural beauty. You managed all those photos with no people, so it feels pristine, but from reading your post, I can see it’s not?a

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      It was neat to see so many arches in such a small area. Some of them looked like they were defying gravity. Out of all the parks we visited during our road trip, this one was by far the busiest. I don’t like having randoms in my pictures. The timing worked out well with some of the arches and for others, it took a lot of patience and waiting!

  11. Dalmatian Insider says:

    So beautiful! Arches is otherworldly. I’m glad you were able to get a reservation to get in. Lots of national parks in the USA are doing that now and it can be super frustrating! And not helpful for people who like to be spontaneous.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      Oh I know! The landscape is so different compared to where we live in southern Ontario. Many of our provincial parks have started to require an advance reservation as well in an effort to better deal with the crowds. I’m all for it, but you’re absolutely right about how it makes it challenging to be spontaneous.

  12. Steve Lee says:

    We visited Arches in April of 2016. I can’t believe how long it took for you to get in. The national peaks seem to be really having a moment since the pandemic. We still need to go back and see Capital Reef and Bryce Canyon in Utah.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      Our parks have exploded with visitors as well since the pandemic. Many of our provincial parks in Ontario now require an advance reservation as well to visit (except if you’re camping there). It’s a great way to control the crowds, but it begs the question why we’re not creating more parks since there’s clearly a huge demand for them.

      We visited “the mighty five” national parks in Utah last year in January. Capitol Reef was one of our favourites. It’s such an underrated park that doesn’t get many visitors. We had the trails pretty much all to ourselves. Bryce Canyon is also very picturesque with all the hoodoos. They are definitely worth returning to see.

  13. Diana says:

    Awesome photos! I’m glad you were able to snag a last minute entrance ticket to visit and that the crowds weren’t too bad (though 30 minutes in line? yikes). Double Arch is my favorite arch!

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      Thanks! Our back-up plan was to go to Canyonlands, which is also pretty awesome, but was a bit further of a drive to get to. I can only imagine how crazy the lines are to get into Arches during peak season. No thanks! My favourite arch is Double O arch (largely because it’s such a fun trail to get to).

  14. Thattamma C.G Menon says:

    Absolutely gorgeous photography 🌷🙏👍🏻 such a wonderful place beyond
    the great geographic beauty can view 👌😍 so good experiences and grace 🌷🙏
    Your explanations can understand clearly and thank you so much dear for sharing 👏
    Happy weekend my friend 🌷🙏💞🌷

  15. Bama says:

    Three Gossips! They used to be three giants who were so engrossed in gossiping for so long they didn’t even realize that their feet started to get petrified by the elements. And before they knew it, their entire bodies were turned into rocks. Or at least that’s how I imagine the story would be written. I love that shot of the two arches side by side, creating the illusion of a mask.

  16. Little Miss Traveller says:

    This brought back fond memories of our own visit to Arches NP when the children were very small. I can’t recall it being that busy when we visited and it must have been U.K. school holiday time. No pre-booking then! You planned well to grab a last minute ticket but they could obviously do with speeding up the entry process. You must be getting even fitter than ever now Linda carrying your lovely little girl around all the time!

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      Glad to hear that you’ve been to Arches and that you didn’t have to deal with the crowds. We were there last January and it was much quieter then. Even though it was busier, we still enjoyed the scenery. It is definitely much tougher to hike while carrying a baby! And she’s getting so big now. We recently bought one of those backpack carriers and are looking forward to trying it out.

  17. Ab says:

    So beautiful, Linda. Those arches and window trails are so lovely. Very interesting some of the names such as Devil and Dark Angel! For a place like Utah too. 😆

    I may have mentioned in the past Utah is on our wishlist and on the shortlist of possibilities for next summer (I’m already dreaming 😆). I made a note to remember about the timed entry registration for potential future planning.

    Hope you’re all enjoying your weekends. You can feel autumn in the air!

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      I’ve always wondered about who comes up with the names of some of these things. The same could be said here in Ontario. Like how did Balls Falls or Butt Lake happen?!

      I remember that you were debating between Banff and Utah. I’d recommend trying to visit Utah in the winter or even during spring break if you can as the weather would be more comfortable. It seems like a lot of parks in North America are moving towards a day-use permit or timed entry reservation. I’m all for it if it means not having to fight for parking or deal with overcrowding!

      I am loving this cooler weather. But oh wow are the days getting shorter. It’s definitely feeling like the fall. Some of the trees in our neighbourhood are already starting to change colour. Soon we’ll be preparing for Thanksgiving and Halloween!

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      Thanks for your kind words. Landscape Arch looks like it’s being held together by such a small band of rock. It’s pretty incredible. Baby M is such a good little traveller and just loves being outside. She’s getting pretty heavy to carry around though!

  18. Ruth Rosenfeld says:

    Gorgeous! You have captured the beauty of Arches in your photos. My favorite of the Utah red rock parks. One year my son and I spent a couple of days hiking every trail, before the timed entry.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      Thanks!! The red rock landscape is Arches, and most of southern Utah, is beautiful. That’s awesome that you managed to hike every trail with your son. The Devils Garden is such a neat trail. We hiked to Double O Arch when we visited last January and would have loved to complete the loop, but we were a bit short on time. I’d love to return to this area as there’s still so much to explore.

  19. Little Old World says:

    Arches is such a beautiful and photogenic part of the world. It’s crazy it took you so long to get in, especially with a timed ticket. But I’m not surprised they’ve had to implement a timed entry system given the amount of visitors some of the parks have these days.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      I get why Arches is so popular. The timed entry tickets are a good idea to better manage the crowds. Many of our provincial parks in Ontario have started to do something similar. We weren’t expecting to wait so long to get in though. At least we had plenty of car snacks and some entertainment by counting how many cars got turned away for not having a reservation. Sucks for them.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      The crowds are definitely a big turnoff. That’s one of the main reasons why we visited the “mighty five” national parks in Utah last January in an effort to avoid the crowds (and the heat). It worked out well as it wasn’t very busy then. But I guess April is much more popular!

  20. Lookoom says:

    These are beautiful photos of these natural curiosities, and it’s only natural that they should attract so many people. However, you managed to take the photos without people, a real achievement in itself.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      Thanks for your lovely comment. I can easily see why this park is so popular. The arches are the star of the show and so many of them are easily accessible. I have a lot of patience when it comes to taking pictures! That and good timing!

  21. wetanddustyroads says:

    I just love these rock formations! I’m sure one can take a 100 photos and feel you haven’t covered everything yet! The arches and windows are truly spectacular – I like the photo with the steps leading to the arch. Beautiful photos!

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      The landscape in southwestern United States is so beautiful with all the red rocks and interesting formations, especially in this park with all the natural arches. No wonder it was so busy. I was surprised considering it was a Monday as well. And it wasn’t a holiday!

  22. Atulmaharaj says:

    I surely want to visit this on my next trip, just wondering how easy it’s to reach there using public transport since I’ll be mostly going solo and renting a car might not be an option for me.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      Oh I know! Arches is also close to a few other national parks, which makes for a popular road trip through the Southwest. It’s pretty amazing how these arches have formed and that there are so many of them.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      Thanks for your kind words. The red rock landscape is pretty incredible with all those arches. I wonder how much has changed from when you visited nearly 50 years ago. I imagine it was probably less busy too.

  23. alisendopf says:

    No way! We might have been in Moab at the same time. I was there May 4th for a Fondo Bike Race. We hiked around the area, but were not able to get into Arches due to all the people there for the two bike races. The one other time I was in Moab was probably a decade earlier. Then, Arches was closed due to the Federal government having a shutdown, and no Federal workers were being paid. Hence, no entry to that park. So glad you got to see this iconic park.

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      We were there on May 6th! It’s too bad our paths didn’t cross! We weren’t even planning to visit Arches but we ended up being ahead of schedule since many of the trails and overlooks were still snowbound when we were driving along the Million Dollar Highway. With an extra night in Grand Junction we decided to take a day trip to Arches since it wasn’t too far out of the way. Thankfully we managed to snag last minute tickets. It’s too bad the park was closed the two times you’ve been to Moab. What are the odds!?! I guess this means you’ll need to come back someday. The Devils Garden is such a neat spot in the park to hike.

      • alisendopf says:

        You are so lucky to grab tickets. I’m glad you got in. We were with some friends, and I took her on a smaller hike, but she wasn’t up for a big day at Arches, so I guess it’s for the best. Yes – I will have to go back.

        Holy, that place has changed. The first time I was there, the campground was pretty inexpensive, and it was mainly tenters. We were royalty with our two VW Westie pop top campers. Now, the campground is very expensive (I snagged a Black Friday deal), and it was full-on RVs. My little Steve was dwarfed.

        It was a lot busier too. I guess everything is getting busier, but it’s remarkable to see it a decade apart.

      • WanderingCanadians says:

        You’re absolutely right about how a lot of places are getting busier (and that the price for campsites has been increasing). The same is true with our parks here in Ontario too. All the more reason to create more green spaces for people to enjoy. There’s clearly a huge demand for it!

        Even though we had our timed entry tickets, we still had to wait for over 30 minutes to get into Arches. That’s how busy it was. On a Monday in April. I can’t even imagine what it would be like on a weekend! The crowds can definitely take away from the experience, but that being said, Arches is still pretty amazing.

      • alisendopf says:

        Holy. You’d think a Monday in early May would be fine, but nope! Well, I’m still jealous you got in.

        As for that snowstorm you were avoiding, my friends were actually stuck in Moab for about 2 weeks longer than they wanted to be, because of that weather system. They were trying to head further east for some climbing, but the weather was so bad. They just hunkered down in Moab and went mountain biking every day.

      • WanderingCanadians says:

        Oh gosh. Now I’m glad we made the drive from Grand Junction to Estes Park when we did. Sure, it took twice as long as it was supposed to because of all the road closures, but at least we weren’t stuck. But then again, it wouldn’t have been too bad to be stuck in a place like Moab!

  24. Sara says:

    My husband and I just moved to Utah earlier this year! We didn’t get the chance to visit Arches, but we have plans to go next spring after we get our kitchen renovated. Since we don’t know much about it, we need all the tips we can get! Your post and stories about your trip was super helpful, I’m so glad we came across it!

    • WanderingCanadians says:

      That’s awesome!! I hope the move went well. We took a road trip through southern Utah in January 2023 and visited the “Mighty Five” national parks. The scenery is spectacular. I’d love to return someday. Hopefully you’re able to visit Arches in the spring. It’s such a neat park. Cheers. Linda

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