The Ultimate Guide to Hiking in Arches National Park

Planning to go hiking in Arches National Park? This ultimate guide gives you details on ALL the trails in Arches!

Arches National Park has some of the most otherworldly landscapes of any park in the US National Park System. I’ve traveled and hiked all across the southwest, and in particular southern Utah, hiking through all of Utah’s national parks, tons of state parks and national monuments, and plenty of other spots in southern Utah.

All that to say – Arches is special.

The park, located in southern Utah, is home to a whole host of interesting geological formations, including over 2000 arches, plus pinnacles, fins, balanced rocks, intriguing formations, and more. The rocks are all a stunning red-orange color, which only adds to the gorgeous landscapes.

While there are a lot of landscapes and rock features you can admire from viewpoints or even from the road, the best way to really enjoy Arches National Park is to explore some of the many best trails through her gorgeous landscapes.

Along with parks like Bryce Canyon, Goblin Valley, and the myriad slot canyons of the southwest, Arches is truly one of my favorite spots in Utah.

In this guide, I’m sharing a detailed look at all the hiking trails in Arches National Park, breaking it down into 3 categories: the best easy, medium, and difficult hikes.

Quick Tip: If you’re planning a Southwest US road trip, I recommend reserving a rental car ASAP for the best prices and availability. I always book my car with this rental car aggregate site to find the best deals.

Best Easy Hikes in Arches National Park

All of the trails in Arches in this section are 0.5 miles round trip or less. Most of them are also very flat, and some of them are even paved. Despite being classified as “easy” and short, these spots are still some of the best hiking in Arches National Park, so if you’re a serious hiker, don’t write them off!

1. Balanced Rock

• Distance: 0.25 mile loop
• Elevation gain: Negligable. Part of the path is paved

This is one of the many, really cool features you can see in the national park that is not an arch, and is actually one of the most well-known features in Arches (after Delicate Arch, of course).

You can see this rock as you are driving along the main road, but it’s definitely worth stopping by and walking around it. The path is very smooth and flat and does a loop around the rock, although as you approach the base there are some steps and rocks to walk on to get even closer.

We really enjoyed this walk around Balanced Rock – the apparent shape of the rock changes depending on the angle you are looking at it from, and it was really interesting to see it morph so much as we walked around.

2. Lower Delicate Viewpoint

While hiking to Delicate Arch is undoubtedly one of the best experiences in Arches, if for whatever reason you’re unable to do the hike, or just want to see the arch from a completely different vantage point, the Lower Delicate Viewpoint is a great option.

The trailhead for the upper and lower viewpoints is just past the parking lot trailhead to Delicate Arch. The lower viewpoint is flat, completely paved, and an extremely short walk where you can see Delicate Arch from “behind.” (i.e. the other side of the arch from where hikers are looking at it)

You get a clear, albeit very small, view of the arch. The size of the arch in the photo above is accurate to the size it was in real life at the viewing platform.

3. Double Arch

• Distance: 0.5 miles round trip on a graded trail
• Elevation Change: Negligible on trail, maybe 75 feet if you scramble to the top.
• Note: You can access this arch from the same parking lot as the Windows and Turret Arches.

Despite this being one of the shorter and easier hikes in Arches National Park, I really, really loved this arch!

This is the tallest arch, with the 3rd largest opening, in Arches National Park. And it feels BIG! We were really impressed with how much the arch just towers over you. Additionally, I really loved the formations that made the double arch.

This is a really good arch to visit during the middle of the day if you’re traveling during the hot summer, because it’s a short, flat walk and basically the entire arch is shaded. Once you get to the base of the arch, you can climb and scramble on the big rocks to get higher up and have a different vantage point, which was really fun for our family.

This is definitely a must-see arch for any visitor to Arches National Park – it really was one of my favorites.

4. Sand Dune Arch

• Distance: 0.4 miles round trip
• Elevation Change: Negligible

This sandy trail starts on an open prairie before cutting into a little canyon between two large rock fins.

There are some good scrambling rocks along the way, with some ridges you can climb up if you want to play a bit.

The Arch is set in a wall leading to a small cove, and while smaller, is an enjoyable and pretty one. You can also continue exploring beyond the arch, as you can continue walking between the rock walls.

5. Skyline Arch

Skyline arch offers an intriguing profile, with a dramatic slant and stark views of the blue sky through the arch. There are two ways to experience this fun arch, and both offer that nice, framed-in-sky view.

The way that 90% of people do it is by taking a short, 1/3 mile hike from the main road as it heads toward Devil’s Garden. This quick trail leads up the base, and you’ll also get decent views just from the road.

The lesser-known way to visit it is to go into the Devil’s Garden Campground and park by the amphitheater. From the amphitheater you get a great view of the arch (pictured above), and if you want to get closer, it is a short walk and scramble up. You likely won’t even have to share the arch from this direction.

Medium-Difficulty Trails in Arches National Park

All of the hikes in this section are medium in difficulty and distance, and are between 0.5 and 1.5 miles round trip.

6. Park Avenue

• Distance: Depends on how you choose to do it. 1 mile if you turn around halfway OR go from point to point. Otherwise, if you do the complete out and back trail, it is 2 miles.
• Elevation gain: 200 feet

This is one of the first trails you’ll come to when you enter the park. There are actually no arches on this hike, but I think it’s still a really great and easy walk through a beautiful section of red stone. Starting from the south end, there is a viewpoint right away, and you can just stop there if you want, but I recommend walking down a set of steps to start the walk/hike through the canyon.

As you descend, the fins rise around you with varied and interesting formations on either side. It kind of feels like you are walking between two rows of stone buildings – hence the name Park Avenue.

The trail starts at the Park Avenue viewpoint and ends at the Courthouse viewpoint. If you have more than one vehicle in your group and someone can pick you up, you can just walk the one-mile canyon from start to finish.

If you do that, I would recommend going from Park Avenue to Courthouse. While the canyon is fairly flat, there is a gentle slope, and going from Courthouse to Park Avenue is the uphill direction.

With one vehicle, I would park at the Park Avenue viewpoint. The most scenic areas are in the half of the canyon by that end and you may just want to do that first 0.5 mile and turn around.

7. Broken Arch

• Distance: 1.2 miles round trip
• Elevation change: Minimal

The trail to Broken Arch can be done as an out-and-back to the arch from the parking lot by Sand Dune Arch, a point to point trail, where you start at Sand Dune Arch and end at the Devil’s Garden campground, or as an out-and-back from the Devil’s Garden Campground.

We did this hike in the middle of the day in the summer, and our little kids were tuckered out, so my oldest daughter and I started from Sand Dune Arch and hiked to Devil’s Garden Campground, where Matthew met me in the car with the rest of the kids.

Now, Broken Arch isn’t actually broken, but the top ridge of the arch has a divet in it, resembling brokenness. Honestly, I think “Heart Arch” is almost a better name for this one!

From the parking lot by Sand Dune Arch, you’ll hike 0.6 miles through this sandy trail in the middle of a “prairie.” The field is an interesting contrast to the mainly stark, red rocks in Arches National Park. You can actually see Broken Arch in the rock wall up ahead – it’s on the right side, almost at the end of the line of rocks.

This arch is really fun because the trail continues underneath and through the arch. On the far side of Broken Arch, you’ll see dramatically different scenery, with tall red rock walls and scrubby brush.

As you near the end of the trail by the campground, there is a little offshoot trail to go see Tapestry Arch.

The combination of Broken Arch and Tapestry Arch is a great option for getting off the beaten path and avoiding crowds – we saw only one other person while we were hiking here!

8. Tapestry Arch

• Distance: 0.6 miles round trip
• Elevation Change: 40 feet

You can do the hike to Tapestry Arch in Arches National Park as part of your hike to Broken Arch if you start at Devil’s Garden Campground, or if you do the point to point from Sand Dune Arch to Devil’s Garden Campground. The distance noted above is only if you go from Devil’s Garden Campground to Tapestry Arch, and then back.

If you are continuing to Broken Arch, Tapestry Arch is a short spur trail off the main trail.

Tapestry Arch was really cool! There were three large openings in the rock wall next to each other, and I can certainly see how it reminds you of tapestries hanging on the wall of an old medieval castle.

There’s a flat sheet of rock that makes for a great viewing spot (where the above picture was taken), but you can also continue on and go right up underneath the arches.

9 & 10. The Windows + Turret Arch

• Distance: 0.7 miles (or 1 mile, if you take the longer, primitive loop back)

This trail allows you to see 3 arches: North Window Arch, South Window Arch, and Turret Arch. North and South Windows are formed from the same slab (as seen in the photo above – North is on the left), while Turret is in its own formation to the east of them.

A short, 0.7 mile, paved loop will take you in a tight circle in front of all 3 of these arches. You can also go up farther up and onto the base of each arch as well.

The longer loop is the primitive trail and will take you to the backside of the Windows arches. Here the trail is packed dirt and rocks.

The back loop does take longer, but there are fewer people on this trail and it gives a unique perspective to the arches, even bringing you to a sort of cove.

You can walk right up to the North Window arch and climb around on the base of the arch, even passing through it. It also offers this great view of Turret Arch through it! This view is best at sunrise. I loved the way the arches were framed in each other – it was such a cool view and shot.

Best Difficult Hiking Trails in Arches National Park

The hikes in this section are the most difficult hikes in Arches National Park. If you’re a very serious hiker, you’ll notice that none of these hikes really are that long. Most of them are between 2-4 miles, with a notable exception for Devil’s Garden.

However, some of them have some steep climbs, require scrambling on rocks, or are otherwise difficult, and they are the longest trails that Arches National Park has to offer, but you’ll also experience some of the most stunning landscapes in Arches on these hikes!

11. Delicate Arch

• Distance: 3.2 miles round trip
• Elevation Gain: About 600 feet
• Time to hike: Plan for 1.5 to 2 hours for hiking, plus more time at the top
• Difficulty: Moderate

Delicate Arch is BY FAR the most famous arch and most popular arch in Arches National Park. It’s on the state license plate, it’s the most popular arch in the entire world, and the hype is absolutely deserved. Yeah, there can be a lot of people at the summit (although the park reservation system has helped significantly to manage crowds), but its absolutely worth it.

Hiking to see Delicate Arch is absolutely incredible. I won’t say too much about it here, since I have a whole post about all the logistics and things to know about hiking to and seeing the arch, but it should definitely be at the top of your bucket list for the park.

12. Fiery Furnace

• Distance: 2-5 miles, depending on how much you explore
• Time: 2-5 hours

The Fiery Furnace hike is a very “exclusive” hike open every day to only a small number of people (about 70) that get a self-guided hiking permit, or for two groups of people who are on ranger-guided tours.

We got lucky and nabbed spots for the self-guided tour, and y’all. Y’AALLLL.

This might be my favorite hiking spot in all of Arches National Park.

We absolutely adored this hike. First off, because permits are so limited, you hardly see anyone else when you’re hiking.

Second, although there are arrows and markers to note the way, there’s also not really a set trail, so you explore and make your way through the tall fins and rocky areas, feeling like you’re the first people to discover the area.

Finally, the landscape is just insane.

Fiery Furnace is made up of tightly packed, long rows of alternating fins and canyons. This creates a maze-like area, with narrow passageways, sheer walls, interesting rock formations, a few arches, and a ton of opportunities to scramble over the rocks. It’s such an exciting gem of a trail in Arches, and definitely one of the best things to do in the park.

13. Garden of Eden

Since the Garden of Eden is marked on the map as a viewpoint, very few people know that you can actually hike in the Garden of Eden!

We talked with a couple of rangers to confirm this, and they said that people are encouraged to walk around the area and go through the “garden” complex.

As you explore the Garden of Eden area, you will walk through dramatic rock rifts you can scramble on, pillars to go between, a dramatic window to get close to, and outcroppings to climb. There’s not really a clear trail to follow, it’s more of a wander around and explore situation.

In a lot of ways, it’s very similar to the Fiery Furnace, although smaller and less scrambly. However, it offers many of the same features and is a bit more accessible. You also don’t need a permit for Garden of Eden!

This is a great spot to go hiking and exploring in Arches National Park – that almost no one knows is actually a viable trail!

One note: Like in the Fiery Furnace, they do strongly request that people stay as much as possible on the rocks or clear sandy washes. Don’t cut across desert/sandy areas whenever possible so as to not disturb and kill the desert biological soil crust.

14. Tower Arch

• Distance: About 2.5 miles
• Elevation Change: 680 feet
• Facilities: Vault Toilet, Cell Coverage
• Time: 1.5 – 2.5 hours

Tower Arch is another gem of Arches National Park, located in the very, very back corner of the park.

The hiking trail begins with a steep, scrambling incline that offers nice views back toward the park – and cell service! You then descend into a valley with some cool rock formations, such as the “Marching Men”.

After walking through some sandy areas and canyon areas, you’ll arrive at the Tower Arch itself. The arch is quite large and impressive and the towering rock formation behind it adds a really cool element. It also offers great views over the surrounding countryside.

This arch and trail were super secluded and quiet. Just sitting and enjoying the silence in this beautiful spot was a great experience.

15. Upper Delicate Viewpoint

• Distance: 0.5 miles round trip
• Elevation: Quite steep and rocky

Upper Delicate Viewpoint starts from the same parking lot and trailhead as Lower Delicate Viewpoint. You start walking on the paved pathway that leads to Lower Viewpoint, but then turn off to a trail that becomes unpaved and actually quite steep, and takes you to the Upper Viewpoint.

You will experience Delicate Arch from the same angle as the Lower Delicate Viewpoint, but it’s just a little bit bigger and closer. The size that it is in the picture above is about what it looks like in real life.

I’ve gone back and forth on whether I would say it’s worth it to do the Lower and Upper Delicate Viewpoints. First, I will say that it is DEFINITELY nothing like the view from the 3 mile hike to Delicate Arch. The “regular” hike and summit view is vastly superior and absolutely worth the effort to hike up.

However, I will also say it’s kind of fun to see the different perspective of Delicate Arch from the back.

I think it’s for sure worth doing these viewpoints if you have a couple days in Arches, or just want to see it from the back.

If you don’t have time for everything in Arches National Park, Upper and Lower Delicate Viewpoints would be the first hikes I would cut. And Upper has quite the incline for not that much better view.

16. Devil’s Garden

On the Devil’s Garden trail, with several spurs and offshoots, you can see up to 7 different, named arches. This is a great chance to see a lot of arches relatively close together

A lot of people choose to just do some of the arches on this hike – in this case, you can just turn around whenever you’ve had your fill or skip certain side trails.

One of the first Arches you’ll see on the trail is Landscape Arch – the longest arch in the entire world. This arch is about 1 mile into the hike, and is well worth doing just this section to see this incredible feat of nature.

Navajo Arch (below) is another favorite Arch in the Devil’s Garden hike.

If you end up doing the entire loop with all the spurs, it’s a 7.9 mile hike total. Alternatively, if you just want to experience the longest arch in the world (Landscape Arch) it’s just 2 miles round trip. You can add in what you want according to your interests and abilities!

17. Corona Arch (A Bonus!)

• Distance: 2.4 miles round trip, with the option to add 1.2 miles as a spur to see Pinto Arch
• Elevation: 450 feet

We’re calling this a bonus arch because Corona Arch actually isn’t a hike in Arches National Park, it’s a trail about 15 minutes outside of Moab. However, it is a beautiful and exciting hike to a really impressively large arch, so I think it’s still a must do hike when visiting Arches!

At the beginning of the hike, you’ll cross railroad tracks that cut through a canyon, and then hike up and through a rocky flatland. As you hike, you’ll notice several arches and caves in the canyon walls.

Generally the path is pretty obvious, but there are a few spots where you should keep an eye on the cairns, brown signs, and green dashes painted on the ground to stay headed in the right direction.

A highlight of the hike is about a mile in where you reach a spot where you have to hike up a very steep section to the next ridge, hanging onto a chain attached to the cliff. Just after that, there’s a spot with a little ladder to help you climb a steep section.

After the ladder section, you just follow a curved ridge with a steep dropoff until you reach the main attraction. You’ll pass Bowtie Arch during this final approach. It’s a nice example of what’s known as a “pothole arch” which is almost like a ring in a rock ledge.

I will say, I was *super* impressed with Corona Arch! It definitely could compete with the other arches and hikes in the National Park, and the trail was absolutely gorgeous, rugged, and very interesting.

Practical Information for Visiting Arches National Park

Hours: Arches National Park is open 24/7/365. You can come into the park day or night to enjoy this beautiful space.

Cost: $30 per private vehicle, valid for 7 days. Or you can purchase an America the Beautiful Pass for $80, which gets you into all parks and monuments in the National Parks system for a year.

Bathrooms and Water Refill Stations: There are many trailheads that have vault toilets throughout the park. We found these toilets to be generally fairly clean. There are very few water refill stations throughout the park – you can only find water at the Visitor’s Center, at the Devil’s Garden trailhead, and at the trailhead to Tapestry Arch in the Devil’s Garden Campground.

A Few Important Rules:

• Do not walk or climb on the arches or on Balanced Rock
• No drones are allowed anywhere in Arches National Park
• While pets are allowed on park roads, in parking lots, and in campsites, no pets are allowed on any of the trails in Arches National Park.
• There is practically zero cell service in Arches. We had service by the Visitor’s Center by the front gate, and then randomly in the parking lot for the Windows Arches and on the trail to Tower Arch. Otherwise, zilch!

Reservations at Arches National Park

Currently, Arches National Park is using a timed-entry reservation system for entry into the park between the hours of 7am-4pm. Reservations are released 3 months ahead of time on a block schedule (e.g. on February 1, reservations are released for May 1-31). A limited number of tickets will also be available the day before.

To make a reservation, go here on Recreation.gov, make an account if you don’t have one already, choose an available date and time, and then pay the $2 processing fee. Note that reservation time slots do sell out, especially for popular times of the year. You will still need to pay an entrance fee or show your annual pass at the gate, in addition to your reservation.

Note that if you don’t get a reservation for Arches, you can still enter the park before 7am or after 4pm. Additionally, if you are doing the Fiery Furnace hike, you can enter the park anytime of day with a Fiery Furnace permit.

Can I Drive Through Arches National Park?

While many other popular National Parks require using a shuttle service to get around (e.g. Zion National Park, the Grand Canyon South Rim), there is actually no shuttle service available in Arches. So, not only can you drive through, you must drive yourself through.

If you need a rental car for Arches, I can highly recommend DiscoverCars.com – we’ve found the best rates and availability through them! If you need a rental car, book ASAP. Rental cars are in high demand right now throughout the world, and availability goes way down and prices go way up the longer you wait.

Check current rates and availability for DiscoverCars.com here!

Arches is easy to navigate and drive, and parking lots do tend to be big, though they can fill up. If a parking lot is full, you will need to go to another spot, and come back at a later time.

How Much Time Do I Need in Arches National Park?

With one full day, you can see the highlights of the park. With two full days, you can experience *almost* everything that Arches has to offer, but they will be full days, with a lot of hiking miles each day. Three days (or even two full days and part of a third day) gives you plenty of time to see and do everything without doing so much hiking in one day.

Can You Do Arches and Canyonlands in One Day?

Canyonlands National Park is only 30 minutes away from Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, so if you’re short on time, it may be tempting to try to fit both National Parks into one day. I wouldn’t recommend it though!

There is so much to see and do in Arches National Park that you can easily spend a full day or more here. I would plan to spend a minimum of one full day in Arches, and then a half to a full day in Canyonlands. One day is enough to see most of what Canyonlands has to offer – and fit in Dead Horse Point State Park, too.

Least Busy Hikes and Arches

Looking for hikes where you won’t encounter a lot of people? We saw hardly anyone else while doing these trails:

• Garden of Eden
• Tower Arch
• Broken Arch/Tapestry Arch
• Backside of Skyline Arch
• Fiery Furnace (because of permits)
• Farther back in Devil’s Garden

Other ways to avoid crowds are to visit during the off-season (winter, early spring, or late fall, and not during school breaks), or start hiking early in the morning. There are few people in the park first thing, so if you want to avoid crowds, you can start hiking about 1/2 hour before the sun rises. An added benefit is you’ll enjoy several hours before it gets really hot!

What Time Should I Get to the Park?

If you can, I would start hiking in Arches National Park at or just after sunrise. You can enjoy the light hitting the peaks throughout the park and the amazing highlights and shadows that are created, enjoy the scenery and hikes without many other people around. Importantly, if you’re visiting in the summer, you’ll be able to get some hikes in before it gets really hot.

There is no wrong time to see and experience Arches – as different lighting and different angles can give an entirely different view of the rocks and arches. That being said, sunrise and sunset are particularly great to be in the park. Any spot that you are in, including just driving the main road, will come alive and be bathed in a warm light with tremendous shadows.

What is the Best Month to Visit Arches?

The summer months are by far the busiest in Arches National Park. Spring and fall are somewhat less busy (though breaks are extremely busy), and the winter is by far the lowest season in Arches.

Always Practice Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace involves packing out waste, not littering, respecting wildlife, not carving into the rocks, etc. Just be mindful of what you are doing and respect nature!

Be Careful of the Biological Soil Crust

“Biological soil crust is a living ground cover that forms the foundation of high desert plant life in Arches National Park.” The soil crust helps keep together particles in the dirt, and traps and contains water and nutrients for the plants growing.

While it doesn’t look like much, this crust takes years to develop and is crucial for maintaining the fragile ecosystem in the arid desert of Arches.

Stay on the trails, rocks, or sandy washes, and try to stay off the sandy “sidebar” areas to help maintain this important life form!

Other Places to Visit on Your Trip to Southern Utah

There are so many other incredible places to visit in southern Utah. For example, you could spend a day in Capitol Reef National Park, the least visited park in Utah that is massively underrated and has beautiful rock formations.

In the southwestern corner of Utah, Zion National Park is very popular, but Bryce Canyon National Park is maybe my favorite park in Utah and can’t be missed, St George has a host of excellent hiking opportunities, and Snow Canyon State Park is a great hidden gem in Utah. Nearby Valley of Fire State Park and Cathedral Gorge State Park in Nevada have the most stunning scenery.

Grand Staircase-Escalante is a remote area of Utah that has wonders like the stunning Lower Calf Creek Falls and the insanely narrow slot canyons of Peekaboo and Spooky Gulch (which are some of my favorite slot canyons in the southwest).

In the southeastern corner of the state you’ll find gems like Valley of the Gods, Natural Bridges National Monument, and Four Corners Monument, as well as access to nearby attractions like Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado or Lake Powell and Page in Arizona.

Final Thoughts on the Hiking in Arches National Park

Arches National Park is an absolutely spectacular park in the United States, with some epic, must-do trails and bucket list worthy hikes throughout the park. There are so many things to do and see in Arches – I know you’ll enjoy it as much as we did!

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