If you’re anything like me, Arches National Park is and has been on the bucket list for a LONG time. For years, I’ve been dying to visit the park and explore the beautiful red rock that Utah has to offer.
In April of 2022, a friend from Tennessee and I road-tripped cross country from Nashville back to Central Oregon. It was the road-trip of a lifetime. I seen so much country, I’d never seen before. As all road-trips, nothing ever goes quite as planned, and we broke down on our second day in… In the middle of nowhere Oklahoma to be exact… This pushed us back a little and by the time we got to Arches, we only had about 6 hours to explore the park. So here’s how we made the most of it! I also was having terrible pain in my stomach this day, so hiking was hard for me. It was a whirlwind of a trip. At the end of the blog, I’ll attach some additional activities for those who have a full day or more time in Moab! I absolutely love Moab, if you’re able to stay for a couple of days, I highly recommend it.
Things to Know Before You Go
• There is now a timed entry between 6am-5pm. You must get a permit in advance for when you plan to be at the park, during those hours.
• Wait time – the wait time to get into the park during peak seasons can be taunting! Be prepared to wait a little extra in line or
Best Time to Visit
Arches is truly a great park to visit in all four seasons. Spring and Fall are more bearable temperatures, but offer the most rainfall in the desert. Winter is gorgeous as the red rock is coated in snow! Summer is the most popular season at the park, with some of the best temperatures and accessibility. I think it’s truly a preference on what you prefer temp wise, but all seasons are equally amazing!
Day 1… AKA the Only Day 🙂
- Start by taking a stroll by Balanced Rock; a quarter mile loop that takes you through some epic Utah red rock and a super cool rock that’s just kind of well… Balancing!
- Next stop at the Windows Loop and Turret Arch Trail. A 1.2 mile round-trip loop that takes you to some small arches. You’ll find a lot of people at the windows, but when you get around to the West side of the loop, you’ll enjoy more solitude! Most don’t even know the trail goes beyond the second window arch.
- From the same parking area, you can visit the Double Arch Trail. It’s .6 of a mile and is rated easy! We didn’t have time for this one, but I’ve heard it’s epic!
- To finish off your time in Arches National Park, hike to the most Instagram famous arch in the park, Delicate Arch. A 3.2 mile out and back trail with about 630 feet of elevation gain. For most of this trail, you’re scaling red rock (epic) and as you near the arch you’ll find some narrow ledges that it’s best to take turns with people coming down and vice versa. Once you get to the arch, there’s many areas to sit and enjoy a snack or wait in line for your picture under the arch. This is a photographers heaven and you’ll find tripods and people waiting for the right lighting everywhere. Best time to go is sunrise or as early in the morning as possible. Sunset and even night time (One of the best places to star gaze in the state) are very high trafficked.
- After a day full of hiking, head back into Moab for some dinner and a shake at Moab Diner! My favorite is the classic chocolate shake.
If You Have Additional Time
- Devil’s Garden Loop Trail – Hard and 7.9 miles round-trip.
- Double O Arch Trail – Easy and 4ish miles round-trip.
- Landscape Arch Trail – Easy and 2 miles round-trip.
- Wall Arch and Pine Tree Arch – Easy and 2.8 miles round-trip.
- Park Avenue Trail – Easy and 1.8 miles round-trip.
Other Eats
- Moab Grill Restaurant
- Quesadilla Mobilla Food Truck (The best quesadilla I’ve ever had in my life. I tried it while visiting canyonlands NP in Summer of 2023.)
- Trailhead Public House and Eatery
Pin this guide to help plan future travels!
Let’s Get Adventuring!
Mariah
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