12 Best Hikes in Arches National Park

Arches National Park is one of the highlights of Utah, with its incredible landscape of arches, interesting rock formations, dramatic cliffs walls, and the huge La Sal Mountains in the distance.

Short walks provide easy access to many of the arches, and longer hiking trails can get you off the main trails and into some incredible scenery. The Delicate Arch hike is one of the most popular things to do in the park, but this is just one of many great hiking trails in Arches National Park.

The drive through the park is stunning, and many of the most impressive sights and hikes stand just off the road. If you only have time to drive through the park and do a couple of easy walks, the Windows section is one of the most impressive areas.

With a full day or two to explore Arches, it's possible to see all the main attractions and hike at least one or two of the longer hiking trails, including Delicate Arch, Fiery Furnace, and the Devils Garden.

To alleviate congestion and to make the park experience a positive one for visitors, a timed entry program has been put into place, running from the start of April until the start of October. You can (and should) reserve your entry date and time slot up to three months in advance. These slots sell out quickly for the most popular times, generally in the morning. If you don't have an entry, a very limited number are released the day before.

Count on a full day in the park. The distances in the park are surprisingly long and you'll find yourself stopping on a very regular basis. The park speed limits are relatively low and with the sheer number of vehicles visiting, it can take a while to get from place to place. Plus when you do a few hikes, the time can add up.

Plan your adventure with our list of the best hikes in Arches National Park.

Delicate Arch Hike

Delicate Arch is the most photographed and unique arch in the park. Rather than just a window through the side of a rock wall, this free-standing arch rises from the ground and frames the ridges and mountains in the distance.

For close-up views, you will have to hike to the arch, but you can also get a glimpse of it from a distance at the Delicate Arch Viewpoint on the road that runs below the arch.

The hike to delicate arch is three miles round-trip, with most of the hike over slickrock. This is in full sun and can be very hot on sunny days in the spring and summer.

As you get closer to the arch, the trail turns into a path that runs along a ledge hugging a wall, with a sharp drop-off on the outer edge, which some hikers may find daunting. This path curves around and opens up into a fantastic view of the arch. You can wander up to and around the arch before returning along the same route.

Note that this is the most popular hike in the park and the parking lot can fill to capacity, especially an hour or so before sunset. In the early spring, the trail can be ice-covered and slippery.

Windows Viewpoint Trail

The Windows section is one of the most popular areas of the park, and the short, easy trails make this a fun and accessible area for everyone, even children. You can see the Windows as you drive up to the parking area.

From the parking lot, an easy trail leads out to the North and South Windows and branches off to turret arch. All three of these are in very close proximity, with only minimal walking required between them. Total return distance is around one mile; however, you may find you walk further looking for that perfect shot. Elevation gain is minimal at 99 feet.

If you want to continue on and do the Windows primitive trail beyond the South Window, the trail runs behind the arches and circles back to the parking lot and is a slightly longer route. The most spectacular portion is the front section, but adding on the full loop makes for a nice hike.

The park has recently added additional parking but still fills up, so be sure to pack some patience with your hiking boots.

Double Arch

Almost directly across the road from the Windows parking lot is the trail to Double Arch. You can see the arch from the parking area, but it's much more incredible close-up, where you can get a true sense of the size and see the sky filtering through the arches above. It is the tallest arch in the park at 122 feet, equivalent to a 10-story building.

The trail out to Double Arch is short at 0.6 miles return, suitable for everyone, and especially perfect for families. At the base of the arch, the trail turns into a bit of a scramble, and you can wander up the boulders beneath the arches if you choose.

Park Avenue Hike

The Park Avenue trail is one of the most spectacular hikes in the park but does not showcase the park's arches. Instead, the highlights here are the sheer cliff walls and spires that tower above as you walk through the valley floor.

The park rates this hike as moderate. It is one mile long, but unless you have a shuttle where the hike terminates, you will need to turn around and hike back along the same route, making it a two-mile round-trip hike.

Each direction offers different views, so doing this as a return hike will not disappoint. The hike begins with a descent and then meanders through the huge rock walls that rise up around you. This trail gives a truer sense of the height and size of the formations than what you experience from the road.

Fiery Furnace Overlook and Hike

Fiery Furnace is an incredible area of red rock fins and towering spires. From the Fiery Furnace overlook, you can get an idea of what the formations look like and the general layout, but to truly appreciate this area, you need to hike through them. The full effect comes with wandering through these giants that surround you like a maze.

This is not an area where you can simply follow a marked trail. Two options are available to hikers who want to explore this area. The best option is to take a hike with a park ranger. Ranger-led guided hikes of the Fiery Furnace are available twice daily from spring until fall, and less frequently during the winter months. These hikes will take you to the best places, are educational, and guarantee that you won't get lost.

Due to the popularity of these tours, it's best to book in advance. Morning tours can be booked in advance online and almost always fill up. Afternoon tours can be booked at the visitor center and also book up quickly. There is a fee for these hikes, with half price discounts for seniors. No one under the age of five is permitted.

The second option is to get a permit and hike the area on your own. Before you can obtain a permit, you must first watch a short video. Only a limited number of permits are issued online, and they typically sell out in advance. There is a fee for the permit and it is issued the day before, not the day of, your hike, so plan an extra day to do this hike.

Devils Garden Hike and Landscape Arch

The Devils Garden Primitive Loop is at the far end of the park, where the main road terminates. Many people choose not to do the entire loop, instead opting to see the trail's main highlights, including the stunning Landscape Arch, Tunnel Arch, and Pine Tree Arch.

A 1.6-mile round-trip hike on relatively flat ground will take you to Landscape Arch, which spans more than the length of a football field. This arch is a must-see, and with its narrow middle span, experts are unsure how long it will exist in its current form.

Along the way, be sure to take the short hikes to Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch. The latter is set in a spectacular setting with sand dunes and expansive background vistas.

If you want to do the entire 7.2-mile trail, just continue on past Landscape Arch. You'll come across wonderful rock scenery and five additional arches along the route. This is one of the more challenging hikes in the park, with some scrambles over slickrock and exposed ledges.

This may not be the best trail for anyone with a serious fear of heights. However, you don't necessarily need to do the entire loop to experience some of the attractions in this area.

Also in the same area are the Navajo Arch and Partition Arch. Both of these hikes leave from the Devils Garden Trailhead. The park has dramatically expanded the parking area here so you'll generally have a good chance of securing a spot.

Sand Dune Arch

Sand Dune Arch is a fun area to explore, with a striking trail entrance through narrow rock fins and a walk across deep sand to a beautiful arch. This is just a short walk but it's a main attraction in the park.

The approach to the arch feels like you're entering a slot canyon, with high walls creating a tunnel effect. The sand here also makes this area unique and gives this arch its own character.

Children enjoy playing in the sand, adults can wander through the arch and up the wall behind, and photographers will find plenty of ways to entertain themselves. Standing under this arch for a photo is extremely popular and if it's busy, you may have to wait your turn for a photo.

It can often be quite windy in here, with the fins streaming in air like a wind tunnel. If it is windy, be prepared to get covered in fine sand, it's advised that you do your best to protect any sensitive photographic equipment.

You can walk beyond the arch a short way if you want to do a bit of scrambling, but this is an in-and-out walk.

Balanced Rock Hike

This is one of the easiest hikes in the park and is suitable for wheelchairs. A short 0.3-mile paved walking path leads around and behind Balanced Rock and allows you to get up close and marvel at how this rock manages to stay in place.

As the name suggests, Balanced Rock is a huge boulder perched on a narrow pedestal. It stands out because there is not much else around this area. On a clear day, the La Sal Mountains can be seen far off in the distance.

Ironically, the best photos of Balanced Rock are taken from the parking lot, so if you are feeling particularly lazy, snap the shot, and know that you've done better than all the people walking to the rock itself.

Garden of Eden

The Garden of Eden is an area of oddly shaped rock formations and spires, with sights similar to Balanced Rock. This area is a nice place to wander around freely and get a feel for the enormity of the surrounding rocks.

You can make the hike as long or as short as you'd like, but the general consensus is that it's about 0.3 miles return. The Garden of Eden hike is a good one for families. The rocks in this area are like catnip to children who can't help but try and climb on them. While wandering through the Garden of Eden, keep a close eye out to see if you can spot Serpentine Arch.

Views from this area extend out to the La Sal Mountains and are truly spectacular. Climbers will sometimes tackle the stand-alone spires, but most people come here to take a short walk.

Petrified Dunes Lookout

Although there is no hiking trail here, you can create your own by wandering out on the dunes to a private place to contemplate the sheer beauty of the park. If the park is busy, as it normally is on most days, this is your chance to escape the crowds in a truly spectacular area.

The rolling landscape of petrified dunes is quite a sight as they stretch out into the distance, with the La Sal Mountains providing a stunning backdrop. These rock formations are characteristic of the area around Moab, and the Petrified Dunes Lookout is one of the best places to see them.

Broken Arch Trail

The Broken Arch Trail is located in the same area as the Sand Dune Arch, making it easy to do both of these short, but very interesting hikes in a short span of time. The arch, interestingly enough, is not actually broken but is an impressive span nevertheless.

This trail is mostly flat, crossing a scrubby grassland area before emerging at the arch. The trail is one of the less busy routes in the park, so if you crave a bit of solitude, it's worth a try. The trail is considered easy, with virtually no elevation gain. The round-trip distance is very manageable at 1.2 miles.

Courthouse Wash Panel Trail

For a bit of history and something completely different than arches, consider the Courthouse Wash Panel Trail. The panel is full of pictographs, some of which are 4,000 years old. The pictographs are still vivid and quite fascinating even after all these years.

This short 0.8-mile round-trip trail is along both paved and gravel surfaces and is suitable for all ages and abilities.

Note that the trailhead is not in the main area of the park. It is located 0.5 miles north of the Colorado River off Highway 191.

Camping in Arches National Park

Camping options in the park are limited to one campground with 51 sites, and it typically books out well in advance. The Devils Garden Campground is at the very far end of the park. Most of the campsites are set around huge rocks and are quite sheltered. Some have beautiful views to the distant mountains and rock formations. The campsites are well spaced out and offer a lot of privacy.

The campground is always full during the high season. It is possible to reserve a site six months in advance from March 1st to October 31st. From November 1st to February, the campground is first-come, first-served.

The campground has both vault and flush toilets, and drinking water, and each site has a picnic table. Maximum RV size is 40 feet.

Camping near Arches National Park

Other campgrounds in the area offer a variety of tent-only and RV options and are located near Canyonlands National Park, along the Colorado River, and in the Sand Flats Recreation Area.

A number of campgrounds are also found in the town of Moab, just outside the park. These are largely RV parks, designed for the convenience of location rather than ambiance.

For more complete information on camping in the area see our article on the Best Campgrounds near Moab.

Map of Hikes in Arches National Park

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