General information about the National Park
The area of Arches NP is home to the largest density of natural stone arches in the world. There are over 2000 arches of all shapes and sizes in the park.
Current 2024: From April 01 to October 31, 2024, you need to have a timed Permit. to enter the park. This system is introduced because in recent years there have been more and more visitors to the park and it was not uncommon for the parking lots and facilities to become totally overcrowded. Permits can be purchased three months in advance via recreation.gov . Start is on January 2, 2024.
Our personal experiences with the new Arches NP permit system
If you know in advance when you want to visit the national park, it is usually no problem to get a permit for the desired day on the day. If you have the permit, the procedure at the entrance is very simple. You just drive to the ticket booth at the time indicated on the permit and you will be registered. You can then drive in and out as often as you like on the day in question. During our visit, there were hardly any long waits at the ticket booths. In April 2022 you could drive without a permit via the dirt road to the trailhead of Tower Arch. The permits were checked only if one wanted to drive from there into the park. Whether this regulation will remain permanently, however, is unknown to us. If there is an important reason and you are not able to be at the entrance at the time stated on the permit, the rangers are sometimes generous and still let you enter the park. If you can plausibly prove why you could not be there, we would recommend to try it.
Number of visitors
In 2023, Arches NP ranked 21st in the visitor statistics for the most visited national parks.
Best time to visit: In spring and autumn you can find pleasant temperatures, but it is also very often crowded.
Our visits:
So far 10 visits: August 1992, August 1994, April 1997, September 1999, October 2011, October 2014, February 2016, October 2018, April 2022, May 2023
Entrance fees and opening hours
- 30$/car and max. 15 passengers valid for 7 days
- Covered by the Anual Pass*
- Open 24h all year round.
*The Anual Pass is so to speak the "flat rate" for all Parks managed by the National Park Service. The pass costs a one-time fee of $80 and can be purchased at the entrance to each National Park, National Monument, etc. The pass is valid for 13 months.
Park Avenue
Description: We started from the Courthouse Towers at the southern end of the trail. We chose this option because it had rained heavily the days before and so a small river meandered down Park Avenue. This offered some nice photo opportunities. The entire trail winds between high sandstone cliffs. One hikes almost exclusively on sandstone.
Trail length: 1mi
Altitude difference: 328ft
Time needed: 1-2 hours
Difficulty level: easy
Our rating: We hiked the trail in October 2018. We considered it a bad weather alternative because there was little else to do due to the rain. It's certainly not the most spectacular trail we've ever hiked. Still, it's a nice trail if you're looking for something short and non-strenuous to stretch your legs.
Balanced Rock
Description: Here applies: What you see is what you get. The trail takes you once around the Balanced Rock and allows you to see it from all sides.
Trail length: 0.3mi
Altitude difference: –
Time needed: 1/2 hours
Difficulty level: easy
Our rating: At any time of day or season, Balanced Rock is worth a stop. We are fascinated every time we visit that this huge rock is still up there.
NEW !!!
Eye of the Whale Arch
Description: The Eye of the Whale Arch is located in a more remote part of the Arches NP and is therefore a lesser-known arch in the park. It can be reached via a dirt road that definitely requires four-wheel drive and a decent amount of ground clearance. The road is very sandy in parts and there are some rocky steps to climb. We recommend that you only drive here with a suitable vehicle.
Once you reach the trailhead, you can already see the arch. The hike is therefore very easy and only a few hundred feet long. As the surrounding area is also very pretty, you can of course hike and explore a lot more.
Trail length: 0.3mi
Altitude difference: –
Time needed: 1/2 hours
Difficulty level: easy
Our rating: Apart from the somewhat adventurous drive, we really liked the Eye of the Whale Arch. Compared to the more easily accessible arches in the park, here you are on your own and have the beautiful nature all to yourself. We looked at the arch from both sides and loved both sides.
The Windows Section
Description: Here you have two options. You can simply hike to the windows and back, or once around. The way to the windows is well developed. The way around the windows is a good trail. Partly you have to climb a little bit over slickrock.
Trail length: 1mi roundtrip
Altitude difference: –
Time needed: 1 hour
Difficulty level: easy
Our rating: We have hiked this trail several times because these huge arches are simply very impressive and it is always fun to visit them. Unfortunately, in recent years, because of the permanent overcrowding of the park, it is increasingly difficult to get a parking space.
Double Arch
Description: There is not much to say about the trail here. You just hike towards the arches. The trail is flat and very easy to walk. Those who want to do some climbing can also climb between the arches.
Trail length: 0.5mi roundtrip
Altitude difference: –
Time needed: 1/2 hour
Difficulty level: easy
Our rating: This is another arch we have visited several times. This is our favorite arch next to the Delicate Arch. The arches are huge and more than impressive.
Delicate Arch
Description: Past Wolf Ranch, the trail heads up over a huge slickrock. The trail is easy to find and hike. You don't see the arch on the whole hike. Not until you are almost in front of it, it becomes visible. It is like in a theater just before the curtain rises and you see the stage. Also at the hundredth time the sight of the huge Delicate Arch is still breathtaking.
Trail length: 2.9mi roundtrip
Altitude difference: approx. 492ft
Time needed: 2-3 hours
Difficulty level: easy to moderate - The trail is easy to hike but may be strenuous because of the elevation gain.
Our rating: This trail is one of our top 5 hikes in the Southwest. You can' t describe the incredible view when you see the Arch for the first time, you just have to experience it for yourself. A unique place on this planet.
Delicate Arch Viewpoint
Description: Short, flat path to the Lower Viewpoint, if you want to go to the Upper Viewpoint you have to climb a few meters on a relatively steep, but easy to walk trail. For all those who can not or do not want to take the hike to Delicate Arch.
Trail length: 263ft roundtrip
Altitude difference: –
Time needed: 1/2 hour
Difficulty level: easy
Our rating: Quite nice. You can see the arch, but of course this is no comparison to what you get from above. From down here you just can't grasp the dimensions of this huge arch.
Tower Arch
Description: To start the trail you have to go up a steep, rocky slope. It is not always easy to find the right way up here, because there are several paths, but they do not always lead to the right way. Then the trail leads more or less flat through a flat area, over sandstone and shortly before the Tower Arch over a steep sand dune to the top. The path is quite nice to walk because it offers despite the effort always times the opportunity to stop and enjoy the views.
Trail length: 3.4mi roundtrip
Altitude difference: –
Time needed: 2-3 hours
Difficulty level: moderate - The trail leads through quite a lot of sand and that is in parts strenuous to walk. At the start, you have to climb up a steep, rocky slope. There are several visible paths that do not all belong to the actual trail. In addition, a little surefootedness is needed.
Our rating: We hiked the trail to Tower Arch in September 1999. To refresh the memories we wanted to repeat the hike in February 2016. Unfortunately, this was not possible because of the very icy trail. However, we have fond memories from a beautiful trail that we would love to hike again.
In beautiful spring weather, we were able to complete the hike in April 2022 once again. The trail is not necessarily very easy, but the great scenery is worth every effort. We can definitely recommend the trail.
Skyline Arch
Description: A short, almost flat path leads directly to the Arch. You can see it almost from the beginning and hike towards it. The trail ends a few hundred meters before the Arch. A trail that is also suitable for those who do not necessarily want to hike far.
Trail length: 1969ft roundtrip
Altitude difference: –
Time needed: 1/2 hour
Difficulty level: easy
Our rating: Nice, short trail that you can easily include in any visit to Arches NP. The arch is huge and like all the others very impressive. We visited the Arch in February 2016.
Devils Garden
Description: There are good reasons why the Devils Garden Trail is one of the most popular trails in Arches NP. Because of the masses of visitors, you are therefore very well advised to be at the trailhead very early in the morning to get a parking space. Up to Landscape Arch the trail is very well developed and very easy to walk. It climbs a little bit and then goes downhill again. After that, it continues partly steep on slickrock and may not be suitable for people with a fear of heights. However, the trail is very interesting and offers partly magnificent views. When you reach the Double O Arch you have three options. Once you can hike another 0.5mi to the Dark Arch, then you can go back the same way or you can take the Primitive Trail back. As the name suggests, the latter is a not really well developed trail. This route is only suitable for sure-footed people who want to get a little off the beaten path.
Trail length: 1.1mi roundtrip - to Landscape Arch; 4.2mi roundtrip - to Double O Arch; 7.4mi roundtrip - to Double O Arch and back via Primitive Trail
Altitude difference: –
Time needed: 1 - 5 hours
Difficulty level: easy to strenuous, depending on which variant you choose.
Our rating: We have hiked all kinds of these trail combinations several times. The last time was in February 2016, so you can see that we really like the trails here. They offer lots of huge stone arches and great diverse scenery. Even if you only want to walk as far as Landscape Arch, we can definitely highly recommend the trail.
