How to Spend One Day at Arches National Park, Utah

Out of the 29 National Parks I’ve been to, there’s one that I’ve returned to time and time again: Arches National Park. Located in eastern Utah, not far from I-70 and near the small town of Moab, Arches wasn’t even a park I knew about until my family visited for the first time in 2012 during our annual road trip. Our memories of its fiery red rocks and blue skies came second only to our memories of a particularly ill-advised hike.

Let me just say… hiking to Delicate Arch at 3pm in the middle of July with inadequate shoes and insufficient water isn’t something I would recommend. Also, it’s 1.5 miles each way, not round trip like we’d thought. All I remember is both of my sisters crying the entire time — Becky because she had a migraine; 10-year-old Carrie because with each corner we turned, we weren’t yet at the famous arch.

Good news: in the two return visits I’ve had since then, I’ve been significantly more prepared. When I went with my best friend Hanna in 2015, we made sure to start the hike in the morning and bring more water, but the hike still felt difficult. It was still August, after all. But when Matt and I visited in September 2020, I finally conquered the hike that seemed to have haunted my memories for the prior eight years. I guess the third time’s the charm.

Because we were staying in Grand Junction, Colorado, for a friend’s wedding that week, we weren’t able to split our visit to the park over two days like I’ve done in the past. Luckily, it’s possible to see everything in the park in one day — the only question is whether you’ll have the energy for it.

Here’s what to do if you only have enough time to spend one day at Arches National Park.

Early Morning: Delicate Arch Hike

While Arches National Park has its share of difficult hikes — such as Double O Arch and Primitive Trail at Devils Garden — Delicate Arch is what many visitors come to see. It’s so iconic that it’s on the Utah license plate. So if there’s one hike you’re going to do in the park, it has to be this one.

The hike is relatively short, but the park classifies it as difficult:

Open slickrock with no shade. The first half mile is a well defined trail. Follow the rock cairns. The trail climbs steadily and levels out toward the top of this rock face. Just before you get to Delicate Arch, the trail traverses a narrow rock ledge for about 200 yards (183 m).
Take at least 2 quarts (2 L) of water per person.

That slickrock is a BITCH! Thankfully the entire trail isn’t that way, but the slickrock is steep and they really aren’t lying about there being no shade.

Unless you’re planning to do an evening/night hike, you better start your journey to Delicate Arch as early as you can — preferably before 8am. Especially during peak season or weekends, the parking lot is likely to fill up. Plus, that slickrock is way more manageable at 8am when it’s 55 degrees vs. 1pm when it’s 95 degrees. We made sure to get there EARLY, even though it meant leaving Grand Junction at 5:30am. I promise it’s worth it!

A visit to Delicate Arch takes about 2 hours if you hike up, spend some time checking out the “amphitheater,” and hike back down. (Spoiler alert: the way down is much easier.)

Late Morning: Devils Garden

To get to Delicate Arch, you had to drive about 3/4 of the way through the park. Since you’re already out there, you might as well head out to Devils Garden for your next stop and then work your way backwards.

And if you’re feeling hungry, the Devils Garden area hosts plenty of picnic tables along with restrooms and water spigots so you can fill up your bottles. Remember that there are no food services in the park, so be sure to pack something of your own and bring it with you.

When you’re ready to start hiking again — whether that’s before or after eating — Devils Garden has one main trailhead that leads to multiple different arches. From here, you can reach the Double O Arch and Primitive Trail I mentioned above. Again, you’re probably better off hiking these as early as you can since they are rated to be quite difficult. Alternatively, you could hike these trails in the early morning and save Delicate Arch for the evening.

If you’re not up for any more difficult hikes, Devils Garden is home to three more arches: Pine Tree Arch, Tunnel Arch, and Landscape Arch. While Pine Tree and Tunnel Arches are not far from the parking lot, Landscape Arch takes a bit more time to reach. Though the hike isn’t treacherous, the increasing heat of the day and lack of shade can make it feel difficult. Landscape Arch is the longest arch in the park — longer than a football field — which makes it worth a visit.

Find out more about the trails at Devils Garden.

Early Afternoon: Double Arch, The Windows, and Turret Arch

As the day heats up and your exhaustion grows, it’s time to start working your way back toward the park entrance. From one parking lot, you’ll have access to four arches within short walking distance: Double Arch, The Windows Arches, and Turret Arch.

For the most part, these trails are quite easy — that’s how they’re rated by the park, anyway. Again, what makes them more difficult is how tired you are and the complete lack of any shade. You can see Double Arch from the parking lot, and you don’t have to “hike” to it if you don’t want to, but it is one of the coolest and most photogenic arches in the park.

The Windows Arches and Turret Arch are on the other side of the parking lot. (There’s no shame in taking a cool-down break in the car by blasting the A/C for a minute after doing Double Arch, by the way. Not that I’m speaking from experience.) With these arches, you’ll need to hike to if you want to get closer, but the trail is made of gravel along with stone stairs.

Late Afternoon: Park Avenue

On your way out, it’s worth stopping at Park Avenue. Since it’s near the entrance, it also makes a great first stop, but if you’re trying to hit the other hikes before the heat of the day, it’s best to save it for last. Though you won’t find any arches here, Park Avenue is home to some truly spectacular rock formations such as Queen Nefertiti, Argon Tower, the Three Gossips, the Organ, and Courthouse Towers.

While it’s a fantastic view even if you only stop for photos in the parking lot, there’s also a “moderate” trail if you have any energy left. At 2 miles round trip, this hike “descends steeply into a spectacular canyon and continues down the wash to Courthouse Towers.”

Bonus: Other Quick Trails for One Day at Arches

Depending on your interest and energy level, there are a few other short, easy trails that are worth checking out within Arches National Park:

Balanced Rock: A loop trail at the base of a fragile, picturesque rock formation. The paved path ends at a viewpoint where you can see The Windows and the distant La Sal Mountains. 0.3 miles.

Sand Dune Arch: A short hike to a secluded arch among fins of rock. This is a shady spot with deep sand on the ground. Good for families. 0.3 miles.

Skyline Arch: Park at the Skyline Arch parking area. A short hike on a flat, well-defined trail. 0.4 miles.

Of course, this could all be split into multiple days if you have the time and want to do more hikes. But even if you have one day at Arches, you can do it all — just know you’re going to be busy!

Plan Your Arches National Park Trip

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Have you ever visited Arches National Park? What are your favorite places to see? Let me know in the comments!

-Cathy

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Originally Published on September 17, 2020.