Arches National Park
Arches National Park’s red rock wonderland is in southeastern Utah’s spectacular canyon country. The park preserves more than 76,000 acres of high desert landscape with deep canyons, improbable balanced rocks, soaring pinnacles and more than 2,000 natural stone arches. It is truly one of America’s scenic wonders.
Plan Your Visit
The scenery as you drive through Arches National Park will astound and amaze you. Stop along the way to explore incredible arches, balanced rocks and gaze at the incredible views. The paved main park road winds through the park for 18 miles with optional side trips to the Windows (spectacular), and Delicate Arch Road. Stop along the way for short hikes to see the park's amazing features.
Maps and Directions
Arches National Park is located in Southeastern Utah, 5 miles (8 km) north of the city of Moab on U.S. Highway 191. If you are coming from the north, take I-70 (exit 182) and drive south on US 191 for 22 miles (35.4 km). Visit the Arches National Park website for detailed directions to the Park.
Park hours: Arches National Park is open 24 hours a day, year-round.*See note about road construction above.
Entrance Fees: You can pay at the park entrance station or online at pay.gov.
Admission to Arches National Park is good for seven days.
Private Vehicle Fee (15 passengers max) - $25.00
Motorcycle Fee - $15.00
Per Person (bicyclists, hikers, and pedestrians) - $10.00
Youth 15 and under are admitted free.
Park map: A digital version of the official Arches National Park map is available here. You will receive a printed copy of this map when you enter the park (if the fee booth is open). A printed copy of the map is also available for purchase at CNHA's online store.
Arches Visitor Guide 2017: The Arches National Park Visitor Guide has lots of information and interesting essays about the park.
Things to Know
When is the best time to visit? The busy season for Arches is between March and October. Holidays weekends are especially busy. To avoid lines at the entrance gates and crowding in parking lots, plan on visiting the park before 8:00 a.m. or after 3:00 p.m.
See a live view of how busy it is at Arches' entrance station.
Can I take my pet into Arches? Activities with pets are very limited at Arches. Pets are not allowed on any hiking trails or in the visitor center. Car temperatures rise quickly in the sun, even on cool days. If you are leaving a pet in a car, crack the windows as much as possible and leave water to drink. It is safest to not leave pets in the car when temperatures are above 68 degrees, even with the windows partially open.
Can I get lunch in the park? There are limited snack items available at the Arches Bookstore. Otherwise, there is no food, gas, lodging or other services in the park. You will find these amenities in the city of Moab, 5 miles (8 km) from the park. Visit discovermoab.com for more information about the services available in Moab.
Safety: Hydration is essential in the desert, even in winter. Take lots of water with you and drink it often as you explore the park. Water is available at the visitor center, the Devils Garden Campground, and at the Devils Garden Trailhead. Protect yourself from the sun by using sunscreen, wearing a hat and light-colored clothing. Wear sturdy shoes.
Will my cell phone work in Arches? Cell phone coverage is spotty to nonexistent in Arches. Don't count on being able to receive service.
Help protect the park: Every Step Counts. Help us protect the dark, lumpy biological soil crusts during your visit by staying on trails, or walking on rock. Biological soil crust is a living groundcover that forms the foundation of high-desert plant life.
Things to See
There are so many incredible rock formations and spectacular views to see in Arches National Park. Below are a few of the most popular sites in the park.
BALANCED ROCK Balanced Rock One of the many wonders in Arches National Park. The huge boulder atop this formation seems to defy gravity. Balanced Rock can be seen from the road, but to fully appreciate its precarious balance, walk the short paved accessible loop trail around the base.
THE WINDOWS The Windows has some of the park's largest arches. A short family-friendly trail gives you up-close views of three massive arches (the North and South Windows, and Turret Arch). Walk the short trail to the base of Double Arch. You will be in awe of this giant arch soaring overhead!
DELICATE ARCH The world's most famous natural arch! Few arches rival Delicate Arch in grace, poised on the rim of its sandstone bowl. If you are short on time or don’t care to hike the trail to Delicate Arch, drive to the Delicate Arch Viewpoint. From here you can see Delicate Arch about a mile distant. There is a short accessible trail to the lower viewpoint or a moderately strenuous trail to the upper viewpoint.
FIERY FURNACE The Fiery Furnace is a labyrinth of narrow sandstone canyons and fins, with no established trails. It is easy to become disoriented or lost here, so you must either join a guided hike or get a permit to enter the Fiery Furnace. Learn more at the Arches National Park Fiery Furnace web page.
DEVILS GARDEN One of the most popular areas of the park, the Devils Garden is home to seven awe-inspiring arches and Dark Angel Spire. Moderately easy trails lead to Tunnel Arch, Pine Tree Arch, and Landscape Arch. Beyond Landscape Arch, the trail (including the Primitive Loop) becomes more challenging, climbing over sandstone slabs with some narrow ledges and exposure to heights. Devils Garden is also home to the Devils Garden Campground.
Things to Do
VISITOR CENTER The visitor center is located at the park entrance. It is open every day except December 25th. Stop in to browse through the exhibits, see the park movie, and shop the bookstore. Rangers are on duty to answer your questions. Restrooms and drinking water are available. current visitor hours are 9 am to 4 pm Click here to check the visitor center's hours.
DRIVING ATVs, UTVs, and OHVs are not permitted in the park. Motorbikes must be highway-legal. Begin exploring Arches by driving the 36-mile (58 km) round-trip, paved, scenic drive through the park’s red rock wonderland. Most of the main points of interest and viewpoints are along this road. Note that you will be returning on the same road you came in on when you are ready to leave the park.
HIKING Arches offers many different hiking experiences, from short and easy to longer, more strenuous hikes. Click now to learn more about Arches' hikes.
RANGER-LED PROGRAMS Arches National Park guides and volunteers offer a variety of interpretive programs every day, spring through fall, to help you learn about this special place. Check at the Arches Visitor Center for more information.
The Fiery Furnace is a very popular guided hike. It is a three-hour strenuous hike that involves rock scrambling. Click here to reserve a ticket for morning tours up to six months in advance. Afternoon tours are only sold in-person at the Arches Visitor Center. Tours sell out quickly; stop by the visitor center to ask about the next available hike.
BIKING You can bike the paved and unpaved roads, but bikes are not allowed on hiking trails. There no bike paths or paved shoulders in the park. Ride in single file, be alert and expect large buses and RVs on the road. Click here for more information about biking Arches National Park.
CAMPING Camp among slickrock outrcoppings at Devils Garden Campground, 18 miles from the park entrance. You can reserve standard campsites no fewer than four days and no more than 6 months in advance for stays March 1-October 31. All sites are usually reserved months in advance. Between November 1 and February 28, sites are first-come, first-served. Facilities include drinking water, picnic tables, grills, and both pit-style and flush toilets. Reservations can be at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777. There are also lots of campgrounds in the Moab area to choose from. Visit the DiscoverMoab.com camping webpage for a list of public and private campgrounds.
OTHER ACTIVITIES Canyoneering, rock climbing, backpacking, and horseback riding are also allowed in the park. Visit the Arches National Park website for more on these activities.
Visit the Arches National Park website for more about this spectacular park.
