One Day In Arches National Park: An Action-Packed Itinerary
Arches National Park is home to over 2,000 arches, making it the densest concentration of natural stone arches in the world.
This beautiful red landscape is also home to pinnacles, balanced rocks, and plenty of other weird and wonderful geologic formations. The park is located in eastern Utah, northwest of the Colorado River and La Sal Mountains.
As with most National Parks, one day in Arches National Park is not enough. But if it’s all you have, and you’re up for a long and fun day, read on for my one day Arches itinerary.
Hours & Park Entrance Information
Arches is open 24 hours a day, year-round. The cost is $30/ vehicle, and the pass is good for 7 days.
No park reservations are required at Arches National Park.
Getting Around Arches
Once you’re in the park there’s one 18 mile road called Arches Scenic Drive.
Getting through the park can be a slow process, allow 45 minutes from entrance to the back of the park, this doesn’t include stops or detours.
Note: Parking lots may be full during peak times and the park has no gas station.
One Day In Arches National Park Itinerary
This one day in Arches National Park itinerary includes stops at:
- Landscape Arch
- Devils Garden Trail
- Balanced Rock
- The Windows Section
- Delicate Arch
… Among other popular stops. This is definitely an action-packed itinerary, you can adjust this to fit your needs or easily break it up into two days.
Entering the Park
Time Required: Minimum 1 Hour
I recommend beginning the day at Devils Garden, which is in the back portion of the park. Allow one hour to get through the park entrance, drive Arches Scenic Drive, and find parking.
In order to see everything you’ll need to start your day early, we entered the park at 8 am.
Devils Garden Trail to Double O Arch
Time Required: 3 to 4 Hours
Devils Garden Trail is an 8 mile loop, showcasing 8 arches. Hike the entire loop, or shorten it to save time. We hiked Devils Garden Trail to Double O Arch, and turned back. In doing this we cut the hike down to 5.8 miles and still saw 6 arches.
Pine Tree, Tunnel & Landscape Arches
Pine Tree, Tunnel, and Landscape Arches are the first three attractions on Devils Garden Trail and the most crowded. To see Pine Tree and Tunnel Arch follow side trails .2 miles into the hike.
One mile into the hike you’ll find Landscape Arch stretching 290 feet, this is the longest arch in North America and the most popular attraction on this trail. It’s an incredible sight!
If you’re short on time or don’t wish to hike for long, turn back at Landscape Arch.
Partition, Navajo, & Double O Arches
Following Landscape Arch you’ll soon climb a large sandstone fin. This section is steep and narrow, making it very congested at times. Here you’ll need proper footwear and some patience. Traversing this steep slickrock can be a slow process and a little scary or uncomfortable for some.
Past this point congestion quickly clears and you’ll find side trails to Partition and Navajo Arches. Partition is my favorite arch on this hike and Navajo is a wonderful place to stop for water or snacks, it’s shady and cool here.
You May Also Like: The Best Arches In Arches National Park
From here you’ve got about one mile to Double O Arch. This portion of the hike is stunning with great views of the La Sal Mountains and Fin Canyon.
One section traverses another sandstone fin with drop-offs on either side. It’s plenty wide enough but if you don’t like heights this one might not be for you.
Once you’ve arrived at Double O Arch you’ll be rewarded with 2 arches stacked on top of one another. This is a great spot to relax and enjoy lunch.
From here you can turn back (like us), or complete the loop.
The total hike took us a little under 3 hours and 30 minutes, we took our time enjoying each arch but moved very quickly between arches.
Viewpoints & Short Hikes
Time Required: Roughly 3 to 4 hours
One of the remarkable things about Arches National Park is how accessible many of the parks attractions are. Below I’ve listed four areas that require .5 mile or less of hiking.
How much time you’ll spend navigating and exploring these areas can vary greatly, depending on traffic, crowds, and how much or how little time you need at each destination.
Sand Dune Arch
This is a short hike to a shady, sandy arch.
Fiery Furnace Viewpoint
This is a truly unique portion of the park, home to red orange Hoodoos. Its maze-like terrain makes it off limits to hikers without a permit. However you can make a quick stop at the Fiery Furnace Viewpoint for a glimpse at this unorthodox landscape.
Note: For a fee you can join a ranger led hike through the hoo doos, reservations are required and in high demand.
Balanced Rock
This is one of the most popular attractions in the park, and its a peculiar sight to see! Balanced Rock can be seen from Arches Scenic Drive, so if you’re short on time skip this hike and do a drive by instead.
The Windows Section
This is a wonderful area with 4 arches to explore. North Window, South Window, Turret Arch, and Double Arch can all be accessed from the same parking lot.
Although the arches are relatively close and don’t require much hiking, we still spent an hour exploring this wonderful section of the park.
Sunset Hike To Delicate Arch
Time Required: 2 hours
To wrap up your one day in Arches watch the sunset at the park’s most famous attraction, the Delicate Arch.
This 46 foot high by 32 foot wide free standing arch is one of the most famous geological features in the world.
Plan to start the hike 1.5 hours before sunset. This will also allow you plenty of time for breaks while enduring the trail’s 480 foot incline.
As you begin the hike you’ll find Wolfe Ranch Cabin and the Ute Indian petroglyphs. Be sure to check these out on your way up!
After 1.5 miles of steep incline you’ve arrived!
It’ll be crowded, but there’s space to spread out and it’s fun because everybody’s excited to be there.
As the sun sets opposite the Delicate Arch the red rocks put on a spectacular show, displaying a fiery red glow. Relax and enjoy the ever changing colors. Don’t forget your headlamp for the walk back.
Stargazing in Arches National Park
If it’s a clear night round out your one day in Arches National Park with some some epic stargazing. The remoteness of this area allows for excellent dark skies, in fact it was named an international dark sky park in 2019.
The best spots for stargazing in Arches National Park include:
- Balanced Rock
- The Windows Section
- Garden of Eden Viewpoint
- Delicate Arch
- Panorama Point
How to Get To Arches National Park
Getting to Moab:
- Canyonlands Field Airport is a small regional airport in Moab.
- Grand Junction Regional Airport in Colorado, 2 hour drive to Moab.
- Salt Lake City International Airport in Utah, 3.5 – 4 hour drive to Moab.
- Denver International Airport in Colorado 5.5 – 6 hour drive Moab.
Getting to Arches National Park:
There is one park entrance.
To get there from Moab, drive 5 miles north on US 191. Follow signs to to Arches National Park.
To get there from I-70 (Crescent Junction), drive 28 miles south on US 191. Follow signs to Arches National Park.
Timed Entry Ticket Required
April – October a timed entry ticket is required to visit Arches National Park. Tickets become available 3 months in advance at 8 am MST. For example, on May 1 at 8 am MDT August reservations become available for August 1–31.
Additionally, a limited number of tickets are available for purchase one day prior to entry at 6 pm MDT.
Whether booking 3 months in advance or the day before you’ll book through Recreation.gov.
The reservation fee is $2 in addition to the daily park fee of $30/ vehicle.
You can also purchase an America The Beautiful Pass for $80 which provides unlimited park visits to any American National Park for an entire year.
Where To Stay Near Arches National Park
Moab is the only town near Arches National Park, it may be small but they’re well accustomed to handling the 3+ million annual visitors.
There are a variety of hotels and rental properties here in addition to camping outside of town.
Best Hotels in Moab, Utah:
- Radcliffe Moab
- Hyatt Place at Moab
- Under Canvas Moab
- Sage Creek at Moab
- Homewood Suites by Hilton
- Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection by Hilton
- Wingate by Wyndham Moab
You’ll also find a variety of VRBO and Airbnb options around Moab. During my last visit, me and two of my girlfriends stayed at a cozy little cabin right in downtown. Unfortunately they no longer take bookings, but you can find a very similar rental here: Quiet & Comfortable Hideaway in Heart of Moab.
Camping In Arches National Park
Arches National Park has one campground, Devils Garden Campground. Reservations are required March 1 – October 31st and book out months in advance. November 1 – February 28th sites are first-come, first-served. If camping in winter be prepared for snow.
There are tons of campsites outside the park but they also fill quickly spring through fall. Consider making reservations when possible.
Peak Season In Arches National Park
Arches sees about 1.5 million visitors each year with peak season being March – October.
Weather In Arches National Park
Summer is tough in this park due to heat and very little shade. If this time of year is your only option, be sure to hit the trails early or in the evening. I visited this park a lot as a kid, usually over summer break. We hiked a few hours each morning, then spent the afternoons driving around or back at the hotel pool.
Spring and Fall are both great times to visit due to mild weather and relatively fewer crowds.
Winter is a beautiful time to visit, though some trails may be closed due to snow or ice on the slickrock.
Is One Day Enough In Arches National Park?
Arches National Park is compact so you can definitely see the top attractions in one day. However, it would be a very packed day, I think 2 days is more appropriate in Arches National Park.
What Can You Do In Arches National Park In A Half Day?
With a half day in Arches National Park you can see 1 or 2 of the park’s main highlights. For example you could hike Delicate Arch and then explore the Windows Section or see Landscape Arch then Balanced Rock.
Keep in mind it takes about 45 minutes to get from the park entrance to the back portion of the park, plus time to find parking, navigate traffic, etc. You will need to account for that lost time in your half day visit.
Is Arches National Park Worth The Drive?
Absolutely! This is one of the most unique park’s in the National Park system and home to the highest concentration of natural sandstone arches in the world.
As you can see there’s so much to do here! I hope you enjoy your one day in Arches National Park as much as I did!
If you’d like to follow along with my travels in real time, check out @seen.by.amy on Instagram or @seenbyamy on TikTok!
Looking for more ideas? Below are additional Utah and national park guides or head on over to Arches NPS!
More Information For Your Trip To Arches National Park:
More Information For Your Trip To Moab, Utah:
More Information For Your Utah Vacation:
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I’m hoping to go to Arches this year so the information is very helpful.
That’s great, it’s a wonderful park! I hope you enjoy your visit!