The trail to Turret Arch, Windows Section, Arches National Park / Rebecca Latson

I’ve visited Arches National Park three different times, and with each visit, I’ve not only discovered something new, but – under different weather and lighting conditions – even the things I’ve already seen and photographed look different. Arches is of a size where you can see and do many things in just one day, but my advice is to spend more than a day there, and this Traveler’s Checklist can help you make the most of your Arches exploration.

Map of Arches National Park / National Park Service

• Even if you travel during the peak of summer, bring along a jacket or warm pullover. Mornings and nights can get pretty chilly out there. Don’t forget to throw in a pair of sturdy hiking boots. Flip flops or sneakers with little tread are a recipe for slips and spills (they don’t call it “slick rock” for nothing).
  
  
• Arches is a 1.5-hour drive from Colorado’s Grand Junction Regional Airport, and a 3.5-hour drive from Salt Lake City International Airport. There is no in-park brick-and-mortar lodging, but Moab is only 5 miles south of the park and a Google search pulls up many lodging options from resorts to hotels to B&Bs. Make your room reservations early – really early.
  
  
• Devil’s Garden Campground is the only campground within the park. You’ll need to make reservations for a spot. This campground fills quickly, so plan ahead – way ahead. If you can’t snag a space there, try nearby camping options outside the park boundaries.
  
  
• If you need a jolt of java and something sweet or savory to jump start your day in the park, Moab has a pretty good selection of bakeries and coffee shops, including the ubiquitous Starbucks. My personal favorite is the Red Rock Bakery and Café. Lunch there is awesome, too, btw. The Jailhouse Cafe is a very, very popular breakfast spot.
  
  
• Make certain you carry plenty of water with you during your day in Arches. Even if you visit during any season other than furnace-hot summer, the atmosphere is still dry and will suck the moisture right out of you before you even realize you are becoming dehydrated. Take along some salty snacks to replace what you’ll sweat out.
  
  
• Once you have passed the entrance station, drive the entirety of the 19-mile road. Take your time, drive the posted speed limit, and stop at the view areas. One definite stop is at the small view area shortly after the entrance booths, as you start your ascent up the road. The view of the Moab Fault is a great introduction to the geologic forces that helped create the landscape.
  
  
• To further get a feel for the park, take along your binoculars or telephoto lens and learn about the nature and science of the area by joining a ranger-guided program. Even if you don’t go with a ranger, you still might spot mule deer along the side of the road, or side-eye a raven or scrub jay contemplating your snack-filled backpack (Don’t feed the wildlife).
  
  
  

  Delicate Arch landscape, Arches National Park / Rebecca Latson

• You’ll get your exercise accomplished with one or more of the must-do hikes in this park. Before setting out on the trail, however, please remember two things: keep on the trail to protect the delicate biological soil crust. It may not look like much, but it’s a very important part of the Arches ecosystem. Just as importantly, pack out what you pack in. Even the stuff you think is biodegradable, like orange and banana peels. It’s takes a long time for those things to break down and during that time, it can fill stomachs of the local wildlife and mess with their digestion.
  • It’s a non-starter to hike the trail to the iconic Delicate Arch, a red-rock formation so popular it’s even imprinted on Utah’s state license plate. The trail is about 3 miles roundtrip, and along the way, you’ll pass the Wolfe Ranch cabin and a wall of Ute Indian petroglyphs. Depending upon the time of year you hike the trail, as well as the time of day, you’ll either have the company of a gazillion other hikers, or you’ll actually get the place all to yourself for a little bit. If you hike during a cold spell, you might need to wear traction devices like Yaktrax or Kahtoola microspikes on your boots to prevent slipping and injuring yourself on the ice. From personal experience, I can tell you it’s no fun hobbling back down the trail with an injured ankle.
    
    
  • Park in the large lot beyond Devil’s Campground and take the Devil’s Garden Trailhead to see Tunnel Arch, Pine Tree Arch, and Landscape Arch. The hike to Landscape Arch is 1.9 miles round-trip from the trailhead. Add a half-mile to that distance if you hike to Tunnel and Pine arches along the way to Landscape Arch. If you feel like stretching your legs further, continue along the trail beyond Landscape Arch about a mile further to view Double O Arch. If you still feel energetic, then hike on to Dark Angel, and Private Arch before looping back onto the main trail toward the parking lot. Or, head down the Primitive Trail on your way back. 
    
    
  • No visit to Arches is complete without hiking around the Windows Section, to explore Double Arch (not the same as Double O Arch), the North and South Windows, and Turret Arch. This is another very popular spot where parking spots fill quickly, depending upon your arrival time.
    
    
  • If you are feeling really adventurous, join a ranger-guided hike through Fiery Furnace with its challenging terrain and temperature extremes. The Fiery Furnace hikes are popular and you need a reservation via recreation.gov, where you can register six months in advance of your arrival. You can also reserve in-person at the park’s visitor center, up to seven days in advance. You may even apply for an individual permit.
    
    

Sunrise light across Salt Valley, Arches National Park / Rebecca Latson

• Get up early to view (and photograph) a sunrise. Almost anywhere you stop along the park road is great for sunrise viewing and photography. My favorite spots are the La Sal Mountains Viewpoint, the Windows Section, and while standing on slick rock a quarter mile up the gravel Willow Flats Road to look back toward Balanced Rock or out across the expanse of Salt Valley.
  
  
  

  Sunset over the Windows Section, Arches National Park / Rebecca Latson

  
  
• Sunsets are pretty spectacular too, with the last bit of sunlight bathing the formations a brilliant, saturated, red-gold color. The La Sal Mountains Viewpoint is a great spot to view sunset, as is that bit of slick rock just off of Willow Flats Road looking toward the Windows Section, and any pullout along the park road near Devils Campground. Use a telephoto lens to create a little lens compression and bring the distant La Sal Mountains up close to those gold-red rock formations.
  
  
• Go bicycling. You may ride your bike or e-bike on all the paved and unpaved roads in the park. You may not ride your bike on any trails or off-trail. There are no bike lanes or paved shoulders, so the best time of day to bike the park roads is early in the morning, when temperatures are cooler and there’s not as much traffic. There are also plenty of opportunities for road biking or slick rock mountain biking outside the park.
  
  
• While the park doesn’t have any real slot canyons, there are still areas to accommodate some canyoneering, as well as opportunities for rock climbing. Click the links to read more about these sports and their regulations.
  
  
• If you really want the experience for how it might have felt back before there were any cars in the park, why not go horseback riding. Horses are permitted in Arches, but there are restrictions on their use and where they can go. If you choose a commercial guided horseback outfitter, they must be authorized to operate within the park.
  
  
  

  Star shine and light trails, Arches National Park / Rebecca Latson

• Stay up after dark for some stargazing and night photography. The stars shine brightly on a moonless night and you can capture cool images of a starry sky with silhouettes of rock formations and light trails from passing cars. For tips on night photography, click here. Note: if you are into light painting, then be aware that the use of artificial light (your headlamp, a flash light, other artificial light sources) to “light up landscapes, rock formations, or other park features” for anything other than “personal route-finding or minimum impact camping” is prohibited in Arches National Park.
  
  
• After a day of hiking to and around all the geologic wonders of Arches, grab a brew and some dinner at the popular Moab Brewery (try the Moab Pale Ale, beer-battered onion rings, and the Brewhouse Burger).
  
  
• Before turning onto the road leading to the entrance booths, you might notice an extremely long line of vehicles. The park may temporarily delay additional entry if parking lots are filled to capacity. Click here to check parking lot status before setting out on your day of Arches exploration. As you view that loooonnnng line, you might even choose to drive right on by and take a side trip to visit the Island-in-the-Sky District of Canyonlands National Park, about 33 miles from Moab.
  
  
• For another side trip, head out on that same road toward Canyonlands, but turn left a few miles prior to reaching the Island-in-the-Sky entrance and instead drive to Dead Horse Point State Park for a stunning panorama of the landscape surrounding a gooseneck (sinuous curve of a canyon) in the Colorado River.
  
  
• Leave the driving to someone else and consider a commercial tour, either within or outside of the park. You can take a guided raft trip along the Green or Colorado rivers, or a 4x4 jeep tour in Arches and Canyonlands national parks.
  
  
• Traveling to Arches during the winter means you might get lucky and experience a little snow. It usually doesn't last very long, but you might want to pack your snow shoes anyway. Definitely pack those traction devices for your boots, since you'll probably experience more ice than snow during the winter, giving a new meaning to the term "slick rock."
  
  
• Arches National Park has been bedeviled of late with graffiti. This is illegal and just plain ugly. Please, “leave the rocks as you see them,” and report graffiti, or anybody you see marking the rocks, to a ranger.
  
  
• Before you go on your Arches trip, check the park’s website to find out if, and where, pets are allowed and whether or not there are any closures or restrictions due to the season, construction, weather, or Covid-19.
  
  
• As you make your trip plans, remember, the coronavirus pandemic is not over, yet. Per the National Park Service, whose parent organization is the Department of the Interior: “To protect the health of those who live, work, and visit America’s national parks, face masks are required in all NPS buildings and facilities. Masks are also required on NPS-managed lands when physical distancing cannot be maintained, including narrow or busy trails, overlooks, and historic homes.” So, travel safely, take some masks, practice social distancing and wash your hands often.
  
  

  A snowy morning at Park Avenue, Arches National Park / Rebecca Latson