Arches National Park is located north of Moab in Utah. It’s home to over 2,000 natural sandstone arches and formations, each with beautiful red and orange hues. Most of Arches National Park is pretty drivable, meaning you can actually see a lot of it right from your car. But I suggest hiking to get up close and personal with this rocky wonderland.

Best Time To Go

This can be a very crowded and popular park, so anytime school is out is a little chaotic. Summer will bring hot temperatures and winter brings snow. I’d say Fall, especially September, is the perfect time to visit if you’re hoping to avoid both the crowds and the heat!

Best Hikes For Day-trippers

Don’t miss Delicate Arch! You should also do the Windows Loop trail to see Double Arch and hike to Landscape Arch, which is North America’s longest natural sandstone rock arch. Balanced Rock is an easy 20 minute loop trail worth seeing as well. For an incredible opportunity to see even more, join a ranger-guided hike through the Fiery Furnace! This trail requires agility as it’s very narrow. You can also obtain a day-use permit from the visitor’s center to see this often-missed area.

Where To Stay

You can camp inside the park at Devil’s Garden Campground, complete with flush toilets, grills, picnic tables, and drinking water. This campground is typically $25/night for an individual site. Personally, I camped outside of the park at the Sand Flats Recreation Area, and loved it. Camping here is on a first-come first-serve basis and is typically $15/night. The Moab area also has some unique and gorgeous Airbnb options! If you’ve never tried Airbnb, sign up for a free profile here to get $40 off your first stay!

Other Tips

As a park rangers girlfriend and an outdoor advocate, I have to say this — Keep off the arches and leave the rocks as you see them (duh). After I visited in 2012, I heard that part of Landscape Arch naturally broke off and fell to the ground. Safety (and respect of preserving the formations) is vital. I was also very disappointed to see graffiti on some of the rocks. Don’t be those people.

This park gets very hot and sunny. There’s not a whole lot of shade here. Pack a hat, sunscreen, and a reusable water bottle that can be filled up at the water stations.

Plan the rest of your visit here!

Have you been to any Utah 
National Parks before?

Which Utah National Park is your favorite?