Hike Arches National Park: from the Windows Arches to the Devils Garden Trail
Arches National Park is one of the most well known of the Mighty 5 National Parks in Utah (right up there with Zion National Park). So much so that many people recognize the natural wonders housed within it without even realizing it. The arches, built from over 100 million years of erosion, are commonly featured on computer screensavers, cell phone backgrounds, posters, postcards, and even Utah license plates. The park is home to over 2,000 of these different arches measuring 3 ft wide to 300+ ft wide. More arches are constantly forming and changing shape due to shifts in the salt bed underneath the earth in this area. The existing ones also continually evolve with massive changes happening as recently as 1991 when the largest arch, Landscape Arch, lost a chunk of rock almost 60 ft long from its curved structure. Because of this, it is unsafe and illegal to walk on top of arches or climb up their curved sides no matter how tempting it may seem. Also, just a friendly reminder that this park is in a desert landscape. Make sure that when you hike Arches National Park, you carry at least one gallon of water per person. The sun can be very aggressive since it reflects off the sandstone and red rock, and you won’t find much shade to get away from the harsh rays. Even the shortest of Arches hikes can become exhausting due to the heat.
When planning your trip to Arches, make sure you consider its popularity and how this may affect your plans. We first arrived at noon on a Friday to a sign saying the park was full and to come back 3 hours later. With all there is to see, having as much time as possible is key to enjoying Arches, especially if you only have one day to hike and explore. So the following day, we figured let's go big or go home. We woke up before sunset and arrived at the park entrance as golden hour was taking shape. The rock formations, bright red and orange typically, looked as if they had been lit on fire in the early morning sun. The arches' colors are the most vibrant during the hour after sunrise or the hour before sunset, so plan your day accordingly for the best photos and views. If you can, try to see some of the more unique formations like the Windows Arches or those on the Devils Garden Trail at this time.
I also learned on this trip that "Arch Fatigue" is real. When you first arrive at the National Park, the beauty of the first arch you see up close will legit blow your mind. You may not think another arch can top it, but you'll be quickly proven wrong when you see your second. However, by the end of the day (as crazy as it sounds), you'll probably be very tired of looking at arches and the allure and magic of seeing one after another wears off. We even skipped one of the more popular arch hikes while visiting Capitol Reef National Park the next day since we were seriously ARCHED-OUT. Because of this, I recommend seeing the cooler arches first so that you can experience them in all their glory. However, if you're all about rock formations (maybe you're a budding geologist?), go crazy and see how many of the arches you can spot!
View the Iconic Delicate Arch
The most famous arch is also one of the go-to Arches National Park hikes: the Delicate Arch. Not only will you recognize it right away (it's the one on Utah's license plates), but once you pull up to the parking lot, you'll quickly realize the popularity of the 3-mile strenuous hike (with rock scrambling) to see the arch up close. We drove straight to the Delicate Arch trailhead the morning and found it already packed with early risers and overnight campers. Knowing we had a lot more of the park (and a lot more arches) to check out, we decided to continue down the road to the Delicate Arch Overlook, a quick .5 mile walk to see it (and all the people posing for pictures underneath it) from a further distance. It's not the most jaw-dropping view, but remember, there are plenty more to see!
Trek the Devil's Garden Trail and See the Landscape Arch
Knowing the Delicate Arch hike was packed, we decided to make our way to the far end of the park to tackle the Devils Garden Trail. This parking lot was also busy (the main campground is located here), but we could still easily find a spot in the morning. The full Devils Garden Trail is a 7.8-mile loop where you'll see six different arches and tackle rock scrambling and climbing. We hit roughly half of the trek (enough to cross off rock scrambling, of course) before we turned back to try out other Arches hikes. Along the way, you'll encounter Tunnel Arch from a distance and Pine Tree Arch that you can walk through and underneath. However, the most stunning arch is 2 miles into the trek: Landscape Arch. This is the 300+ ft wide arch I mentioned earlier, which is also one of the world's largest and widest natural arches. Make sure you continue on the trail to see the Navajo Arch and Partition Arch, then make your way over the rock scramble for 360-degree views, and you guessed it, EVEN MORE ARCHES!
Hit the Fiery Furnace and Panorama Point Overlooks
In National Parks as big as Arches, it's sometimes nice to take a break from hiking and instead catch glimpses of amazing views from an overlook near the road. The Fiery Furnace Overlook is one of the more unique viewpoints in the park. Usually, this is the beginning of a more intense ranger-led hike that requires advanced reservations and permits but it also provides views of the impressive Fiery Furnace. This section of rock fins and narrow canyons glows red at sunset, making it look like flames emerging from the ground.
Grab those fancy new camera phones; Panorama Point is the place to be for a literal 360-degree panorama view of Arches National Park. You'll see everything from Balanced Rock to other impressive red formations of all shapes and sizes, to snow-capped mountains in the distance. Panorama Point is also one of the best spots for star-gazing in the area, with unobstructed views of the night sky.
Explore the Double Arch and Windows Arches
The Windows Section of Arches National Park ended up being my favorite spot. Driving to the end of the loop, you can start by checking out the Double Arch, which I think is the most fantastic arch in the park. Seriously, this puts the Delicate Arch to shame. I had never heard of the Double Arch before my trip but was intrigued when the National Park brochure referred to is as a "spectacular arch." Impressive words from the National Park Service! lol. This had to mean it was pretty amazing. And I'm serious when I say IT WAS. This arch is so big, stretching up hundreds of feet tall as the third largest arch opening in the park. The arch's double archways makes it more of a sphere or globe with holes in it that you can scale up. The fact that you can rock scramble up and into it with views of other impressive formations in the distance makes it a playground for all ages. I saw everyone from young kids to grandfathers ascending upwards.
Once you've had your fun on the Double Arch, make your way across the parking lot to the Windows Arches. These arches are rounder, appearing more like actual windows that open up to the park's stunning background. A little less crowded than the Double arch, we saw a lot of people sitting at the base of these arches having picnic lunches with plenty of hungry chipmunks darting around nearby for scraps.
Other great arches in the park include: Sand Dune Arch (0.3 mile hike), Skyline Arch (0.4 mile hike), and Broken Arch (1.3 mile hike). Plan an early start to your day, and you'll be able to fully explore Arches National Park with fewer crowds, less heat, and more freedom. I promise you'll find at least 2-3 arches (or maybe 7-8) that take your breath away before you start to encounter the dreaded arch fatigue. With so many shorter hikes and arches easily visible from the road, this is a park for people of all ages and exercise levels. Make sure you grab a coffee and hearty breakfast at one of the many local coffee shops in nearby downtown Moab, and stock up on water for the day. Then once you've seen Arches National Park, head to nearby Canyonlands National Park or Dead Horse Point State Park for even more exploring!
