I’ve often heard it said that the desert is an unforgiving places. Now I know it was said in terms of a life or death scenario but let’s apply that same sort of approach to visiting a desert park. You can make some mistakes about when you go and where you go and it can seem like a total bust. Arches National Park is such a place. Make the wrong moves and your tail lights will be all that’s left to be seen of you as you head back to I-70. Don’t be that person! Arches has so much to offer!
It’s incredible beauty can be reviving. It’s weather-worn features can lead you to an appreciation for the fleeting nature of life. But, it’s crowds can frustrate you. It’s heat can defeat you. Here’s a few of our tips on how to make it a rewarding experience!
1. Get There (Way) Early & Come Back Late
What’s So Great About It: The middle part of the day (10am to 4pm) has two things you want to avoid in a desert park–sun exposure and crowds. Sun exposure not only can be miserable hot and produce a sunburn, but it also washes out picture. Avoid it at all cost! Crowds can make life miserable by filling up parking at trailheads, doing stupid stuff that make you stark-raving mad, and ruin your pictures. Avoid both at all cost…be early…and late. By arriving before sunrise you’ll have fewer people to deal with and the sun will be your friend. Bring a headlamp and it’s amazing how different the desert will seem.
We did this two mornings in Arches NP, hiking to Delicate Arch and then Landscape Arch a few days later, both to see the sun rise on the arches. One time we were early enough to spot shooting stars and take this shot of Double Arch. We were out by 10am and were so glad to be! If you want to double down, go back for sunset. The crowds have thinned and the light is tremendous! You can easily eat a late breakfast, snacks for lunch and/or and early or late dinner to accommodate this “non-traditional” schedule. And if you plan right, you won’t lose too much sleep.
2. Fill Your Mid-Day With Side Trips
What’s So Great About It: In the vicinity of Arches NP are several other great (less crowded) options to fill your mid-day if you follow tip #1. Once you leave Arches you aren’t out of the beautiful scenery of southeast Utah! Several days we took a side trip to a different unit of Canyonlands National Park. Pictured here is the end of the 1mi trail to Grand View Overlook in the Island In The Sky District of Canyonlands. What a great hike!
The Needles District of Canyonlands NP is a bit further but not bad. Stop at Newspaper Rock (well preserved petroglyphs) and Wilson’s Arch (right along Highway 191). We didn’t get to see it, but Corona Arch looks awesome just outside of Moab. On the way to Island In The Sky is Dead Horse Point State Park (your NPS pass won’t work here) that is worth the stop. Also, during the summer there’s trips of all kind that will put you on the Colorado River the runs between Arches NP and Moab. There’s plenty to do where the crowds are not.
3. Stay Close To It All (SpringHill Suites/Fairfield Inn)
What’s So Great About It: Staying in the right spot will make all this easier to do. Just a few miles from the entrance gate, on the north side of the Colorado River is a brand new SpringHill Suites. We stayed there but it shares an awesome pool will a Fairfield Inn. Not only is the location ideal, but the free breakfast is quick and the pool is a great spot to just chill, especially if you have a family in tow. (If you don’t the 4 hot tubs, dozens of “secluded” seating areas, and 3 fire pits still make a great spot to hang out.) The pool was never too crowded and it is heated so no matter what time of year you are there, it’ll be great. Grab a 6 pack from Moab Brewing and enjoy something here or just catch a mid-day nap close to the park.
4. Burn Your Downtime In Moab
What’s So Great About It: Whatever your thing is, you’ll find something to do in Moab. This gateway city to Arches NP is literally right on the edge of the park so it’s close. It’s easy to navigate and not big enough to seem like isn’t just focused on being near the park. We killed time in the art galleries, random shops (including the rock shop pictured here) and restaurants (like the awesome Pasta Jay’s). Of course, to be considered a good park town, you have to a brewery. Moab is there! Moab Brewing had a atmosphere and a good selection of beers including the Dead Horse Amber Ale which was good enough to earn coveted spots in our cooler to go home with us.
5. Get Your Passes & Permits Early
What’s So Great About It: To get into the labyrinth of rock in the foreground, you have to have a permit…and they go quick! We were there in March (off-peak) and stopped by the Visitor Center early the first day only to snag the last 4 open slots for 3 days later. A very limited number of people are allowed into the area called the Fiery Furnace to protect the environment and the visitor experience. (With such a limited number, this is a great mid-day activity, as long as it isn’t the heat of summer.) The Fiery Furnace is a great spot to explore around the rock spires and slot canyons, generally following a vaguely marked patch to wander your way out. With the area not being too big, if you have a map and a GPS you’ll really have to try to get lost. But leave yourself plenty of time to just explore!
Also, when crowds to get high, especially during the peak seasons (and you aren’t as early in the morning as you should be), a little bit of planning can get your through the line of traffic that cues up at the entrance gates. If you don’t want to wait up to an hour just to get in, be sure to have a National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass, otherwise known as an America The Beautiful Pass to get through a special line at Arches NP. This $80 pass gets you in to all national park units and other federal lands so it’s going to be useful. Get it!
6. Go In The Off-Peak Season (especially early March)
What’s So Great About It: Arches NP receives 1.5 million visitor each year. How do you avoid the crowds? There’s the usual tips about “it’s nice park in the winter too”, and the ones I gave you about arrive early and/or late, but there’s this other balance. It’s the balance between crowds and temperatures. Come too early in the year and you’ll freeze to death, come too late and you’ll bake to a crisp along with what seems like the other 1.5 million people there that day. The intersection of that sweet spot is early March or late October. (We went with early March.) You’ll find cool mornings/nights that need a down coat and layers, but once the sun comes up it’ll warm to a nice day. As a bonus, sunrise/sunset isn’t so early/late that you can’t make it out for either. The crowds are lighter (but still there, like in the upper left side of this photo up the trail to Delicate Arch) but if you follow the rules above, you’ll be set.
7. Don’t Miss The Iconic Arches
What’s So Great About It: Now that we know how and when to go, let’s dig into what you have to see while there! They will draw the most crowds, but if you play it right you’ll be able to see the iconic arches of Arches NP. Delicate Arch is such a Utah icon that for years it’s the back drop of their license plates. If anything is that scenic, you have to see it! And don’t cut it short by going to the viewpoint. Take the 3mi. RT hike to actually see the thing up close. Getting a good shot in between people wandering out to it another challenge in and of itself.
Although it is further into the park, don’t skip Devil’s Garden and the 1.6mi. RT hike to Landscape Arch. This 300+ foot opening makes it the longest arch in North America, and you never know what moment might be its last. In 1991 a huge slab of it gave way and in 2017, a nearby arch collapsed completely. These ribbons of remaining sandstone are just a geologic blink away from being gone forever. See it while you can!
Also on the park all-star list is Double Arch with the tallest opening in the park. It’s in The Windows section of the park all of which is easy to get to. If you only have one day, hit these three (Landscape at sunrise, The Windows area after that, and Delicate at sunset).
8. Pick Out An “Off The Beaten Path” Spot To Explore
What’s So Great About It: There’s a whole park out there and just one park road into it. There’s lots of places that offer some off the beaten path experiences. (Not as many as say Canyonlands or Capitol Reef, but hey, Arches is also a top 10 visited park fairly close to an interstate too!)
For us it was The Fiery Furnace (because we snagged a permit), but we had back up plans too. Any of them look like good ideas. There early or late and there aren’t crowds? Try hiking the 2mi. RT at Park Avenue. If you couldn’t drag your butt outta bed but still got there before 10am, skip the crowds at the first stops and head straight Sand Dune Arch. It’s only a 3/10th of a mile hike down into a very approachable area. Another, more daring option we considered was to take the unpaved Salt Valley road up to a 3.4mi. RT hike to Tower Arch but the NPS had the road close for maintenance.