Arches National Park is a relatively small park, located near Moab, Utah. It’s quite user-friendly as many of the sights are easily seen while just passing by.  It’s a great spot for families, people with disabilities, and easy hikers, but there are also some longer hikes worth trying. The Arches park has more than 2000 arches and there is no place on Earth even remotely like it.

The best strategy is to arrive at the park before 7 am, especially in the top season, because it could get really crowded at the entrance and you can literally wait for hours. There is a webcam at the entrance so you can check the line before you go there.
Before our trip to Arches, we were near Bryce Canyon, and this was our longest drive between the locations we were visiting. We had 4 hours driving to get to Arches, so we decided to take it easy. I checked webcam at Arches constantly (we were there at the beginning of June), and there was a long line of cars at the entrance from 8 am to almost 1 pm, all the time!  We got on the road around 9 am, and after some nice stops on the way, got to Moab around 1:30 or 2 pm, checked in to our motel, and then went to Arches. The best thing was, we have avoided the morning crowd completely and we still got time to see the what we wanted. So later I’ll write what you can see in one afternoon.

→BEFORE YOU GO

RESEARCH – Before you go, search for the places you want to see, things you want to do… Most important pieces of information you can find on a U.S. National Park Service site, a lot of interesting stuff and personal experiences from fellow travelers and bloggers, and my favorite, travel guidebooks. You never know whether you’ll have a reception on your phone, so it’s good to have some paper maps in your hand. I get most of my books from Book Depository.

ENTRANCE FEE – Like in other National Parks, there is also an entrance fee, 30$ per vehicle for 7 days. If you are planning to visit more National Parks or even some recreation areas, I recommend buying an Annual Pass, America the Beautiful. It costs 80$, valid for a year and covers the pass owner and three accompanying adults. You can buy it when entering the park, or online at USGS Store or at Rei.

TRANSPORTATION – There are no shuttle buses, but you can book a commercial bus tour. If you don’t want to me time-bound it’s best to come by car. But there might be some difficulties to find a parking spot sometimes. This is why it’s also good to come really early or late afternoon. Park in designated areas only. Do not drive off roads. If a lot is full, do not wait for spots to open; move on, and try again later.

WHEN TO GO – The park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The park is busiest March through October. Temperatures in spring and fall are comfortable. In the summer, daytime temperatures often exceed 37°C. Winter is a peaceful time, without the crowds and scorching heat of summer. Temperatures are cold, with highs averaging -1° to 10° C.

→WHERE TO STAY

There is one campground in the park, The Devils Garden Campground, which is a great home base for your exploration of Arches. You can reserve standard campsites up to 6 months in advance for stays March 1-October 31. All sites are usually reserved months in advance. Between November 1 and February 28, sites are first to come, first served. There are also many campgrounds and hotels in the nearest city, Moab, which is really just a few minutes away.
MOAB VALLEY RV RESORT & CAMPGROUND – this property offers sweet cabins and also airstream, but of course you can stay in your own RV or tent. Location is just perfect, really close to the park. And the prices are quite nice.
HOTEL MOAB DOWNTOWN – this one is located in the heart of Moab, with views of La Sal Mountains and surrounded by towering red rock cliffs. It is the largest full-service hotel in Moab and is just next to shops, galleries, museums, restaurants, and much more. The entrance to Arches National Park is 9.1 km away. And it looks like they often have some good offers on Booking.
RUSTIC INN – another simple but cozy motel, with a great location. Moab’s Main Street is half a block away and provides many shopping outlets and dining opportunities. The price looks reasonable.
HOMEWOOD SUITES BY HILTON MOAB – this is a 3-star hotel but looks like a lot more to me. The suites have their own kitchen, so it’s perfect for a longer stay. It’s suitable for 4-6 people, prices are a bit higher but not too high for what you get. I would definitely want to stay there for a few days.

→WHAT TO SEE IN ONE AFTERNOON

So, are you on a road trip like we were, with long distances driving? And want to see as much as possible in a short amount of time? You didn’t manage to come to Arches early in the morning, and want to avoid the long lines at the entrance to the park? Don’t worry, in just one afternoon you can see some of the most famous sights in the park.

ARCHES SCENIC DRIVE

The whole Scenic Drive is around 70 km long, including al the spurs, and takes around 2-3 hours. There are many photo opportunities as long as short and long walks to arches and sights. You can enjoy the scenery just by driving through. From the park entrance to Delicate Arch, which is the first stop, is around 21 km. For example, you can see the Balanced Rock just passing by, but you can also go on a short 15-20 minute walk to see it closer.

DELICATE ARCH

Delicate Arch is one of the most famous arches, and despite how touristy it can get, it’s really worth the hike. The hike is moderate but sometimes can get strenuous, especially because of the heat, and most of the time there is no shadow to hide. Bring a lot of water. But when you get to see the view, it’s just speechless. Amazing. Spectacular. Really worth visiting. The hike could take around 2-3 hours round trip. We have reached the arch in 45 minutes. But you need to allow some time to relax and enjoy the view there.

LANDSCAPE ARCH

After hiking from Delicate Arch, get in the car and go to Devils Garden Trailhead Parking Area, which is around 15 minutes driving.
There is a short stroll on the Devils Garden Trail to the longest arch in the world, plus a short side trip to two more arches; TUNNEL ARCH and PINE TREE ARCH. You reach the Landscape Arch, which is a little more than 88m long, just after 1,3 km one way on an easy road.

TUNNEL ARCH & PINE TREE ARCH

On the way to Landscape Arch, around 400 m from the trail, a short spur goes to the right. The spur trails take you down to Pine Tree and Tunnel Arches, both worth adding a little less than 1 km to the hike. This spur trail splits again at the bottom. Go left to Pine Tree Arch and right to Tunnel Arch. After that, you go back to the main trail and continue to Landscape Arch.
Pine Tree Arch (the second picture) looks really breathtaking when you see it with your eyes. You just can’t take a good photo, because it’s so big.

After returning from the Delicate Arch, you will probably be very hungry and a bit tired from the afternoon, also the sun will start to go down. So you can finish the day here with some great memories and views.
I’m kind of disappointed that we didn’t see other sights, but still satisfied with what we did see. I definitely want to come back sometime for a few more days. Here are some other places you don’t want to miss if you have more time to hike around: FIERY FURNACE, which is the only hike in Arches National Park that requires a Park Ranger guide; THE WINDOWS; DOUBLE O ARCH, located at the far north end of the park; DOUBLE ARCH; CORONA ARCH; NAVAJO ARCH…

Definitely worth visiting again.