The Perfect Arches National Park 2-Day Itinerary: Must-See Stops and Best Hikes
Arches National Park is one of the most popular national parks in the southwest, for good reason! It has over 2,000 natural arches, making it the densest concentration of natural arches in the world. And yes, every arch and rock formation in Arches National Park is stunning!
Two days in Arches National Park gives you plenty of time to explore the must-see attractions and hike a few trails. We only spent a day in the park and wished we had more time to explore. Two days would have been perfect, so learn from our mistakes and plan at least a few days to explore Arches National Park!
Although you can spend a week exploring everything Arches National Park offers, you can see most of the park in two days. This guide has everything you need to know about creating the ultimate Arches National Park 2-day itinerary.
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Best Time to Visit Arches National Park
One of the best things about Arches National Park is it is the perfect year-round destination! Most people travel to Moab in the summer, but late fall to early spring are also great times to visit. Most trails and facilities are open year-round, allowing you to visit Arches National Park in any season.
Best Seasons
I personally think spring and fall are the best times to visit Arches National Park because it has fewer crowds and the weather is cooler. Spring and fall allow you to explore the park and hike its trails without the summer heat.
Summer tends to be the most popular season to visit even though it is HOT. We went to Arches National Park in June, and it was in the 90s our entire trip. We were prepared with plenty of water, but it was still a lot, especially when we hiked.
Monsoon season in Moab is July through September, which is when the area is prone to flash floods. You may have seen videos online of the flooding and know how severe it can be. If you visit that time of year, you must keep an eye on the weather.
Winter is the least-visited season, but it should not be overlooked! The crowds are minimal in Arches National Park, and the temperatures are cooler, making it a great time to visit. The park receives some snow, but usually, it is not too crazy.
Crowds and Reservations
Arches National Park has over 1.5 million visitors per year, with most crowds from late spring to early fall. To help with the increasing crowds, Arches National Park implemented a timed entry reservation system from April to July and August to October. The tickets are first-come, first-serve, so I recommend getting yours early during their release schedule.
A timed-entry reservation is required between 7 AM and 4 PM, so if you do not get a reservation in time, you can enter the park before 7 AM or after 4 PM. I recommend going into Arches National Park as early as possible to beat the crowds. Sunrise in the park is also stunning and worth the early wake-up call!
Best Time for Hiking and Photography
If you plan to hike in Arches National Park, you should plan to tackle the trails in the morning. The park is hottest at midday and since it has minimal shade, it is easy to get overheated. I recommend hiking in the morning to avoid the heat and crowds.
Delicate Arch is one of the most popular hikes in the park, so the trail is always crowded. I recommend hiking this for sunrise or early morning to avoid the crowds and have the best lighting.
If you plan to bring your camera into the park like I did, the best time to photograph the beautiful landscapes is in the early morning or late afternoon. Arches National Park is stunning and you really cannot go wrong when photographing it, but golden hour will always provide the best lighting. The park will also have fewer crowds, making it easier to capture some incredible photos!
How to Get to Arches National Park
Arches National Park is located in the southeast corner of Utah, and the closest major airport is Salt Lake City International Airport. Moab has a small airport you could fly into, but the flights tend to be expensive and the flight options are limited. The SLC Airport is a four-hour drive to the park, but it goes by quickly.
When we visited Arches National Park, we flew into the SLC Airport. The drive was incredibly scenic, so we did not mind how long it was! We considered flying into Moab, but the flight was expensive and had a long layover.
I highly recommend renting a car for your trip to Arches National Park. There are few shuttle options from Moab to visit Arches National Park, but it is much easier to have a car to visit the popular sights.
If you are interested in renting a campervan, I highly recommend renting from Escape Campervans! They have a pickup location in SLC, making it easy for you to get your campervan for the trip.
Where to Stay Near Arches National Park
Moab is the perfect place to stay for your 2 days in Arches National Park because it is right outside the park entrance. We stayed in Moab and loved our time there! It had everything we needed, including restaurants and groceries.
Hotels in Moab:
Moab has plenty of hotels for every budget. When we first visited Moab, the town was still building up and had minimal options, but as the area’s tourism grew, more accommodations were built.
Camping Near Arches National Park:
If you want to camp during your trip to Arches National Park, you are in luck! You can stay in a park campground or one right outside. Moab has plenty of campgrounds, and most require reservations.
Glamping and Unique Accommodations:
Moab has some of the coolest accommodations, especially if you love glamping. You can stay in safari tents, tiny homes, cabins, or bungalows. We stayed in a tiny home when we visited Arches National Park and loved it!
Best 2-Day Arches National Park Itinerary
Although you could spend an entire week exploring Arches National Park, you can see most must-see attractions and hike a few trails in two days.
The best part about this Arches National Park 2-day itinerary is its flexibility. You can swap the days around or easily switch out a different hike. This itinerary is a great starting point for creating one perfect for you!
**Always remember to leave no trace. It is crucial to pack out what you pack in and leave no trash. Some spots have trash bins, so you can easily throw your trash away. If they do not have trash bins, you can throw your trash away at a nearby gas station or convenience store.
Day 1 in Arches National Park: Stunning Arches and a Fun Sunset Hike
The first day of this Arches National Park itinerary explores iconic arches and ends the day with my favorite sunset spot. Get your cameras ready because you will want to take photos all day!
Morning
Park Avenue is the first stop on the Arches Scenic Drive, making it the perfect place to kick off your 2 days in Arches National Park. Although you can stop at the viewpoint to enjoy the stunning landscapes, I recommend hiking the easy 2-mile roundtrip trail to get an up-close and personal experience with Three Gossips, Courthouse Towers, Queen Nefertiti, Queen Victoria Rock, Organ, and Tower of Babel.
If you decide to hike the Park Avenue Trail, there are two places you can start, Park Avenue Viewpoint and Courthouse Towers, but it does not matter where you start. The trail follows the canyon floor past beautiful rock formations between the two points. Once you arrive at the second parking lot, you can turn around and hike back the way you came.
Balanced Rock is further down the scenic drive and is one of the most iconic attractions in Arches National Park. A large rock sits on another and seems to be barely balancing! You can follow the short 0.3-mile roundtrip trail to loop around Balanced Rock and get an up-close and personal experience.
Midday
Pine Tree Arch, Tunnel Arch, and Landscape Arch are beautiful arches at the end of the Arches Scenic Drive. And the best part? You can explore all three on a 3-mile hike, beginning at the Devils Garden Trailhead.
The trail brings you to Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch before ending at Landscape Arch. Landscape Arch is my favorite arch along the hike, but all three are unique and beautiful! You can also just hike to Landscape Arch if you are not up for the entire hike.
Note: If you want to hike the 9-mile Devils Garden Loop, you should start it first thing in the morning when you enter the park. It is a long and strenuous hike that will take at least 4-6 hours to complete.
Afternoon
One of my favorite sunset areas in Arches National Park is the Windows Section. This area has a few arches, and I recommend visiting all of them, starting with Double Arch.
Double Arch is a giant arch you can hike under by following a 0.6-mile roundtrip trail. The arch will blow you away when you are underneath it, making you feel small in the best way.
Across the parking lot are three other beautiful arches- The Windows and Turret Arch. We watched the sunset here during our trip to Arches National Park, and it was the perfect way to end our day!
To get to North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch, you can hike an easy and flat 1-mile trail. The trail brings you into the North Window before traveling around the back of it to the South Window. The trail then heads back around towards Turret Arch. You can choose your favorite arch to watch the sunset near because all of them are great options!
Evening
If you want to stargaze during your trip, you will not be disappointed! I recommend going back into Arches National Park once it is dark to see the breathtaking night sky. Because the park does not have much light pollution, it is an incredible area to see the stars.
Day 2 in Arches National Park: Sunrise Hike and More Arches
Morning
Delicate Arch is one of the most iconic arches in Arches National Park that should be on every itinerary. I recommend visiting Delicate Arch first thing in the morning to enjoy it with fewer crowds, and it is the perfect sunrise spot if you are up for an early hike!
There are three ways to view Delicate Arch. The best way to view Delicate Arch is to hike the 3.2-mile roundtrip trail to the cliff the arch is on. If you want to visit Delicate Arch for sunrise, I highly recommend hiking this trail because it is a stunning sunrise spot.
The other two viewpoints are at the end of Delicate Arch Road, with views of the arch from below the cliff. The Lower Viewpoint is only a short walk from the parking lot, and the Upper Viewpoint is a half-mile hike from the parking lot.
Midday
Do you want to hike three stunning arches along one trail?! You can visit Sand Dune Arch, Broken Arch, and Tapestry Arch by following a fun 2.7-mile trail.
Sand Dune Arch is a beautiful arch between sandstone fins that you may have seen photos of since it is popular. Broken Arch is a tall, thin arch and is not broken even though the name makes you think it is. Tapestry Arch stands against a sandstone fin with two smaller arches next to it.
If you want to hike to all three arches, I recommend starting at the Sand Dune Arch Trail. The trail begins traveling through sandstone fins until it reaches Sand Dune Arch. The trail then turns right to continue to Broken Arch and Tapestry Arch. You can either hike back the way you came or continue a loop past Devils Garden Campground.
If you are not up for the entire hike, you can take out Tapestry Arch and hike 1.6 miles to Sand Dune Arch and Broken Arch. Or you can just hike the short trail to Sand Dune Arch since that is the best one, in my opinion!
Afternoon
If you have time in the afternoon, I recommend hiking the short trail to Skyline Arch! The trailhead is just past Sand Dune Trail and offers a quick 0.4-mile trail to its base. Since the trail is short and easy, it will be the perfect way to end your 2 days in Arches National Park!
If you are spending another night, I recommend going back into the park to watch the sunset at your favorite viewpoint! Nothing beats a desert sunset!
Tips for Visiting Arches National Park
Enter Arches National Park early. Because Arches National Park sees over a million visitors a year, the park is busy, especially at midday. I recommend arriving at the park early to enjoy some must-see attractions with fewer crowds.
Start or end your day with hiking. Arches National Park has little to no shade and the midday heat can be brutal. I recommend planning your hikes for the early morning, so you can avoid hiking in the midday heat.
Pack proper hiking gear and sunscreen. You should have supportive shoes with good traction, like hiking boots, layers for the time of year you are hiking, and a hiking backpack with water, snacks, and layers. And last but not least, make sure to pack the Ten Essentials. Most areas in Arches have little to no shade, making it crucial to pack and wear sunscreen, too.
Pack food and a lot of water. I recommend packing your snacks, meals, and water for the day since the park does not have food options. You should pack a cooler with everything you need, so you do not have to fight the traffic to get back into the park. It is also crucial to pack a lot of water since the park gets very hot.
Arches National Park FAQs
Do I need a reservation to get into Arches National Park? Yes, Arches National Park requires a timed entry reservation to get into the park during certain times of the year (April to July and August to October). The tickets are first-come, first-serve, and you should get them as far in advance as possible.
How many days do you need in Arches National Park? I recommend spending at least 2-3 days in the park to experience everything it offers. If you have more time, you can add Canyonlands National Park to your itinerary, too, since it is not far!
Can you do Arches National Park in one day? Yes! If you only have one day to spend in Arches National Park, you can see most of the must-see attractions. However, spending more than a day is better, especially if you want to hike.
Are there easy hikes in Arches National Park? One of the best things about Arches National Park is it has hikes for all levels! Most of the trails in the park are relatively flat, including the trails to The Windows, Turret Arch, Double Arch, Sand Dune Arch, and Landscape Arch.
If you want to spend 2 days exploring Arches National Park, this guide is the perfect place to start planning. It has everything you need to know about creating the best Arches National Park 2-day itinerary!
Hey, I’m Nichole!
I am the creator behind Nichole the Nomad, the home of my explorations around the world, mountain hikes, and beautiful pictures taken along the way. I have a deep passion for capturing the world in a beautiful light and sharing my experiences.
I created this blog to share my travels, show how beautiful the world is, provide tips and tricks for traveling, and encourage you to explore. Whether you want to travel across the world or explore what’s in your backyard, I hope this blog inspires you to get outside and find your adventure!
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