7 Beautiful Arches In Arches National Park You Can’t Miss
Arches National Park is one of five beautiful national parks in southern Utah, and as you can guess from its name, it has many arches throughout the park. Arches National Park has over 2,000 natural arches, making it the densest concentration of natural arches in the world!
Of course, there are other rock formations, but the arches are some of the most stunning in the park. We loved exploring each arch in the park because they are all so unique. Each arch is beautiful in its own way.
And the best part? Many of the best arches in Arches National Park are easy to get to and do not require much hiking. Although each one in Arches National Park is beautiful, a few stand out from the rest! Get your bucket list ready because this guide has everything you need to know about the best arches in Arches National Park that you cannot miss!
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Tips for Visiting Arches National Park
Reserve your timed-entry ticket. Arches National Park has over 1.5 million visitors per year, so it is implementing a timed entry reservation system to help with the increasing crowds. The tickets are first-come, first-serve, so I recommend getting yours as early as you can during their release schedule.
Start or end your day with hiking. Arches National Park is very hot in the summer and has little to no shade. I recommend hiking in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the midday heat.
Pack food and a lot of water. There aren’t any places to buy food or water in Arches National Park, so I recommend packing your snacks, meals, and water for the day. If you are driving, you can bring a cooler with everything you need! Packing your food will also allow you to stay in the park rather than fighting traffic to come back in. It is also crucial to bring a lot of water since the park gets very hot.
Bring a lot of sunscreen. Since Arches National Park has little to no shade, it is crucial to wear and pack sunscreen!
Always remember to leave no trace. It’s crucial to pack out what you pack in and leave no trash. Some of these spots have trash bins, so you can easily throw your trash away. If they don’t have trash bins, you can throw your trash away at a nearby gas station or convenience store.
Where to Stay Near Arches National Park
If you plan on spending a night near Arches National Park, you can find accommodations in the town of Moab. Moab has everything you need, including hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores. We loved staying in Moab because it was close to the park entrance.
If you have or can rent camping gear or a campervan, I highly recommend it because there are campgrounds close to Arches National Park. If you are interested in renting a campervan, I highly recommend renting from Escape Campervans!
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7 Beautiful Arches in Arches National Park
North Window and South Window
The Windows are in one of the most beautiful areas in the park and consist of two arches - North Window and South Window. North Window stands 48 feet tall, and South Window stands 65 feet tall. These arches are easily accessible and only require a 1-mile loop to see the Windows and Turret Arch.
The trail will first bring you to North Window before taking you around to South Window. Although both arches are beautiful, North Window is my favorite! Once you finish enjoying the beautiful Windows, you can head back to Turret Arch, which we will talk about next.
If you want to avoid the crowds, I recommend hiking the Primitive Loop Trail around the arches. You can start this hike the same way as above, but instead of turning to Turret Arch, continue to the left around South Window to the backside of the arches. We loved hiking the Primitive Loop because it was a great way to enjoy the beauty of these arches without the crowds.
This area of Arches National Park is one of the most popular, and parking can be a nightmare. I recommend coming here for sunset because it is one of the best sunset spots in the park! And there are fewer people. But no matter what, you will quickly fall in love with this area and realize why the Windows are among the best arches in Arches National Park!
Turret Arch
Turret Arch is across from the Windows and can easily be added to the 1-mile loop to see all three beautiful arches. It stands 65 feet tall and is the most scenic arch in this area, in my opinion. The best view of Turret Arch is near the base of the North Window, but you can also hike into the arch to experience its epicness. There is something so cool about standing in a giant arch!
Double Arch
Double Arch is the tallest arch in Arches National Park, standing at 112 feet tall, and is across the parking lot from the Windows and Turret Arch. It is beautiful and unique compared to others because there are two arches.
And the best part? You can walk underneath the arch on a 0.6-mile round trip trail! We loved taking in the epicness of the arch from beneath it.
If you do not want to hike, you can see Double Arch from the parking lot, but I highly recommend hiking the easy trail to get an up-close and personal view of it. Double Arch will quickly become one of your favorite arches in Arches National Park!
Sand Dune Arch
Sand Dune Arch is one of the most unique arches in Arches National Park because it is between sandstone fins. Although it is one of the shortest arches on this list, it will not disappoint with its beauty. An easy 0.3-mile round trip hike brings you under Sand Dune Arch and gives you a cool perspective looking at the massive sandstone fins next to it.
If you want to hike to more nearby arches, you are in luck! A 2.8-mile round trip hike brings you to Sand Dune Arch, Broken Arch, and Tapestry Arch. Broken Arch is not broken, even though you would think it is because of its name. It is a tall arch that has been worn thin over the years but is still standing strong!
Tapestry Arch is much less visited than Sand Dune Arch and Broken Arch, but just as beautiful! The arch stands tall against a sandstone fin with what looks like two smaller arches next to it. Since the three arches are not far away from one another, I highly recommend hiking them together!
Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch is the most famous arch in Arches National Park for good reasons. The 64-foot tall arch sits on a cliff overlooking the park and nearby mountains, making it an epic spot! There are three ways you can view Delicate Arch.
The first two easy ways are at the end of Delicate Arch Road. There are two viewpoints here: Lower and Upper. The Lower Viewpoint is the easiest to hike to Delicate Arch since it is only 50 yards from the parking lot. The Upper Viewpoint is half a mile from the parking lot and requires a steeper hike to Delicate Arch.
If you want to get up close and personal with Delicate Arch, have no fear, there is a hike for you! The trail to Delicate Arch is 3.2 miles roundtrip and gains 600 feet of elevation. Although that may not seem like a strenuous hike, most of it does not have shade, so it gets hot quickly. But the views at the top are worth it!
If you want to view Delicate Arch in the best light (especially for photographers), I recommend hiking to it at sunrise. It is one of the best sunrise spots in Arches National Park, so it will not disappoint! And it has fewer crowds in the morning.
Because Delicate Arch is the most famous arch in Arches National Park, the parking lot and trail are always busy. Even at sunrise, the area has crowds, so I recommend arriving early to secure a spot. No matter what time of day you visit, you will quickly fall in love with this beautiful arch!
Landscape Arch
Landscape Arch is another iconic arch and has the longest span of any arch in Arches National Park (306 feet long)! Landscape Arch is at the end of Arches National Park in the Devils Garden and is one of the first arches in the area.
The 2-mile round trip hike is relatively flat and offers incredible views along the trail. Once you get to Landscape Arch, you can stand beneath it and take in its epicness!
If you want to add two other arches onto the hike, you are in luck! There is a 2.7-mile roundtrip hike that brings you to Landscape Arch, Tunnel Arch, and Pine Tree Arch.
If you want a longer hike, you can challenge yourself to hike the entire Devils Garden Loop. The 8-mile loop brings you past many arches, including Tunnel Arch, Pine Tree Arch, Landscape Arch, Partition Arch, Navajo Arch, Black Arch, Double O Arch, and Private Arch. If you want to hike the entire trail, I suggest planning for 4-6 hours, especially if you want to take your time. You will also need A LOT of water because becomes extremely hot on the trail.
This area in Arches National Park is popular, and the parking lot fills up quickly. If you want to avoid most crowds, I recommend arriving in the morning or afternoon near sunset.
If you are visiting Arches National Park, this guide is the perfect place to start planning your trip. We loved visiting each of these arches, so I know you will enjoy your time visiting them. This guide has everything you need to know about the best arches in Arches National Park!
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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