Ready for one day in Arches National Park? Arches National Park is situated in Southeastern Utah and features more than 2,000 arches . Arches National Park is one of the most popular parks to visit with scenic wonders all around. It’s truly a destination that you need to add to your bucket list.
I have been to Arches a few times now and each time I just went for a day! Arches is not that large of a park, so it’s very doable and it’s a great destination to add on a Utah road trip. It’s a great amount of time to explore this wondrous landscape.
Make sure you prepare for the whole day in the park. Arches is extremely hot and sunny (especially in the summer), so make sure you slather on sunscreen and pack lots of water. There is no food sold there, so pack enough to fuel you for the day. You can find all the food we packed for the week here. Once you’re fueled up you’re ready to go!
ARCHES NATIONAL PARK IN A NUTSHELL
Short on time? Read this quick overview for your trip to Banff with everything you need to know!
- Getting there: The closest airports are Grand Junction and Salt Lake City
- Entrance Fee: $30 or you can use the America the Beautiful Pass
- Where to Stay: Camp at Devil’s Garden Campground in the park or stay in the town of Moab at places like Red Cliffs Lodge or Field Station
- How to Get Around: The best way to get around is by car. Check out cheap rental cars here.
- Best Time to Visit: Spring or Fall
- Things to Do: Watch sunrise in the Windows section, drive the scenic road, hike to Delicate Arch
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Table of Contents
Planning A Trip to Arches National Park
Getting to Arches National Park
Arches is located right outside of Moab in Southeastern Utah. Unfortunately, the major airports are further away, but you still have a few options to get there. The closest airports are:
✈️ Salt Lake City – This airport is about 3.5 hours away, but it’s a major airport with plenty of flight options to choose from.
✈️ Grand Junction Airport – Just under 2 hours from Moab, this airport is much smaller than Salt Lake
Once you fly in, then the best way to get to Moab is to rent a car and drive there.
Things to Know Before You Go
💵 Arches National Park has a $30 fee per vehicle that lasts a week. You can also use an interagency pass to get in like your America the Beautiful Pass.
🎟 Timed Entry Passes are required between 7 am and 4 pm from April 1-July 6th and August 28-October 31st.
☀️ Arches is in the desert, so the sun can be very hot. Make sure to pack extra weather and avoid the heat of the day in summer.
🦮 Pets are not allowed in most of the park, but they are allowed on roads and in parking lots as long as they are leashed.
🍃 Remember to follow the Leave No Trace Principles. As always, you want to leave nature looking better than you found it.
Best Time to Visit Arches
Arches is an amazing park to visit for much of the year, but the summer can be extraordinarily hot and dangerous. So, the best times to visit are from fall through the spring.
Because you are visiting a desert area, it is usually hot during mid-day, but very cool in the morning and at night. So, I recommend packing layers for your visit, especially if you plan to see sunrise or sunset.
How to Get a Timed Entry Reservation
Timed entry permits are required during the peak times of year from 7 am-4 pm, so you will want to book these in advance. They are released on recreation.gov in multiple blocks, usually about 6 months in advance at 8 am Mountain Time. The schedule is below:
- January 2 at 8 am MST: April – June reservations (April 1– June 30)
- February 1 at 8 am MDT: July reservations (July 1–6)
- March 1 at 8 am MDT: August reservations (August 28–31)
- April 1 at 8 am MDT: September reservations (September 1–30)
- May 1 at 8 am MDT: October reservations (October 1–31)
Additional permits are released the night before at 7 pm Mountain time. If you do not get a permit, you can either enter the park before 7 am or after 4 pm!
Where to Stay Near Arches
Moab is the perfect place to base yourself on a visit to Canyonlands and Arches at just 15-30 minutes from each of them. It’s a great town with good restaurants, hotels, and fun tours to go on. I’ve personally stayed at Red Cliffs Lodge and it was incredible! I also recommend stopping into Garage or Doughbird 🍩 for delicious eats during your stay.
If you’d prefer to camp or spend more time outdoors then you have a few options. Book a reservation at Devil’s Garden Campground in the park, stay in the free campsites nearby, or glamp at Under Canvas in Moab.
Best Lodging in Moab:
Getting Around the Park
Arches is not as large as some other parks, but it still requires a car or vehicle to get around. Plus, having a car allows you to be flexible and plan the day that you want or take a larger road trip. I recommend booking a car at rentalcars.com because they compare rates across companies to get you the cheapest deal.
If you do not want the hassle of a car, then there are a few tour companies that will drop you off at various spots in Arches. They have great reviews, but I’ve never taken one myself.
Packing Guide for Arches National Park
When you’re exploring Arches you will want a lot of sun protection. So consider wearing a sun hoodie, bringing a hat, and lathering on sunscreen. 😎 Plus, you’ll want plenty of water for the day to stay hydrated!
I would also recommend good shoes for hiking, which could be sneakers, hiking boots, or tevas. The ground can be sandy or slippery, so you’ll want things that are comfortable for those kinds of footing.
Packing List for Arches
- Comfortable Hiking Boots
- Small Pack
- Hiking Poles
- First Aid Kit
- Sunscreen
- Bug Spray
- 2 Gallons of Water Per Person
- Polarized Sunglasses
- Hat to block sun
- Sun Hoodie
- Rain jacket or light winter jacket
- Satellite phone
- National Park Pass
One Day in Arches Itinerary
Catch Sunrise at the Windows Section
The Windows Section is located a couple miles from the Park’s entrance. Plenty of people stop here, because it’s a short 1.2 mile hike and you can see four arches along the way.
The North Window, South Window, Turret Arch, and Double Arch are all situated along this loop. If you go for sunrise you can climb up to the South Window and watch the sunrise over the park. 🌅 It’s a truly magical place to be in the morning. You don’t want to miss this area and you should definitely make a stop there!
Stop at the Visitor Center
I recommend stopping here either before you enter the park or early into your trip. You can get really helpful tips from the rangers, see if there are closures, or read the exhibits. I love to learn about the wildlife and the landscapes of each park I visit!
Also, you can try your luck at getting a permit to the Fiery Furnace, but this often sells out days in advance. This will cost you $16 and you will enter it with a guide. If you want more information on getting a permit you can access that here. The Visitor Center is a great resource for all of the best park information.
Drive the Entire Park
After you get information from the rangers, you can begin driving the 18 miles through the park. The scenic drive goes the length of the park and there are plenty of sights to stop at long the way! You will also want to allow time because this drive is often packed with visitors and there could be traffic
During your one day in Arches National Park, you’ll want to see some of the best features including:
- Balanced Rock
- Panorama Point
- Fiery Furnace Viewpoint
- Skyline Arch
Hike Landscape Arch & Double O Arch
The Double O Arch trail is a 3.9 mile moderate hike round-trip. The first part of the hike is easy and flat and about .8 miles into the hike you will get to the Landscape Arch. This arch is longer than a football field and it is truly astounding. There used to be lots of rocks situated under the arch, but they fell and now the arch looks precariously thin.
After you leave Landscape Arch you will continue into the Devil’s Garden area. Once you enter this area the hike gets a little more difficult. You will have to walk on narrow ledges and then at one point walk up a large sandstone rock face. The Double O Arch is the only spot where you can see two arches stacked on top of each other and it’s very cool!
If you want you can continue on Devil’s Garden Loop, but we turned back around to have time for other things!
Visit Sand Dune Arch & Broken Arch
If you still have some time to kill before sunset or lots of energy left, I recommend trying out one other hike. The hike to Sand Dune Arch is a .3 mile walk through deep sand and under the shade. It’s a fun hike to do with kids, because they love to play around there. We took our shoes off and sat for a while to really rest and relax.
Once we put our shoes back on, we headed to the Broken Arch trail, which makes the hike a total of 1.7 miles roundtrip. This is a flat trail that goes out to the Arch. Once you get to the Broken Arch, you will have to climb up some steep rocks if you want to go through it or under it. The Broken Arch is not actually Broken, but it is eroding in the middle. This loop was really easy and enjoyable!
Watch the Sunset at Delicate Arch
If you’ve ever driven through Utah, you’ve seen the Delicate Arch on the license plate. It’s a state symbol and a must-see if you are going to spend time in the park! The Delicate Arch trail is a 3 mile moderate hike roundtrip.
NOTE: Sunset is a popular time to go, so you can instead go at sunrise to miss the crowds. But, the lighting is not as good.
The trail starts with a fairly easy trail to follow with up hills and down hills, but soon you will get to a slick, steep rock face (careful it can be very slippery, especially if it has rained at all). Once you walk up the steep rock, you get to the last part of the trail walking around a rock mound to get to the arch. You will be able to view it through holes in the rock face before you get to the actual arch itself.
Sunset is a very busy time, many people are trying to scope out the best spot for a picture, and others are lining up to take one with the arch. The whole crowd stopped and stared as we viewed a wedding in front of the arch! Luckily, we were able to get plenty of good pictures and we were able to take the scenery in. The way back down is very steep, so take your time and step carefully!
Final Tips for Visiting Arches National Park
You’ll find that there’s plenty you can fit in on one day in Arches. I recommend having a game plan before you go, but allowing room for flexibility based on what you think looks cool! Just make sure to plan ahead and get your timed entry permit, so that you don’t have any issues entering the park.
Did you find this guide to one day in Arches helpful? Let me know in the comments!
Best national park!!