The BEST One Day in Arches National Park (With Map!)

Do you have just one day in Arches National Park? No problem! When I traveled to Utah, I had only a limited amount of time there. I divided my time between some destinations in the northern part of the state (Salt Lake City and Park City) and some spots in the southern part of the state (Moab, Arches and Canyonlands National Park).

Arches National Park is one of Utah's Mighty Five, characterized by sweeping panoramic views, massive red boulders and of course, many naturally formed arches. In fact, Arches National Park has over 2000 natural stone arches, balanced rocks, and massive pinnacles. But, don't let that information overwhelm you. It's a relatively small national park, which makes it easy to visit in a day.

If you find yourself with two days in Arches National Park, that's even better. With two days, there's time to experience all of the hikes and lookouts. Add on the guided Fiery Furnace trek, which can only be experienced with a park ranger. With one day in Arches National Park, you do need to pick and choose. I'll help you plan out your day to maximize your time in the park.

Try to start your day as early as possible. I suggest beginning at 7am or 8am if you can. In my case, I drove straight from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park (a four hour drive), so I began my park visit at 10am. Getting up at 5am and departing Salt Lake City at 6am was as early of a start as I could muster, especially when I wanted to actually enjoy my day at the park.

Getting There

Arches National Park is located just outside of Moab (10 minutes drive) and about four hours from Salt Lake City. It's also 5 and a half hours from Denver, Colorado and 6 and a half hours from Las Vegas, Nevada.

When I visited Utah, I flew into the Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). I picked up my rental car from the airport and used my car to get around Salt Lake City, Park City, the Bonneville Salt Flats, and eventually down to Moab, Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.

I love using Discover Cars to find the best car rentals. They provide a list of many car hire agencies along with information about what's included and star ratings from past travelers. And my favorite part is that you can compare prices to find the best rates. Find your rental car here.

Arches National Park Important Information: Timed Entry

Whether you are paying for a standard ticket into the park or you have an annual pass, reservations are required at Arches National Park from April 1st to October 31st. This is the busiest time of year for the park and the US National Park Service only allows 2700 vehicles to enter per day.

It's important to reserve your time slot ahead of time to avoid disappointment. Tickets are on a first come, first served basis. The blocks of tickets open up three months in advance. For instance, May's tickets (May 1st-31st) become available on February 1st. June's tickets (June 1st-30th) become available on March 1st. There is a $2 fee to make a timed entry reservation.

When you visit Arches National Park, you'll quickly realize the importance of having timed entry and reservations. The park has experienced a huge surge of visitors over the past decade to 1.8 million per year. The viewpoints and trailheads have a limited amount of parking at each spot. With too many visitors at once, the roads are overly congested and there's nowhere to park.

When I visited Arches National Park on a weekday in mid-April, I couldn't have experienced a better visit. It was always easy to find a parking space, and the roads were never busy. I felt like I could enjoy these incredible landscapes all to myself on the open road. The trails, formations, and various textures and colors are extremely inspiring.

When to Visit Arches National Park

Arches National Park is open all year long. The most popular months to visit are July and August, simply for the sake that this is the summer holiday. Not only is it busy, but it's incredibly hot. The temperatures soar to well over 100 degrees and there isn't much shade here. When it's that hot and sweltering, the experience becomes less enjoyable, in my opinion.

You can visit Arches National Park in the winter, but you may encounter some snow. This can make the landscape look quite beautiful with a light dusting of snow. It's likely that you'll have the place mostly to yourself as this is the quietest season. But, the days are shorter and you'll run out of daylight far quicker.

In my opinion, the best time to visit Arches is in the spring (March to May) or fall (September, after Labor Day weekend, to November). There are fewer crowds and the weather is way more tolerable. I traveled to Arches National Park in the middle of April on a weekday. It wasn't busy at all and the temperatures were in the mid-70s (perfect!).

Even though Arches is open 365 days a year, be sure to check the park's official website for any updates. There might be road closures or other important updates to know before you make the trip.

Start at the Arches National Park Visitor Center

So, why are there so many arches here? Begin your day at Arches National Park at the Visitor Center. Learn all about the geology of the park and discover its secrets. The story of Arches started 65 million years ago, but the displays and plaques here explain everything quite well. Rangers can also help answer any questions you might have.

The Arches National Park Visitor Center is also a huge souvenir shop where you can purchase so many themed gifts to commemorate your visit. If you collect stamps in your Passport book, don't miss getting your cancellation stamp. I was excited to add mine to my collection! The book comes at a low cost and you can buy it at any of the national parks, and the cancellation stamps are always free.

The Visitor Centre is open year-round and daily, except for December 25th. There's also a very short path behind the visitor center called the Arches Visitor Center Nature Trail. It's only 150 feet roundtrip, so it won't take long to walk. This is a display of native desert plants and their uses.

Now, it's time to embark on your driving tour of Arches National Park. As this is a self-guided adventure, you may want to learn some things on the way. I recommend listening to this Arches National Park Driving Tour to gain some valuable insights on your journey.

The way that I approached visiting the park wasn't very fancy or complicated. I simply started at the beginning and drove my way through the park. If you are hiking the Devil's Garden Trail (at the opposite end of the park), you may want to start there. Drive to the end of the park, hike Devil's Garden, and make your way back towards the start. Follow this blog post in reverse order.

Park Avenue Viewpoint and Trail

Park Avenue, named after the bustling street in New York City, is where you venture down into the canyon to walk between massive rock walls and monoliths. This space reminded early visitors of a street lined with skyscrapers in NYC, so it was aptly named as Park Avenue.

The short trail from the parking lot to the viewpoint is flat and accessible. After admiring the view from the lookout, I walked down below to experience having the towering spires all around me. I walked for a little while before turning around and heading back to the car.

This is an out-and-back trail, so once you reach the end of the path, you'll need to hike back to your car. The total roundtrip distance is 1.8 mi / 3.2 km with an elevation change of 322 ft. This walk takes about an hour to complete, or far less if you decide to only hike a portion of it like I did.

La Sal Mountains Viewpoint

As you continue on the Arches Scenic Drive, the next stop is a small parking lot at the side of the road for the La Sal Mountains Viewpoint. It's a good spot for viewing the sunrise and the sunset. In my case, it was mid-morning and I soaked up this gorgeous red rock panorama.

Courthouse Towers Viewpoint and Fallen Arch

If you decide to hike the Park Avenue Trail, you'll end your trek at the Courthouse Towers. Conversely, I drove to the parking lot for the Courthouse Towers Viewpoint. It's possible to start the out-and-back, roundtrip walk from the Courthouse Towers to Park Avenue, if you prefer.

Some names of the nearby towers from this lookout include The Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, The Organ, and Tower of Babel. This is also where you'll find - or not find - the Fallen Arch. There was once a large double arch here that crumbled and decayed.

Shaped over time by the natural environment, these arches are never permanent. The force of nature sculpts these rocks over millions of years and sometimes the arches will fall. And sometimes new arches will gradually form!

Petrified Dunes Viewpoint

This is another scenic viewpoint called the Petrified Dunes Viewpoint. The La Sal Mountains are looming across the horizon in the distance, and the petrified sand dunes span as far as you can see. Ancient sand dunes hardened beneath the ground overhead, which eroded and left this unique formation.

Balanced Rock Viewpoint and Trail

Balanced Rock Viewpoint and Trail is an absolute must, even if you only have one day in Arches National Park. The parking lot is pretty small, spots will free up pretty quickly since the walk is relatively short. This is a roundtrip hike around Balanced Rock that's 0.3 mi / 0.4 km that should take only 15-20 minutes.

Balanced Rock is a bit of an illusion. It may look like this rock is defying gravity, but it's attached to the surrounding rocks quite well. With that said, it won't always be the case. At some point, Balanced Rock will tumble down. In the winter of 1975-76, a smaller rock adjacent to Balanced Rock collapsed, which was called "Chip-Off-the-Ol'-Block".

This gigantic boulder is 3,600 tons (over 4 million kg) and stands 128 feet (39 m) tall. Walk the trail around Balanced Rock to see it from all angles. The trail is marked by cairns, which are rock piles denoting the route. Don't build your own cairns and don't wander off the trail. Be sure to stick to the trail and leave the landscape as you found it.

Garden of Eden Viewpoint

The Garden of Eden Viewpoint can be a short or long stop depending on how long you wish to spend here. I stopped at the viewpoint itself and gazed at the interesting geological structures in all shapes and sizes. With only one day in Arches National Park, I didn't spend too much time here.

If you have more time to explore, go for a wander around the Garden of Eden. There aren't any marked hiking trails here, but you can freely walk around this open space. Some structures you may encounter include Adam and Eve, the Devil's Golf Ball, Serpentine Arch, Owl Rock, and a smaller balanced rock.

Windows Trail

At the Windows Trail, there are three separate arches connected by one trail: North Window, South Window and Turret Arch. It's a relatively flat loop spanning 0.7 miles (1.1 km) that will take around 45 minutes to walk. The North Window and South Window are connected by huge rocks between them, while the Turret Arch stands on its own.

The arches at the Windows get quite popular and busy, so you may need to wait a little while to take some photos without any people in them. There are numerous vantage points to gaze at the arches as you walk the trail. Then, it's time to see the Double Arch Trail within the same stop.

Double Arch Trail

I kept my car at the same parking spot for the Windows and walked down to the Double Arch Trail. The Double Arch is the tallest arch in the park at 122 ft / 34 m. It's only a short walk to the Double Arch that's pretty flat until you get to the arches themselves. The distance for this walk is 0.6 mi / 1km and it can be done in 15-30 minutes.

From a distance, the Double Arch doesn't look as impressive. As I got closer and closer, it was easier to notice the grand scale of these arches. Plus, I couldn't see both arches as well from far away. You really need to walk up close to this one. If you climb the rocks to get a better view of the Double Arch, you can also enjoy a view of the surrounding landscape from a slightly higher vantage point.

Panorama Point

Panorama Point is a wide open space that offers a sweeping view of Arches National Park from the top of a hill. Catch glimpses of La Sal Mountains, the Fiery Furnace, and even Devil's Garden from a distance. This is also a perfect place to savor impressive views of the night sky.

Delicate Arch Trail (Viewpoints or Full Hike)

Delicate Arch is the most famous arch at Arches National Park. If you only have one day in Arches National Park, seeing the Delicate Arch is something you simply must do. It's the largest freestanding arch in the park, and the arch's opening spans 46 feet high and 32 feet wide. There are a couple of different ways to observe this iconic arch.

Hiking the Delicate Arch Trail is the only way to get up close to the arch and stand directly beneath it. This hike is 3 miles / 4.8 km roundtrip and has an elevation of 480 feet / 146 m. It's a steady uphill climb and only recommended for those with some level of fitness.

It is also possible to observe the Delicate Arch from afar at one of two viewpoints. The Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint offers a glimpse of Delicate Arch from one mile away. This view isn't that great in my opinion, so be sure to continue on the path towards the Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint.

Walk up the stairs (0.5 mi / 0.8 km) until you reach the top. From there, I had a fantastic view of the Delicate Arch. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to complete the Delicate Arch Trail myself, but I'm totally kicking myself now. I wish I had stayed later in the park and done it. It's one of the first things I'll do on my next visit.

Salt Valley Overlook

Salt Valley Overlook is another panoramic view of the stunning landscape at Arches National Park. It's called the Salt Valley because you can spot some of the white salt deposits on the hills.

Fiery Furnace Viewpoint

While you likely won't have time to hike the Fiery Furnace with only one day in Arches National Park, it's something that I plan to do in the future. While you can stop at the Fiery Furnace Viewpoint, visitors are not permitted to hike the trail without a park ranger or an individual permit.

Book a ranger-led Fiery Furnace guided hike through the U.S. National Park Service. This is a physically demanding hike with a challenging terrain. There are gaps in narrow places where you'll need to wedge yourself through. It's also likely that you'll encounter loose sand and narrow ledges. It's not for the faint of heart, which is why it's only accessible on a guided visit.

Sand Dune Arch Trail and Broken Arch Loop Trail

Here are two separate hikes that you can do one after the other, keeping your car in the same parking spot. Let's start with the Sand Dune Arch Trail. This is a short trail that's very flat and kid-friendly with a roundtrip distance of 0.4 mi / 0.6 km. Walk through the sand and some narrow spaces in the rock to discover the large Sand Dune Arch.

Walk back to your starting point and continue across the grasslands on the Broken Arch Loop Trail. This is a lengthier section of trail that still isn't terribly long at 1.2 mi /1.9 km on a flat path. Allow yourself 30 to 60 minutes for this one, though I'd say that I took closer to 30 minutes and I'm not a terribly fast hiker.

It is possible to see the Broken Arch from a distance, but it looks way more impressive close up. This trail continues on to campground or loop back around to your car.

More Places at Arches National Park

That's all I ended up having the time and energy to explore. However, there's even more to see at Arches National Park. Would you be able to see all of these with one day in Arches National Park? I'm not so sure. I arrived at around 10:00am and left the park around 6:00pm.

If you arrive earlier in the day or stay later, you may be able to fit these last few places in the national park into your day. For me, I would have rather spent 2 days in Arches National Park to fully experience these ones without getting too hangry or exhausted.

Devil's Garden Trail

If you continue down the road, you'll reach the Skyline Arch Viewpoint and the Devil's Garden Trail. The parking lot for the Devil's Garden Trail is the end of the road. The Devil's Garden Trail is 7.8 miles in total and can take up to four hours to hike.

Personally, I'd leave the Devil's Garden Trail for another day or tackle this hike in place of some of the others on this list. However, you can do a portion of the Devil's Garden Trail. Hike to the Landscape Arch and back (1.6 miles) or to the Double O Arch and back (4.2 miles). Consider adding the Tunnel Arch or the Pinetree Arch to spot even more arches.

Devil's Garden Trail is one of the more popular trails at Arches National Park. If I had more time, I'd spend the night in Moab and return the next day to do the full trek of the Devil's Garden Trail and anywhere else that I missed the previous day (for example, the full Delicate Arch Trail over just its scenic viewpoints).

Where to Stay in Moab

I spent one night at the River Canyon Lodge in Moab. It's a comfortable and convenient place to stay right in town, meaning that you can walk everywhere. I found it to be quiet and cozy, allowing me to have a great night's sleep after a day of adventures.