The Best Hikes at Arches National Park: An Unforgettable Family Journey

From monolithic sandstone formations to river valleys, canyons, and mountains, Utah is a place of incredible diversity and beauty. It’s no surprise that the state is also home to five of America’s national parks. When planning our family road trip through Utah, we tried to include as many of the state’s natural attractions as possible. Arches National Park was at the top of our must-see places, and we decided to go there right after visiting Canyonlands National Park. It just so happened that the day we designated for Arches National Park was also Angie’s (our older daughter’s) birthday. She was excited, although she did grumble a little about how she would have to do a lot of walking on her special day. Oh, bummer! Really, who wants to spend their birthday enjoying some of the best hikes at Arches National Park!? But in the end it all worked out, as Angie agreed, it was an epic birthday experience.

Start Early

When the much anticipated day finally came, we left our hotel as early as possible. We were staying in Moab, which is conveniently located only about 5 miles from Arches National Park. I was pretty optimistic that this would be the one time we actually manage to get to the entrance of a national park fairly early. After a delicious breakfast at Jailhouse Cafe in downtown Moab, we got in the car, and made our way to Arches’ Visitor Center.

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Where to Stay: Click HERE to see the highest-rated accommodations near Arches National Park on Booking.com. We have filtered out the lower-rated ones for you! Booking.com is our favorite website for finding great places to stay all over the world!

Tip: The town of Moab is an excellent base because it’s located close to both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks.

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The Best Sights and Hikes at Arches National Park

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Tip: If you would like to follow along, click HERE to get a map of Arches National Park created by the National Park Service.

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Our first order of business was to pick up park information materials as well as Junior Ranger booklets for the kids. Getting a shiny Junior Ranger badge at the end of the day is their greatest motivation to pay attention and learn. Before hitting the road, we also watched a short film, which gave us a good introduction to the park. With that, we were ready to begin exploring the best sights and hikes at Arches National Park.

Viewpoints along the Main Park Road

Hubby got behind the wheel, and I focused my attention on the map. Meanwhile, the kids tried to get on their tablets, but we stopped them in their tracks. We have a strict rule that screens are not allowed while driving through a national park! The kids know this rule well, but seem to somehow “forget” about it from time to time! When we settled this discussion, we finally started our drive.

Park Avenue Viewpoint

Our first stop along the main road was Park Avenue Viewpoint. There we were greeted by an impressive panorama of colossal sandstone formations. In between these massive rocks was Park Avenue Trail, one of the park’s more popular hikes. Unfortunately, we did not have time to do it, but if you can, by all means, go for it! It looked like it would be a memorable experience!

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Park Avenue Trail: moderate, unpaved path with rocky sections, 1.0 mile one way.

Tip: Take Park Avenue Trail at Park Avenue Viewpoint, and arrange with someone from your party to pick you up at the other end, near Courthouse Towers Viewpoint. This way you won’t have to hike back.

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La Sal Mountains Viewpoint

The next stop we made was at La Sal Mountains Viewpoint. Indeed, we saw the La Sal Mountain range in the distance, but this was not the most impressive feature here. Rather, it was the massive red rock monuments dispersed throughout the land that caught my attention.

My quiet admiration for this stunning sight was interrupted by the kids, who were finding new ways to annoy each other. After hubby and I issued a few stern warnings, we gained a few more minutes of peace to enjoy the views.

Courthouse Towers Viewpoint

Before long, we were back on the main park road. Our next stop was Courthouse Towers Viewpoint, where we gazed at more incredible red rock formations. Some of them had names like The Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, Tower of Babel, and The Organ.

Petrified Dunes Viewpoint

Petrified Dunes Viewpoint was our next stop along the main park road. While not quite as memorable or exciting as some of the others, Petrified Dunes Viewpoint was definitely an interesting spot. Here, we could see an ancient desert of what once used to be sand dunes. Over the centuries, these dunes slowly solidified and turned into rocks, which is why they were named “petrified.”

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Tip: If you are running short on time, keep on driving. You can see the Petrified Dunes from the road, without making a special stop here. There are more interesting attractions up ahead.

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Balanced Rock Trail

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Balanced Rock Trail: easy, partially-paved path, 0.3 miles round trip.

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We continued our drive up north on the main road, and before long, we pulled off at Balanced Rock. Just as the name suggests, this was a large rock, balanced on top of a rock column. We took the short, easy trail that looped around it, and took in the views from every possible angle. It seemed as if this large rock somehow defied gravity.

Onto the Windows Section

After finishing the short hike around Balanced Rock, we resumed our drive. However, instead of continuing further north on the main park road, we turned right towards the Windows Section. Park rangers had told us earlier that there we would find some of the most famous hikes at Arches National Park.

Garden of Eden

On the way to the Windows, we made a quick stop at Garden of Eden. This was an interesting place where unique rocks and pinnacles stood close to each other. Our kids decided it was an excellent spot for a quick game of hide and seek. Hubby and I agreed to let them run around for a few minutes, then continued on.

The Windows Loop

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Windows Trail: easy, gravel path with some stairs, 1.1 mile-loop. The trail leads to three different arches: North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch.

You can choose to return back to the parking lot on the primitive trail, which takes you behind the two Windows. Click HERE to see a map of the trails in this area.

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We drove to the end of the road, and found a parking spot right near the Windows Trail. The area was actually quite busy at this time, so we really got lucky finding a spot. We packed up some water and started walking along the Windows Trail, which featured three amazing arches.

North Window

We could see North Window Arch from the parking lot, but from there, we really couldn’t get a sense of its size. As we got closer, it became clear that North Window was unbelievably impressive. The four of us climbed under it and sat for a few minutes on the rocks to rest and enjoy the views.

South Window

Next, we followed the trail to South Window Arch, which was very close by. It was just as enormous as North Window, but getting up to it seemed like a little more of a scramble. Our kids were already marching towards the rocks and ready to start climbing when we decided to look at it from the trail in order to save some time. There was still so much to see!

Turret Arch

We continued walking along the trail towards Turret Arch, another one of the park’s famous rock formations. Not surprisingly, this really was an arch with a turret. It had two openings, and the larger one was quite impressive.

We walked through it, and stopped to check out the views. From Turret Arch we could see the two Windows behind us, and the parking area off to the side. Beyond that, there were more sculpted rock clusters and one of the park’s most recognized features, Double Arch. In fact, this was where we were headed next.

Double Arch, Arches National Park Classic

When we returned back to the car, we ate our partially melted and somewhat leaky peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Then we continued with our mission. Double Arch was on the opposite side of the parking lot, so we took a path that led us across to the beginning of the actual trail. This was a short and enjoyable walk, with fantastic views of the famous arch.

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Double Arch Trail: easy, gravel path, 0.5 miles round trip.

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Once again, we couldn’t quite comprehend its size until we got very close. Double Arch is the highest arch in the park, so we expected something pretty awesome, and this is exactly what we got! We walked under it and sat on the rocks for a little bit. It was like being in a mind-blowing temple, where you felt so small, yet so elated. Be sure not to miss this experience, as Double Arch is one of the most recognized sights in the park. It’s also one of the more crowded hikes at Arches National Park, but don’t let that stop you!

Back to the Main Park Road

After we spent some more time under the massive wings of Double Arch, we returned to our car, and drove back to the main road. We continued our journey up north, looking for more interesting sights. At this point, we decided to drive past the next major intersection, the turn off towards Delicate Arch, the park’s most famous formation. We were definitely planning on coming back here, but first, we wanted to explore a few more attractions along the main road.

Salt Valley Overlook and Fiery Furnace Viewpoint

After a short while, we arrived to Salt Valley Overlook, where we discovered a wide open panorama of…well…Salt Valley. In all honesty, you can just skip this overlook and drive straight to the next one, Fiery Furnace Viewpoint. From here you are not only going to see Salt Valley, but will also be much closer to Fiery Furnace, a fascinating maze of large sandstones. You can actually go into the Fiery Furnace maze on a ranger guided tour. However, the Fiery Furnace hikes are so popular that you are probably not going to find any openings on the day of your visit unless you make reservations well in advance. Then, you’ll be in for an amazing adventure!

Book Your Fiery Furnace Tour Early

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Tip: If you are interested in taking a hike inside Fiery Furnace, reserve your spot as far as 6 months in advance. To do that, click HERE, and follow the instructions!

Fiery Furnace Hike: This is a moderate to strenuous hike, which would require squeezing through tight spaces, and scrambling over rocks. Children under 5 are not allowed. You can only enter Fiery Furnace with a ranger-guided tour group, or with a special day-use permit obtained at the Visitor Center. Still, it is not advisable to go alone unless you know your way around really well. You can easily get lost in this maze, and may not be able to find your way out!

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I admit, I didn’t do enough research before visiting Arches National Park, so I didn’t know about the tours inside Fiery Furnace. I definitely regret not reading about it and reserving a spot. It sounds like one of the most unique hikes at Arches National Park. Oh, well! I guess, this gives us a really good reason to go back!

Other Fun Hikes at Arches National Park

When we were finally ready to part with Fiery Furnace, we continued our drive up on the main road towards Sand Dune Arch. The park rangers in the Visitor Center had recommended it to us, so we were excited to go check it out.

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Sand Dune Arch Trail: easy, unpaved path and sand-covered areas, 0.3 miles round trip.

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Once there, the four of us started walking on the trail near the parking lot, and quickly got to a point where it split in two. One path led to Broken Arch, and the other one was the path to Sand Dune Arch. This was one of the shortest and easiest hikes at Arches National Park, but it took us to a truly magical place.

Sand Dune Arch

After walking for a couple of minutes, we came to a sand-covered area encircled by large rocks. The kids seemed to think they were in a giant sandbox, so they started digging and throwing sand all over the place. As I was trying to tell them to slow down, I was already crunching sand between my teeth.

Just as I was wondering where the actual arch was, I spotted it off to one side, right next to a large rock. It was another stunning formation sculpted beautifully by Mother Nature. After taking some photos and running in the sand for a while, we started walking back.

Broken Arch

We were almost at the car, when we saw a large rock, and I knew I just had to climb on top of it. I imagined that from up there I could possibly catch a glimpse of Broken Arch…And I was right! It was another beautiful arch, and I really wished we had time to walk to it. But I’m grateful that at least I got to see it from a distance. However, if you have the time and energy, by all means, go for it!

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Broken Arch Trail: easy, unpaved path, 1.3 miles round trip (from the Sand Dune parking area to Broken Arch and back). You can continue past the arch and loop back around near the Devil’s Garden Campground, which would make your hike a little longer, 2.0 miles round trip.

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Skyline Arch

We got back in the car, and continued driving north passing Skyline Arch, another neat sight. Hubby pulled over so I could snap a picture, before we kept on driving. You can hike up to it, but we had to move on as there was still a lot to see.

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Skyline Arch Trail: easy, unpaved path, 0.4 miles round trip.

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Devil’s Garden

From Skyline Arch, we made our way to the end of the main park road, and parked near the beginning of Devil’s Garden Trail. This is one of the most extensive hikes at Arches National Park, and it leads to a number of amazing formations, including the unique Landscape Arch. We knew we couldn’t finish the entire hike but wanted to at least get a taste of it.

One of the Longest Hikes at Arches National Park

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Devil’s Garden Loop Trail: various difficulty, 7.2 miles total distance with all the side spurs. Click HERE to see a detailed map and get additional information about Devil’s Garden Loop.

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The four of us started walking on the trail, which took us in between impressive walls of massive red rocks. The views all around were just spectacular, and the path was fairly level and easy. You absolutely should take this trail, even if you don’t get very far. It is a memorable experience, to say the least!

Tunnel Arch

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Tunnel Arch & Pine Tree Arch Trail: easy, unpaved path, approximately 1.2 miles round trip (from the parking area to both arches and back).

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As we strolled along the path, enjoying the scenery, we made our way to Tunnel Arch, the first of many arches along Devil’s Garden Trail. This one was carved high up in a large rock, and it did go through it like a small tunnel.

Pine Tree Arch

We continued following the path to another nearby arch, Pine Tree Arch. My guess is, it got its name because there was a small pine tree growing right under it. We walked around a bit, and enjoyed tremendously the fact that for about five minutes, we were the only visitors there.

Change of Plans

At this point, we looked at the time, and realized it was getting quite late, so we started walking back towards the car. We still wanted to check out the most famous formation in the park, Delicate Arch. This is the one you see on Utah license plates.

I admit, I was feeling a bit cranky because our day in Arches National Park just seemed to fly by way too fast. There were still so many interesting things to see on the Devil’s Garden Trail alone. I started negotiating with hubby, and he eventually agreed to drive us back to the park early on the following morning. This was not part of our original plan, but we were going to squeeze it in somehow.

Delicate Arch, The Most Famous Sight at Arches National Park

After we returned to the car, we started driving back on the main road, passing many of the attractions we had seen earlier. Shortly after Fiery Furnace, we turned left towards Wolfe Ranch. If we had the time to actually hike to Delicate Arch, this is where we would have parked. Unfortunately, we had to drive past the trailhead, and continue further to the two Delicate Arch Viewpoints.

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Delicate Arch Trail: strenuous unpaved path, climbing over rocks, 3 miles round trip.

Tip: If you have the time and energy, by all means hike to Delicate Arch! It is an iconic formation, the symbol of Utah, and seeing it from afar is just not quite the same!

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Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint

We arrived to the end of the road, and parked near the trail leading to the viewpoints. The Lower Viewpoint was very close by, only about 50 yards or so. We walked to it, and spotted the famous Delicate Arch way in the distance. There were binoculars there, set up for visitors to use, which was helpful.

Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint

Since I didn’t feel quite perfectly satisfied with the view from the lower point, I had the brilliant idea to drag us all to the Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint. It appeared on the map like it would take us a bit closer to the arch, so I figured the views will probably be better. It turned out that it was a bit of a steep hike, and although we got a little closer, the view really wasn’t all that different.

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Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint: moderate unpaved path with some steeper areas and rocks, 0.5 miles round trip.

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I used the full zoom on my massive 18-300 mm camera lens to get a good closeup of Delicate Arch. There were a few visitors near it, who appeared so small next to the massive rock. I still regret not hiking to it myself, but here again is one more reason to come back to Arches National Park!

Birthday Cake after All the Hikes at Arches National Park

After we got back to the car, it was time to return to Moab and figure out where to get dinner. We let the birthday girl make the call. She picked the same place we had visited the previous day, an Italian restaurant called Pasta Jay’s. She wanted a “healthy” dinner consisting of pasta with alfredo sauce and chocolate cake. We granted her wish, and she happily turned 9!

Back to Devil’s Garden

On the following morning, we got up early, and after a quick breakfast headed right back to the park. My desire was to return to Devil’s Garden Trail, and hike to Landscape Arch, the largest standing natural arch in the world. So, we drove straight there, and started walking on the already familiar path.

Landscape Arch

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Landscape Arch Trail: easy, unpaved path, 1.6 miles round trip.

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The hike to Landscape Arch was fairly easy, so we picked up the pace, and tried to get there as quickly as possible. When we finally arrived at Landscape Arch, the kids seemed genuinely impressed by this fragile-looking, yet majestic natural wonder. It spanned so far, but it looked so thin, that the mind couldn’t easily comprehend how it was still standing.

After we admired the view for a while, it was time to part with Landscape Arch, and head back. Except, I happened to look at the time, and noticed it was still fairly early! I opened the park map, and noticed there were a couple more arches that really didn’t look too far. Naturally, I suggested that we continue hiking a little further and visit them. We were most of the way there, so it just felt wrong not to go and check them out! Hubby and the kids grumbled at first, but then agreed.

Devil’s Garden Trail after Landscape Arch

As soon as we left Landscape Arch, the trail changed significantly. It went from a fairly flat and easy sandy path to a steep, rock-scrambling experience. It was really fun, actually, and the kids suddenly got energized. We started climbing on the rocks while keeping an eye out for a sign for the next attraction, Partition Arch.

We were about half way up the rocky section when a park ranger caught up to us. He offered to lead us to the arch we were looking for, which was fantastic!

Partition Arch

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Partition Arch & Navajo Arch Trail: strenuous, scrambling over rocks, 0.8 miles one way from Landscape Arch.

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We followed the park ranger for a while, and then spotted Partition Arch carved into a massive sandstone wall. It had two separate openings, a large one and a small one, which explained the name.

All of us continued along the trail, and circled around to the other side of the arch. After we took some photos and enjoyed the amazing scenery for a few more minutes, we resumed our hike.

Navajo Arch

The final stop of our Arches National Park adventure was Navajo Arch, which was a little further past Partition Arch. The park ranger led us to it, and then continued on his way.

Navajo Arch was a somewhat hidden wonder carved through the side of a massive sandstone wall. We walked under it, and found ourselves in a space that was encircled by giant rocks. It was truly magical, and for the next few minutes, we were the only visitors there. Naturally, the kids didn’t miss a chance to attempt climbing up and down this rocky jungle gym. Just as we decided it was time to go, another group of tourists arrived. We greeted them then started walking back towards the car.

We’ll Be Back!

Once back at the parking lot, we ate a quick lunch, then started driving towards the exit of the park. We made one final stop at the Visitor Center, so the kids could add another Junior Ranger badge to their ever-growing collection. As we were leaving, I couldn’t help but feel inspired by everything we had seen, yet a little sad about the things we missed. Frankly, there are just too many amazing sights and hikes at Arches National Park. If you want to experience them properly, you definitely need more than a day. Plan ahead, and take your time to really enjoy these incredible rock formations, so patiently sculpted by Mother Nature!

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Resources to Help Plan Your Hikes at Arches National Park

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• The Official National Park Service Arches Website – Stop by to find the latest information, including maps, alerts, hikes, camping, and much more.
• Arches National Park PDF Map – A PDF map of Arches National Park from the National Park Service website. You can print it before your visit, and locate all the points of interest you are planning to see.
• Arches: Devil’s Garden PDF Guide – Here is a PDF guide of Devil’s Garden by the National Park Service. Take a look if you are planning to hike in this spectacular area of the park!
• Arches National Park Hiking Trails – Stop by this page from the official National Park Service to see specifications about all the hiking trails in the park.
• Fiery Furnace Loop Tours – Go to this web page to make reservations for ranger-guided tours into Fiery Furnace! You can book your spots as early as six months before your visit.
• Discover Moab, Utah – This is the city of Moab Utah’s Official Vacation Planning website. If you are planning to spend more time in the area, check it out for information on all the fun activities around.

Note: Unless otherwise indicated, all photos in this post were taken by us with a Nikon D3100 camera, and iPhone 6. All images in this post are subject to copyright. Please contact us if you would like to use any of them!

This trip took place on August 17, 2016.

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