Can you see Arches in 1 day?

Arches National Park is a relatively small national park with a handful of must-see sights. With one day in Arches, you can visit these top sights and a few off-the-beaten-path places. After multiple visits to Arches National Park, including two visits in the past two years, we have learned a lot about this park.



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In half a day: Drive the whole park road, spending 10 minutes at each viewpoint, and take a short walk at The Windows Section, Delicate Arch Viewpoint, or Balanced Rock.

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Can you do Bryce Canyon and the arches in one day? Yes, but barely, and it isn't recommended. It takes roughly 4 hours and 50 minutes to drive from Bryce Canyon National Park to Arches National Park, which would leave you with very little time to explore either park.

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Bryce and Arches are both stunning. But Arches offer more variety. You can see a good portion of Bryce just from overlooks. And while the view of the hoodoos is otherworldly, if you're not a huge hoodoo fan, the view can start to grow monotonous.

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Two days in Arches is ideal though and would give you enough time to explore the Fiery Furnace on the ranger-led hike and do a few more of the longer hikes. One day is really all you need at the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park if you're sticking to the overlooks and shorter trails.

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Both are great if you're really short on time but Arches is the clear winner on this one. Canyonlands is great to see in just a few hours but it's almost an hour from Moab, too, so taking that into account, Arches is better with limited time.

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The distance from Canyonlands to Arches is only 27 miles, around 30 minutes of a drive. That is why it is so easy to combine both national parks in one day.

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Despite its larger size, Canyonlands gets only a little over half as many visitors as Arches! If you are looking for solitude, Canyonlands is the way to go. Still don't expect to be alone if visiting the Island in the Sky, but the crowds will not be as bad as you can expect in Arches.

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Visit Arches from the Road If you don't have the time or ability to hike, don't worry! You can still see many famous arches and rock formations from the scenic drive. You can drive the park roads and visit viewpoints to see some notable features of Arches National Park.

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The only fully-paved road in Arches is Scenic Drive, a 25-mile, out-and-back road that passes the majority of the park's viewpoints and trailheads. If you're tight on time or don't enjoy hiking, you could drive the park—stopping 10 minutes at each viewpoint—in about three hours.

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If you want to see some of the most iconic arches and rock formations in the USA, go to Arches National Park. This park is small and easy to visit. With many short hiking trails to choose from and unique places to photograph, Arches is a great park for families, photographers, and hikers.

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The only fully-paved road in Arches is Scenic Drive, a 25-mile, out-and-back road that passes the majority of the park's viewpoints and trailheads. If you're tight on time or don't enjoy hiking, you could drive the park—stopping 10 minutes at each viewpoint—in about three hours.

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Arches National Park isn't the only place in Moab to see epic arches. If you're looking for more places to put on your Utah or Moab itinerary, check out these 3 arches that aren't in the park, but are still as beautiful! All arches are also FREE and less crowded than the National Park!

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The entrance of Arches is located 5 miles (8km) north of Moab, along highway 191. Arches National Park is normally open year-round, 24 hours a day. The park is very busy between March and October.

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The scenic drive in Arches is about 22 miles one way, so about 45 miles in total. You should count at least 4-5 hours to drive the entire road and make short stops (5-30min each) at all the scenic viewpoints. If you are planning to hike in Arches, you'll need more time.

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Over 330,000 acres are filled with arches, buttes, mesas, canyons, hiking trails, dirt roads, campgrounds, and overlooks. It would take days, weeks even, to fully explore all that Canyonlands has to offer. However, if you only have one day in Canyonlands, you have just enough time to visit the highlights.

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Most Famous: Referred to as The Arch by many arriving visitors for whom it is No. 1 on their must-see lists, Delicate has an allure that is hard to explain but impossible to deny. The light opening beneath Delicate Arch is 46 feet (14 m) high. The entire rock span is around 60 feet (18 m) tall.

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Is Zion or Arches better for a whole day? This one is tougher but it may depend on if you want to just do a couple of longer hikes or do a lot of short hikes. If you want a couple of long hikes, Zion. If you want a lot of shorter hikes with a couple slightly longer, then Arches.

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Without a doubt, Delicate Arch is the most famous natural stone arch in the world. Referred to as The Arch by many arriving visitors for whom it is No. 1 on their must-see lists, Delicate has an allure that is hard to explain but impossible to deny. The light opening beneath Delicate Arch is 46 feet (14 m) high.

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Visitors may enter the park before 7 am and after 4 pm without a timed entry ticket.

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Arches contains a variety of hiking trails, many of which are considered easy to moderate. Trails provide access to outstanding viewpoints and arches not visible from the road. Many trails use cairns (stacks of rocks) for markers and cross broad rock surfaces, requiring attention to follow.

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The best easy hikes in Arches are The Windows, Landscape Arch, Double Arch, Sand Dune Arch, and Park Avenue. My name is Ash, and I'm a former park ranger.

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