Do you need chains for Arches National Park?

Be sure to prepare for winter driving conditions, have snow tires or chains, and check the weather forecast and road conditions before heading out. The Windows Section of the park features enormous arches and the Delicate Arch Viewpoint showcases the park's most famous arch.



People Also Ask

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.

MORE DETAILS

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

MORE DETAILS

Yes. A timed entry reservation is required to enter the park even if you have an existing pass.

MORE DETAILS

Timed entry reservations are not required to enter the park. You can make reservations for day-use, overnight, and river permits and for group campsites at The Needles.

MORE DETAILS

You don't even have to leave your car to soak in the stunning red rock scenery. Explore Arches National Park by embarking on a scenic drive. Be sure to prepare for winter driving conditions, have snow tires or chains, and check the weather forecast and road conditions before heading out.

MORE DETAILS

Note: You're not always going to encounter snow on your visit to Arches National Park in winter. Often, the snow will melt within 2-3 days or even within a few hours. But your best chance of photographing snowy arches is during December or January.

MORE DETAILS

Arches National Park is generally open 24 hours a day, year-round. Fees apply. The park is very busy between March and October. To avoid traffic, we recommend entering the park before 8 am or after 3 pm.

MORE DETAILS

The best time to visit Arches National Park is April through May and September through October, when daytime temperatures average about 60 to 80 degrees. In the summer, temperatures can exceed 100 degrees, which can make exploring the park's trails very uncomfortable.

MORE DETAILS

For those who aren't up for the hike, there are two other viewing options: The Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint just down the road only requires a 100-yard walk over flat ground to get a fine look at the arch from a mile away.

MORE DETAILS

With one busy day you can see the highlights of Arches National Park. But if you want to take your time and explore a few hidden gems and off the beaten path places, plan on spending two days in Arches National Park.

MORE DETAILS

Arches National Park is Open On very busy days, when parking lots fill to capacity we temporarily delay additional park entries. Visitors who encounter a closed gate may try back in a few hours or consider visiting other nearby destinations.

MORE DETAILS

You could easily spend several days exploring the trails here, so visiting Arches National Park in one day requires some planning ahead to make sure you don't miss the best scenery. Especially since the park often hits capacity by 8 or 9 a.m. during the busy season and the entrance gates close for several hours.

MORE DETAILS

The park is open 24 hours a day. Late afternoon and evening hours offer beautiful sunsets and reduced crowding, and naturally dark night skies sparkle overhead. During summer months, many trailhead parking lots fill by 7:30 am.

MORE DETAILS

Vehicles must stay on established roads within Arches National Park. Some park roads are unpaved and require high-clearance 4X4 vehicles. These routes lead into parts of the park where there are few visitors and extraordinary scenery.

MORE DETAILS

You cannot sleep in your car at Arches National Park unless you have a reserved campsite at the Devils Garden Campground, which is the only designated campground within the park.

MORE DETAILS

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.

MORE DETAILS

If you only want to see a few highlights in each park, then yes, one day in Arches and Canyonlands is enough time. For a better experience, add one more day to your itinerary, so you can spend one full day in Arches and one full day in Canyonlands.

MORE DETAILS

You can still visit the short (and gorgeous) hikes in Canyonlands if you don't have time or don't want to do a more difficult/longer day hike. We preferred Canyonlands due to the longer trails and much fewer people. But if you're looking for shorter trails and lots of arches, Arches might be your better bet.

MORE DETAILS