Arches National Park is normally open year-round, 24 hours a day. 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.
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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.
Winter at Arches is a peaceful time, without the crowds or scorching heat that can plague summertime visits. Ice, snow, and reduced park operations, however, can provide their own challenges for winter visitors.
Avoid the CrowdsWhile the peak seasons of spring and summer see around 200,000 monthly visitors, winter only sees about 40,000 visitors per month. With fewer people visiting Arches, you won't have to worry about finding a parking spot or waiting in a long line to enter the park.
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.
Explore the best of Arches National Park on this incredible two-day vacation. There's a lifetime's worth of exploration to be had in the red rock desert of southeastern Utah, but a fabulous place to start is by spending two days in Arches National Park.
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.
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.
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.
The La Sal Mountains provide Moab with a snowy backdrop and a fantastic winter playground. Plenty of winter adventures await, including cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Enjoy everything from short part-day adventures to multi-day excursions like skiing between backcountry yurts.
The biggest benefit of visiting Zion in December is the lack of crowds. Fewer crowds mean less irritation and more peace during the day. Many of the wildlife will be more willing to be out and about this time of year when there aren't hundreds of people craning to see them.
Yes, the driving distance between Zion National park to Arches National Park is 355 miles. It takes approximately 5h 29m to drive from Zion National park to Arches National Park.
Visit Arches from the RoadIf 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.
The best way to get around Arches National Park is by car. There is no public transportation inside Arches National Park, though commercial tours are offered by companies in Moab, Utah, which sits about 5 miles southeast of the park entrance.
Arches National Park average temperatures in winter during the day are around 40°F (5°C) and down to around 17°F (-8°C) on a night. It can be sunny but you need to ensure that you have plenty of layers, a thick fleece, warm jacket, winter hat and gloves especially around sunset and early morning.
Winter in Moab can be an amazing time to explore the desert. The average high in December and January is about 44 degrees, which suits some hikers and mountain bikers just fine. Nights can be quite cold, however, dipping into the single digits — and of course, night falls earlier in winter.
Bryce Canyon National Park is open year-round. In winter, the visitor center has reduced hours and is closed on holidays. Check the park's website or call to find out about current conditions and closures. Roads, trails, overlooks and other areas may close due to hazardous conditions, and some are closed all winter.
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.
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.
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.