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What is the best time to enter Arches National Park?

To beat the crowds, try entering the park early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Temperatures are cooler and the light is better for photography.



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Because entrance lines into the park may vary, we suggest arriving at 6:30 am or earlier.

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Here's how to minimize the crowds at Arches National Park:
  1. Avoid summer travel and during holidays. ...
  2. Plan your trip to arrive and explore during the week, avoiding weekends.
  3. Start your day early. ...
  4. Get out and hike. ...
  5. If you're in a hurry, with limited time, save this park for another vacation.


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You can spend a couple hours or the better part of a day driving the 36 mile (round trip) road through Arches National Park. With plenty of places to stop and snap pictures and panoramic views for miles, you can enjoy the brilliant artistry and majesty of Arches without having to leave your vehicle.

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Timed entry tickets are required in addition to your park pass OR entrance fee. You may enter the park before 7 am or after 4 pm without a timed entry ticket.

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However, if possible, try to schedule your vacation for the late fall, winter or early spring months. Shoot for November to April. If you're insistent on a red-hot Moab summer, stick with the weekdays — Tuesday and Wednesday are the best days to go. And on any day in any season, go before 8 a.m. or in the afternoon.

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To sum it up, here are the best hikes Arches National Park has to offer!
  • Delicate Arch Trail.
  • Double Arch Trail.
  • Tower Arch.
  • Sand Dune Arch and Broken Arch Trail.
  • Park Avenue.
  • Devil's Garden Loop Trail.
  • Windows Loop.
  • Balanced Rock.


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Hike the Devils Garden Trail to Landscape Arch. If you have the energy, hike the 4.5-mile (round trip) Double O Arch Trail to see all six arches. After a snack, double back along Scenic Drive to the Windows section for a short, 1-mile hike to see three of the largest arches in the park.

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The park is especially busy on these weekends and holidays: Easter week (date varies; in late March or April) Memorial Day (last Monday in May) Labor Day (first Monday in September)

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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.

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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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Although both of these parks are in Utah, they offer very different experiences! Choosing which one you should visit depends on what you are looking for. While Bryce offers stunning views of hoodoos, taking an Arches park tour will bring you close to the iconic natural 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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Personally I think that hiking boots are required in Arches National Park. The trails are rough and uneven and there are places where you do need to climb over rocks, so if you want to do some of the longer and more difficult hikes it is best to have good footwear with you.

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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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Reservations will be released three months in advance in monthly blocks. On January 10, reservations will open for April 1 through April 30. On February 1, reservations will open for the month of May and any remaining reservations that have not been booked for April.

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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.

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More than 1.5 million visitors come to Arches National Park each year, and that number is growing. During Arches' busy season (March through October), you may experience limited parking at all destinations in the park.

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Arches National Park charges an entrance fee. You may purchase a 7-day pass (valid only at Arches) or an annual pass (valid only at Arches, Canyonlands, Hovenweep, and Natural Bridges) by selecting from the four choices below.

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Make your first stop the La Sal Mountains Viewpoint to take in the amazing sight of the La Sal Mountains, Utah's second highest mountain range, juxtaposed against Arches' red rock spires.

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