Last summer Patrick and I had the opportunity to visit Arches National Park during our out west road trip. Arches National Park is located outside Moab, Utah. We only had about a day and a half in the park but we were able to experience some of the park’s highlights. Here’s my small guide to Arches National Park.

Things to know before visiting ANP

• Timed Entry Reservation system: Currently ANP requires visitors to have a timed entry reservation pass throughout the months of April-October.
  • Timed entry tickets are required to enter the park between the hours of 7am- 4pm (MDT).
  • The timed entry reservations can be purchased on the ANP park’s website and they cost $2 per vehicle. Note, you’ll need a timed reservation pass for each day you plan to visit the park.
• Exceptions for the timed entry reservations tickets:
  • If you have a reservation with a campground in the National Park, you can show your campground reservation in place of having a timed entry reservation and enter at any time as long as the dates of the campground reservation match the dates you want to enter the park.
  • You can enter the park before or after the allowed times! If you are unable to get a reservation, you can enter the park before 7am. However, keep in mind if you enter the park this way, once you leave the park you will not be allowed back in during the hours required for a timed entry ticket. Similarly, you may enter the park after required hours (i.e., after 4pm).
• Fees: It costs $30 per vehicle to enter the park which covers the cost of 7 days. We bought the America the Beautiful pass which is $80 for the year and covers entrance fees for all National Parks. I would highly recommend this if you plan to visit multiple National Parks!
• Camping: There is only one campground within Arches National Park, Devils Garden Campground. If this is a campground you’d like to stay in, I recommended booking as far in advance as possible.
• Boondocking; If you’re traveling in a van or a car like us, there are several free camp spots surrounding the national park in Moab, Utah. We used Campendium to search free camp spots or areas to park and sleep with a small fee. Note, majority of these areas are first come first serve rather than reservation based.
• Heat: The heat in this part of Utah and Arches National Park during the summer months is extreme. There were nights we couldn’t sleep in our car set up or tent. This is worth putting in some research especially if you plan to camp like we attempted to. Surprisingly the hotels in Moab weren’t too pricey and definitely worth booking to have a break from the heat. We booked a night at Scenic Views Inn and Suites Moab and it was incredible!
• Area. Moab, UT is the closet town to the park. This is where you’ll find restaurants, hotels, and grocery shops.

Things to Do

• Hike to Delicate Arch (park at delicate arch trail head) for sunrise. This was my absolute favorite thing we did while visiting Arches National Park. This arch is one of the most popular so it was well worth it to hike at sunrise and enjoy the views in peace before the crowds!
• Drive to double arch trailhead and walk to see Double Arch.
• Continue walking the loop path to see North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch
• Drive along scenic drive & stop to see various viewpoints:
  • petrified dunes
  • panorama point
  • fiery furnace/salt valley
• Stop at visitor’s center
• Take time to explore Park Avenue

My Tips

• Start hikes in the dark to catch the sunrise and avoid crowds. We used head lights and our offline All Trails map while hiking in the early morning hours. Arches National Park is a very busy place so hiking early ensures some peace before crowds. We hiked to Delicate Arch before sunrise and it was our favorite experience while visiting the park.
• Carry plenty of water. As I mentioned, Arches National Park can be extremely hot during the day if you’re visiting during the summer time. Be prepared to continuously hydrate! The visitor’s center has free water you can utilize to fill up water bottles.