The Perfect One Day in Arches National Park Itinerary
If you are looking to visit one of the most beautiful national parks in Utah, Arches National Park is for you! Arches National Park has over 2,000 natural arches, making it the densest concentration of natural arches in the world! It has beautiful views throughout the entire park, and most do not require any hiking.
Although you could spend a few days exploring the park, you can see many must-see attractions in one day. We visited Arches National Park for one day and were able to see and hike everything on our itinerary. This guide has everything you need to know to spend one day in Arches National Park!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, my blog may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
Tips for Spending One Day in Arches National Park
Reserve your timed-entry ticket. Arches National Park has over 1.5 million visitors per year, so it is implementing a timed entry reservation system to help with the increasing crowds. The tickets are first-come, first-serve, and I recommend getting yours as early as you can during their release schedule.
Start or end your day with hiking. It is very hot in the summer months in Arches National Park, and the park has little to no shade. I recommend planning your hikes for the early morning or late afternoon, so you can avoid hiking in the midday heat.
Pack food and a lot of water. There are not any places to buy food or water in Arches National Park, so I recommend packing your snacks, meals, and water for the day. If you are driving, you can bring a cooler with everything you need! Bringing your food will also allow you to stay in the park rather than fighting the traffic to come back in. It is also crucial to pack a lot of water since the park gets very hot.
Bring a lot of sunscreen. Since Arches National Park has little to no shade, it is crucial to wear and pack sunscreen! Trust me, I learned the hard way that you need to reapply throughout the day.
Always remember to leave no trace. It’s crucial to pack out what you pack in and leave no trash. Some of these spots have trash bins, so you can easily throw your trash away. If they don’t have trash bins, you can throw your trash away at a nearby gas station or convenience store.
How to Get to Arches National Park
Arches National Park is located in the southeast corner of Utah. The easiest way to get to Arches National Park is to fly into Salt Lake City International Airport. The Salt Lake City International Airport is only a four-hour drive to the park, making it the closest airport to Arches National Park with the most flight options.
There is an airport in Moab that is closer to Arches National Park, but it is very expensive to fly into it, and it does not have many flight options.
We flew into SLC and made the long drive to Moab. The drive was incredibly scenic, so we did not mind how long it was!
I highly recommend renting a car for your drive to Arches National Park because there isn’t a bus service from Salt Lake City to the park. There are a few shuttle options that leave from Moab to visit Arches National Park, but it is much easier to have a car to visit the popular sights.
Where to Stay For One Day in Arches National Park
If you plan on spending a night near Arches National Park during your one-day itinerary, you can find accommodations in the town of Moab. Moab has everything you need, including hotels, restaurants, and grocery stores.
We stayed in Moab and loved our time there! It is really cute and had everything we needed for our one day in the park.
If you have or can rent camping gear or a campervan, I highly recommend it because there are campgrounds close to Arches National Park. If you are interested in renting a campervan, I highly recommend renting from Escape Campervans!
Best Hotels:
Best Campgrounds:
What to Pack for One Day in Arches National Park
Hiking Boots: If you want comfort and support on your trip, hiking boots are the go to.
Hiking Socks: Having moisture-wicking and comfortable hiking socks are just as important for exploring.
Hiking Backpack: You need something to carry all your food, clothes, and anything else you need while adventuring, so having a supportive hiking backpack is crucial.
Hydration Reservoir/Water Bottles: While hiking or just exploring, it is important to have enough water! I always pack a hydration reservoir.
Jackets: The weather is unpredictable, so I always pack a rain jacket and insulated jacket.
Ten Essentials: The Ten Essentials are crucial for hiking!
Microspikes: If you plan on winter hiking, you will need to bring microspikes.
Snowshoes: Also if you hike in the winter, you may need snowshoes.
The Best One Day in Arches National Park Itinerary
It is time to begin your fun-filled day in Arches National Park! If you are not looking to tackle any big hikes, many beautiful lookouts require little to no hiking. You can easily see the entire park in this one-day itinerary.
Watch the Sunrise from Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch is one of the most iconic arches in Arches National Park. It sits on a cliff overlooking the surrounding area, and it is very picturesque. I recommend visiting Delicate Arch first so you can enjoy the arch with fewer crowds. It is the perfect sunrise spot if you are up for an early hike!
There are three ways to view Delicate Arch. The first two are viewpoints at the end of Delicate Arch Road. The Lower Viewpoint is only a short walk from the parking lot. The Upper Viewpoint is a half-mile hike from the parking lot and has a steep section to get to the view. The best way to view Delicate Arch is to hike the 3.2-mile roundtrip trail that brings you to the cliff the arch is on.
Walk along Park Avenue
Park Avenue is one of the first stops on the Arches Scenic Drive and offers beautiful views. You can stop at the viewpoint or hike the easy 2-mile roundtrip trail and get an up-close and personal experience with Three Gossips, Courthouse Towers, Queen Nefertiti, Queen Victoria Rock, Organ, and Tower of Babel. You can see all of these from the Park Avenue Viewpoint, but I highly recommend hiking the trail to see them. It was one of my favorite easy hikes!
If you decide to hike the Park Avenue Trail, there are two places you can start, Park Avenue Viewpoint and Courthouse Towers. It doesn’t matter where you start! The trail follows the canyon floor past the beautiful rock formations mentioned above. Once you get to the second parking lot, you can turn around and hike back the way you came. I promise the 2-mile trail is worth it!
Explore Balanced Rock
Balanced Rock is one of the most iconic attractions in Arches National Park. A large rock sits on top of another and seems to be barely balancing, and it is a beautiful and unique sight! You can follow the short 0.3-mile roundtrip trail to loop around Balanced Rock and get an up-close and personal experience with it!
HIke to Sand Dune Arch
Sand Dune Arch stands out from the rest of the arches in the park because it is between sandstone fins! It is one of my favorite arches because it is so unique.
Sand Dune Arch only requires an easy 0.3-mile roundtrip hike, making it the perfect stop to add to your itinerary! If you are looking to tackle a longer trail, you can add Broken Arch and Tapestry Arch to create a 2.8-mile loop.
Hike to Pine Tree Arch, Tunnel Arch, and Landscape Arch
Pine Tree Arch, Tunnel Arch, and Landscape Arch are beautiful arches at the end of the Arches Scenic Drive. The 3-mile roundtrip hike begins at the Devils Garden Trailhead and travels on the Devils Garden Main Trail before turning right towards Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch.
Once you enjoy both viewpoints, you will follow the trail back to the Devils Garden Main Trail for another 0.7 miles to Landscape Arch.
If you wanted to hike the 9-mile Devils Garden Loop, you could continue on the trail, but it will take about 4-6 hours to complete. It is my favorite hike in the park, but it is strenuous.
Hike under Double Arch
Now it is time to head to your final spot around sunset time. Double Arch is a huge arch that you can hike under by following a 0.6-mile roundtrip trail. The greatness of Double Arch will blow you away when you are underneath it!
It is a popular arch, so you will not be alone when exploring it, but there are fewer crowds in the late afternoon. We visited at the end of the day and only shared the arch with a handful of other people.
Watch the sunset from The Windows and Turret Arch
Across the parking lot from Double Arch are the Windows and Turret Arch. This area will be where you watch the sunset over the beautiful desert. We watched the sunset here during our trip, and it was the perfect way to end our one day in Arches National Park!
To get to North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch, you can hike an easy and flat 1-mile loop. The trail will bring you to North Window, which is my favorite arch in the area.
It then travels around the back to South Window where you can take in its beauty from the trail. The trail loops back around towards Turret Arch.
The Best Hikes For One Day in Arches National Park
Although Arches National Park is not known for its hikes, you can still spend the day hiking. There is only one “hiker’s hike” and many other short and beautiful hikes.
Delicate Arch Trail for sunrise
Delicate Arch is one of the most iconic arches in Arches National Park that sits on the edge of a cliff. The hike to Delicate Arch is one of the most popular hikes in the park, so I recommend hiking it for sunrise.
The 3.2-mile roundtrip Delicate Arch Trail begins in the Delicate Arch parking lot and slowly ascends to the top of the cliff. The trail then weaves along the top until it reaches Delicate Arch. You can sit here and watch as the sunrise casts a beautiful golden glow onto Delicate Arch. It is worth the early wake-up call!
Devils Garden Loop
Devils Garden Loop will be the longest and most strenuous hike to tackle in Arches National Park but is the most scenic hike in the park, in my opinion. The 9-mile roundtrip trail is considered the only “hiker’s hike” in Arches National Park and will reward you with beautiful views. It is easily my favorite hike in the park!
Devils Garden Loop begins in the Devils Garden parking lot and travels along an easy-to-follow trail past Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch. Once you reach the Primitive Trail sign, you can either begin the loop or start it after Landscape Arch. Either way, the trail will be rugged and less maintained. The Devils Garden Loop passes by many spires, fins, and arches, including Partition Arch, Navajo Arch, Black Arch, Double O Arch, and Private Arch.
Devils Garden Loop does not provide much shade, so I recommend bringing a lot of water and sunscreen for the hike. I recommend hiking this right after sunrise to avoid the midday sun and heat.
Sand Dune Arch, Broken Arch, and Tapestry Arch Hike
If you are looking to explore three unique arches, this hike is for you! Sand Dune Arch is a beautiful arch between sandstone fins that you may have seen photos of since it is popular. Broken Arch is a tall, thin arch and not broken even though the name makes you think it is. Tapestry Arch stands against a sandstone fin with two smaller arches next to it.
If you want to hike the 2.7-mile roundtrip hike to all three arches, I recommend starting at the Sand Dune Arch Trail. The trail will begin by traveling through sandstone fins until it reaches Sand Dune Arch. The trail then turns right to continue to Broken Arch and Tapestry Arch. You can either hike back the way you came or continue a loop past Devils Garden Campground.
If you aren’t up for the entire loop or do not have enough time during your one day in Arches National Park, you can take out Tapestry Arch and hike 1.6 miles to Sand Dune Arch and Broken Arch.
Park Avenue Trail
Park Avenue Trail is one of the first trails when you enter Arches National Park. It is an easy 2-mile roundtrip hike that provides incredible views of monoliths.
Park Avenue Trail can begin at the Park Avenue Viewpoint or Courthouse Towers Viewpoint. It doesn’t matter where you choose to start the trail because you will follow it back to the same spot. Park Avenue Trail weaves through impressive rock formations and monoliths, including the Three Gossips, Courthouse Towers, Queen Nefertiti, Queen Victoria Rock, Organ, and Tower of Babel.
It is an incredible hike that should be on your Arches National Park itinerary! It was certainly one of my favorite easy hikes in the park.
Double Arch Trail
Now it is time to head to your final spot just before sunset. Double Arch is a huge arch that you can hike under by following a 0.6-mile roundtrip trail. The greatness of Double Arch will blow you away when you are underneath it!
The Windows and Turret Arch Loop for Sunset
Across the parking lot from Double Arch are the Windows and Turret Arch. This area will be where you watch the sunset, and trust me, it is the best spot. We watched the sunset here at the end of our one day in the park, and it was stunning.
To get to North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch, you can hike an easy and flat 1-mile loop. The trail will bring you to North Window, which is my favorite arch in the area.
It then travels around the back to South Window where you can take in its beauty from the trail. The trail loops back around towards Turret Arch.
This guide is the perfect place to start when planning one day in Arches National Park. If you want to spend more than one day in Arches National Park, you can spread out the must-see sights and plan your hikes for different days.
If you are looking for an epic Utah road trip to all five of its national parks, you can create the ultimate 7-day itinerary. If you have an extra day in Moab, you can also spend one day in Canyonlands National Park!
Hey, I’m Nichole!
I am the creator behind Nichole the Nomad, the home of my explorations around the world, mountain hikes, and beautiful pictures taken along the way. I have a deep passion for capturing the world in a beautiful light and sharing my experiences.
I created this blog to share my travels, show how beautiful the world is, provide tips and tricks for traveling, and encourage you to explore. Whether you want to travel across the world or explore what’s in your backyard, I hope this blog inspires you to get outside and find your adventure!
Pin it for later!
