I’ve lived in Utah for almost 7 months and am finally knocking National Parks off my list! First up was Bryce Canyon National Park, then Zion National Park, and now Arches National Park. The park did not disappoint and turned out to be a great adventure. The trip to Moab was planned on Tuesday and my dad and I drove into town on Thursday. There are plenty of hikes and view points within the park that feature over 2,000 arches. My dad and I opted to check out Devils Garden. Afterwards we stopped by a few of the viewpoints and short hikes along the main park road.
Devils Garden Hike
The Devils Garden Hike includes 7+ arches and the Dark Angel Pinnacle. The NPS lists this lollipop hike, which includes Devils Garden Trail and the Primitive Trail, at 7.8 miles and difficult. My dad and I tracked the hike at closer to 9.5 miles with a few unintended detours. We completed the hike in the counterclockwise direction starting with the Primitive Trail section of the hike first. In my eyes, you get the most bang for your buck with this hike if you have a day to spend in Arches National Park. This was the perfect half day hike. As always we started early to beat the heat and the crowds. Primitive Trail was definitely the more difficult section of the hike with several rock scrambles. But this also made the hike along the Devils Garden Trail, where most of the arches are located, that much more rewarding! I would be lying if I told you we did not lose the trail a few times in the gullies and fins along the way.
Along the way on the Primitive Trail keep your eyes pealed for hidden arches in the landscape. There are plenty of them without labels along the trail. Can you spot Black Arch in the distance?
We eventually made it to Private Arch and then Double O Arch. Both equally as interesting and cannot miss arches at the park. Double O Arch is the destination of many who hike the primary Devils Garden Trail. So be prepared to see plenty of people at this destination along the trail all vying for their turn to the the perfect “instagramable photo.” If you want to add a little more distance from Double O Arch you can also venture out to Dark Angel.
Private Arch
Double O Arch
Dark Angel Pinnacle
Navajo and Partition Arches
We also detoured to Navajo Arch and Partition Arch. Both to grab some shade and enjoy the panoramic views that were never-ending. Partition Arch was appropriately named and we even found some small arches surrounding it. The NPS has specific measurements for an arch to officially be an arch and get a name. There are over 2,000 official arches and thousands of unofficial arches in the the Moab Area. While we were relaxing across from Partition Arch a little chipmunk was running around causing havoc. The chipmunks in Utah are something else.
Landscape Arch
If you are nervous about heights this may not be the best hike for you. There are plenty of times you are walking on narrow fins 50-100 feet in the air along the trail. That being said, the easiest section of the hike is the “stick” of the lollipop to the Landscape Arch viewpoint. There are also two other arches near the trailheas: Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch.
As an aside – I was literally SHOCKED at how many people had dogs on this particular trail. Five dogs in total. The National Parks System in general is not dog friendly on the any trail (with a few exceptions). Devils Garden being no different. In addition to breaking park rules, it was just plain hot in the park and not a safe environment for any dog to be out in. Please read up and the rules at each national park you visit to ensure you follow the pet policies. Winter sat this hike out in the comfort of the AC in the RV.
Arches National Park Scenic View Points
On our way out of Arches National Park we stopped at five of the viewpoints and did the short hike to Sand Dune Arch. We also drove out to the Klondike Bluffs to the Tower Arch Trail Head, however opted out of the hike once we got there. A typical decision for my Dad and I. Honestly at this point most of the arches started to blend together. The saying when you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all came up once or twice. Each arch in unique but we were just tired and all arched out at that point. I included the most “iconic” stops in the photos below.
Balanced Rock
Sand Dune Arch
The next time I visit Arches National Park, and there will be a next time, I plan to do the Windows Section and hike to Delicate Arch. Both of these iconic areas were skipped on this trip due to time.
Before you go
Fair warning – during the summer months Arches National Park is HOT. In addition, the park is extremely popular. It reaches capacity early in the day during the busy season in Moab. Once the park is at capacity, the NPS closes the main gate to visitors for a few hours. To avoid the crowds and the heat my Dad and I were up early to get our hiking fill.
Unlike Zion National Park, Arches National Park does not have a shuttle bus system. Meaning you can take your vehicles into all areas of the park. However, parking is limited at all of the main trail heads, giving another reason to get into the park early. Even getting into the park before 8 AM, the parking at the Devils Garden trail head was filling up quickly.
If you have an eye for the night sky, Arches National Park along with Dead Horse Point State Park and Canyonlands National Park are international dark sky parks. So bring your telescope and enjoy views of the milky way.
For more information and things to do at Arches National Park check out the NPS website.
Arches National Park is not the only thing we did in Moab. Check out the other things we did while there including hiking to Corona Arch, Mill Creek Trail, Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse Point State Park.
Wow again great article…like reading memory and brought back things I forgot about..Winter did sit this one out but she got her reward for good behavior at the other garden creek trail later in the evening… We ARE going back to catch the last one on the big 5 list of Utah…
We definitely need to go back!