The Ultimate One Day In Arches National Park Itinerary

Last Updated on 21st July 2023

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Arches National Park Utah - Everything You Need To Know

Arches National Park in Utah is perhaps one of the most naturally beautiful places I’ve ever been. The whole state of Utah, in fact, surprised me beyond belief with its remarkable beauty and it’s actually my favourite state in America.

It’s no secret that the United States is home to a plethora of amazing national parks (63 to be precise!) and while we were lucky enough to visit at least a dozen of them during our 3-month USA road trip, Arches National Park was one of my very favourites (along with Yosemite, Dead Horse Point, Bryce Canyon and more!).

If you’ve ever visited any national parks in America, you’ll know just how incredible they are and if you haven’t managed to visit Arches yet, I’m really hoping that I can inspire you to add it to your USA bucket list in my guide below as it really is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful places I’ve ever seen.

Check out my ultimate guide to spending one day in Arches National Park which covers everything you need to know about the top things to see in Arches NP, where to stay, how long you should spend there and much more!

Where to stay at Arches National Park

Arches National Park is less than a 10-minute drive from the relatively small city of Moab, Utah. Therefore, Moab is a great place to stay when visiting Arches NP as it won’t take you long to get there.

We stayed at the Inca Inn & Motel Moab and as it’s only 2.5 miles from Arches, it’s such a great place to base yourself and it was also one of the cheapest accommodation options in the area.

The rooms were clean, the bed was pretty comfy and it comes with free breakfast at their sister motel just next door, so we were able to fuel ourselves for the day which is always an added bonus whenever you’re about to head into a national park!

Fun Facts about Arches National Park

There are more than 2,000 natural stone arches and hundreds more rock features inside the national park.
The arches and rock formations have formed over millions of years when a sea flowed into the region of Arches National Park more than 300 million years ago and caused an underground salt bed that is responsible for the shaping and positions of the arches, rocks, spires and more.
More than 1.5 million people visit Arches every year.
The arches are eroding every single second of every day, so they will all one day eventually collapse (although they’ve been around for 300 million years, so it’s probably not going to be anytime soon!).
The park is open 24 hours a day, all year round, but it gets remarkably busy during the peak season of March to October, so you can expect many trailhead car parks and lay-bys to be full for most of the day.

Top tip: visit early in the day or in the late afternoon to avoid the crowds as much as possible, or visit in February or November when the weather is still relatively mild (with the possibility of snow) when it’s much quieter.

Best things to do in one day in Arches National Park Utah

Best things to do in Arches National Park Utah

The best thing to do in 1 day in Arches National Park is to simply try and see as much as possible while you’re there! However, I totally understand that’s not the most comprehensive answer, so in the section below, I’ve put together a list of my favourite things to see and do in one day at Arches National Park Utah so that you can make your visit as enjoyable as possible!

Double Arch

Double Arch is genuinely so ridiculously impressive that it made me cry almost instantly when I first saw it. I don’t know if I was just feeling a bit emotional and overwhelmed at how amazing our USA road trip was, but as soon as I saw Double Arch, I got this immense sense of gratitude and it made me feel so small and insignificant, which in turn made me realise just how vast and unbelievable this world really is.

While I don’t expect you to have the same “woo woo” feeling at Double Arch, I do expect you to add it to your list of places to see in Arches National Park as it’s undoubtedly the best arch there (in my opinion!).

To get to Double Arch, you’ll drive approximately 20 minutes into the national park from the entrance/Visitor Center and from the parking spot, you’ll need to walk the 0.5 miles round-trip on an easy trail to reach the arch.

Whatever you choose to see/do in Arches National Park in one day, I must insist that you visit Double Arch; I promise you won’t regret it!

Balanced Rock

Balanced Rock can actually be seen from the road as you’re driving through the park, but it’s definitely worth parking up in the lay-by and making the 0.3-mile round-trip to see it up close and personal.

It’s much bigger in real life than it looks in photos and it’s such an impressive feat of nature. One day, it will inevitably topple over due to its extreme weight and the erosion of the rock underneath, but for now, it’s so awesome to see and it’s definitely one of the highlights of the national park!

Sand Dune Arch

Sand Dune Arch was another one of my favourite things to see in Arches and it was made even more enjoyable due to the fact that it was completely surrounded by snow.

Of all the pictures I’d ever seen of Arches National Park online, I’d never seen it in the snow, but as we were there in mid-February, it meant that a vast majority of the park was completely covered in snow! This was so magical to see and it made the experience even more enjoyable and charming because I’d only ever seen pictures from people who had visited in the height of summer.

It also meant that the park was relatively quiet and we didn’t struggle to find a parking space once, so if you want to visit Arches when it’s quieter and still utterly exquisite, I’d highly recommend visiting in off-peak seasons.

To reach Sand Dune Arch, you’ll scramble through the rockfaces (it’s relatively easy, although a little trickier in the snow!) for approximately 0.3 miles round-trip to reach this hidden arch.

Face Rock

I’m not actually sure if this rock has an official name, but I couldn’t help but see a man’s face in it when we were there, so I simply named it ‘Rock Face’.

You’ll find ‘Rock Face’ right next to Double Arch and it will just be to the right of the arch as you approach from the car park for Double Arch. It’s also very close to the Windows Trail for the North and South Windows (just on the other side of the road), so you can easily tick off several cool attractions inside Arches National Park from this point.

P.S. Do you see the man’s face in the rock?!

La Sal Mountains Viewpoint

As part of my many road trips through countries such as New Zealand, Australia, the UK and most recently the US, I’ve been incredibly lucky to drive on some of the most stunning roads in the world and thanks to the beauty of Arches National Park, I now have the picture above to add to my list of greatest road trip routes in the world.

This viewpoint inside the national park is from a little lay-by just past the La Sal Mountains Viewpoint and as you can see from the picture above, it’s one of the most breathtaking views inside the national park.

As I mentioned above, the car parks and lay-bys can get crazy busy during the summer months, so you may struggle to find a place to park up, but if have the patience to (safely) wait for a spot to open up, I’d really encourage you to pull over and take a few pictures of the dramatic scenery!

Delicate Arch viewpoints

Delicate Arch is often cited as the number one arch to see in Arches National Park if you just have one day and while I’d agree that it’s very cool, I definitely don’t think it deserves the number one spot.

There are several ways to hike Delicate Arch, with the most desirable (although definitely the most difficult) route being the 3-mile round-trip hike with an elevation gain of 480ft to go right up to the arch. This is a very popular route, but it’s definitely not the easiest hike and you will be walking very close to the edge of the canyon, so it’s imperative that you’re as careful as possible and make sure you bring plenty of water, especially in the height of the summer when temperatures in Arches National Park can reach highs of 100°F+ (37.7°C).

Alternatively, you can choose two of the easier viewpoints of Delicate Arch, but be aware that these viewpoints are somewhat disappointing as they’re from quite a far distance.

The Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint is a 0.5-mile round-trip hike up steep and rocky terrain and while it’s not as difficult as actually walking to the arch itself, it’s definitely not the easiest route and even once you’re up there, the arch is still quite far away in the distance.

For a much easier route alternative, go for the Lower Viewpoint which is less than 100m from the car park and will take you to a viewpoint far below the arch.

Windows Section

The Windows Section was the last park of Arches National Park that we saw before leaving, which is why the picture above is a bit dark and blurry as it was just after sunset and the sky was very quickly turning dark!

There are two “windows” on the Windows Trail; North and South. It was only a 1-mile round-trip hike to get up close to the windows, but as it was getting dark, we decided to just enjoy the view of them from the car park. If you can, I’d recommend walking the short route to go right underneath them so that you can enjoy a much better view.

Skyline Arch

Skyline Arch is approximately 18 miles into the national park from the Visitor Center and it will take you around half an hour (without any stops) to drive through the park to reach the trailhead.

Once you get to the parking spots for Skyline Arch, it’s only a 0.4-mile round-trip to walk closer to it to get a better view. Unfortunately, you can’t get quite as close to this arch as you can to many of the others inside the park, but it’s still worth parking up and having a little stroll to enjoy a clearer view of it.

Bonus best things to see in Arches National Park in one day

Double O Arch – 4.1-mile round-trip difficult hike with changes in elevation and rocky terrain.
Landscape Arch – 1.9-mile round-trip hike, moderately easy with some elevation gain.
Devil’s Garden Trail – this is a collection of many trails inside the park.
Fiery Furnace – you’ll find several viewpoints and overlook opportunities just off the road at Fiery Furnace.
Petroglyph Panel – this can be accessed from the side of the road as you drive towards the Delicate Arch/Windows Section trailhead parking spaces.

FAQs about Arches National Park Utah

If I’ve convinced you to spend 1 day in Arches National Park with all the incredible things to see and do in the sections above, let’s take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions about visiting Arches to help you plan your visit!

How many days do you need at Arches National Park?

How much time do you need at Arches National Park?

I would personally allow for one day in Arches National Park if possible. Matt and I didn’t arrive there until the afternoon (around 2 pm) and while we managed to see and do pretty much everything we wanted to, we did feel a bit short on time to do some of the longer trails before it got dark, so I’d recommend arriving as early as possible (before 8 am in the summer) to ensure you get to enjoy the full day there.

In the summer months, however, when the park gets crazy busy, it’s often advised to head to Arches later in the afternoon (around 3 pm) and as it doesn’t get dark until much later in the evening, I think this could be a good option if you want to try and avoid the crowds as much as possible.

Arches National Park is also open 24 hours a day, all year round (apart from Christmas Day and with the exception of some early closures on public holidays) so you can even go into the park at night to stargaze! The Visitor Center is only open from 8 am to 5 pm, however.

What is the best month to visit Arches National Park?

The answer to this question is very subjective, depending on the kind of experience you want to have at Arches.

For example, I would personally say that February/early March is the best time to visit Arches National Park as it’s just before the peak summer season hits and the park is still relatively quiet, so you shouldn’t struggle to find parking at any of the trailheads. It’s also likely to snow (like it did when we were there), so by visiting in February, you’ll get to experience Arches in a total winter wonderland.

Of course, this means temperatures will be pretty cold, so if you’d rather wait for the warmer weather, then April/May and September/October are probably the best time to visit. In the height of summer, temperatures inside Arches NP can often exceed 100°F, which can make it almost unbearable to endure long hikes throughout the park. It also gets very busy in the middle of summer and the NPS rangers often limit cars going in and out of the park at certain hours of the day to try and reduce the volume of traffic.

How much does it cost to visit Arches National Park Utah?

The park fees at Arches National Park are as follows:

$30 for a private, non-commercial vehicle (15-passenger capacity or less).
$25 for motorbikes.
$15 per person with no car or transport (for those with a bicycle, hikers or pedestrians).

You can also use several annual memberships and park passes to gain entry to Arches for free. We purchased the ‘America the Beautiful – The National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series’ which costs $80 per vehicle and gives you unlimited yearly access to more than 2,000 federal recreation areas in the USA.

If you’re planning to visit at least 3-4 national parks while in America, I’d highly recommend purchasing the annual pass as it saves you a tonne of money in all the national parks!

Top tip: Between April and October, you will have to make a timed entry reservation before visiting Arches National Park.

What to pack for Arches National Park for one day

The weather in Arches National Park varies enormously depending on the time of year that you visit.

In the winter months, you’ll definitely need a warm coat and maybe even a hat, scarf and gloves if it gets really chilly. You should also ensure that you have strong hiking boots that are comfortable with plenty of grip on them, especially if it’s snowed inside the park.

In the summer, the number one thing you need to remember to pack for a visit to Arches is plenty of water. Temperatures inside the park can get very high in the middle of the day in the height of summer, so it’s incredibly important that you avoid dehydration at all costs.

Essentials for a visit to Arches all year round:

Sturdy/comfortable hiking/walking boots or a pair of comfy trainers that you can walk a lot in.
LOTS of water – especially in the summer months as it can get insanely hot during the day and it’s imperative to stay hydrated.
Sunscreen – even in the winter, the sun can be very harsh as you’re essentially in the middle of the desert.
Layers – in the summer months, it’s not as important to bring a jacket but it can still get cool on a night, so if you plan to be in the park after dark, make sure you have something you can layer.
Snacks – there are no restaurants or cafes once you’re inside the park, so make sure you bring enough food/water to fuel you for the day!

Which is better Bryce Canyon or Arches National Park?

This is almost impossible to answer! I loved both these parks so much and it’s such a hard question to answer as I’d highly recommend visiting both! If I absolutely had to pick just one to visit, I would probably say Arches National Park, but if you can manage to visit both on an American road trip, I promise you won’t regret it!

Can you drive your car through Arches National Park in a day?

Yes! This is by far the easiest and best way to explore Arches National Park Utah and it will make your experience a whole lot easier if you have your own car! You can take private tours to visit the park, but I think it’s much better if you have your own vehicle to get around so you can pull over and stop whenever you want to see something inside the park.

Arches National Park is approximately a 36-mile round-trip from the Visitor Center when you first arrive, all the way to the Devil’s Garden Trailhead. Of course, there are lots of little roads leading off the main road that runs all the way through the park, plus dozens of miles of hiking trails throughout the park.

Driving one way through the park without any stop would take you between 30-45 minutes, depending on how busy the traffic is throughout the park, but of course, you’ll be stopping at many points along the way to see all the cool arches and rocks!

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Is Arches National Park Utah on your bucket list? What’s your favourite national park in America? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram at @imjustagirl_16.