Dear NEXT TRAVELER to Arches National Park in Moab!

Arches National Park is an amazing place! The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches that have been formed over millions of years and are incredible to see. The first time I visited Arches was in 1995 when I was in college in Idaho. We took a road trip for Spring Break, camped in the desert and explored the arches. I was overwhelmed then at the incredible scenery. Many years later, I couldn’t wait to take my family to see the Arches. We made it part of our cross-country road-trip in 2020. It was even more spectacular that I remembered! There is so much to see, climb & hike. As of 2026, it costs $30 to enter the park in a private vehicle.

Arches National Park
Highlights/Recommendations:
1. Delicate Arch
2. Landscape Arch
3. The Windows Section & Double O Arch
4. Balanced Rock
5. Park Avenue and Courthouse Towers
6. Fiery Furnace
7. Skyline Arch

Delicate Arch. The most famous arch at Arches National Park is 52 feet tall and has become a widely recognized icon of the state of Utah. The opening beneath the arch is 46 feet high and 32 feet wide, making it the largest free-standing arch in the park. The best way to see it is to hike the 3 miles to it. There is a bit of a climb to Delicate Arch but overall not a bad 3 mile hike. There are some areas as you get closer to Delicate Arch that you’ll need to be especially careful, but the views are worth it! Interesting note – this Arch has had several names, but acquired it’s current name in 1934 in an article which described it as “the most delicately chiseled arch in the entire area.”

Landscape Arch. In the Devils Garden area, it’s North Americas longest arch at 306 feet. It’s a 1.6 mile roundtrip hike.

The Windows Section. This section is one of the most scenic locations in the entire park. Double Arch in located in this section. The tallest opening is 112 feet and a span of 144 feet. The trail to Double O Arch is rather difficult – there are narrow ledges with steep drop-offs. Hikers must use their hands and feet to scramble and climb. Though somewhat challenging, the hike to Double O Arch has incredible views. The Double O Arch was featured in the opening scene of the movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

Balanced Rock. At 128 feet tall, Balanced Rock is amazing. It looks like the 3,600 ton rock is balancing on a lower rock. It’s only a short .3 mile hike to Balanced Rock. Balanced Rock is located at the beginning of the park. It’s usually one of the first formations you can see.

Park Avenue and Courthouse Towers. The way the walls of this canyon line up, it looks like a big city street, hence the name of Park Avenue. The trail to the viewpoint is flat and paved.

Fiery Furnace. This hike does require a permit and I haven’t personally done it. If you’re interested and up for it, “The Fiery Furnace is a natural labyrinth of narrow passages between towering sandstone walls. Hiking in the Fiery Furnace is a different experience from other trails in the park. You may encounter dead ends and it can be easy to get lost. There are small markers for one counter-clockwise route in the Fiery Furnace, but there are many other possible paths, and getting lost is a real possibility. You will need to choose your steps wisely. The park recommends first-time visitors to the Fiery Furnace join a ranger-guided tour or go with someone who has been before.”

Skyline Arch. We hadn’t included Skyline in our plan for the day but we saw the sign for it and thought it would be great for our younger children. They loved it. It was a quick trail (.2 mile walk) to the arch. Our oldest daughter even climbed up in a nearby tree. This arch is even more interesting because it has had significant change. In the 1940s, a larger boulder fell out of the arch, making the opening wider.

We spent around 6 hours exploring the Arches. By then, our younger kids were ready to call it a day. You can absolutely spend several days camping and hiking through all the trails. There is so much to explore! To finish the day, we had dinner at Zak Restaurant in Moab. The pizza was amazing!