Arches National Park: Over 2,000 Natural Stone Arches in Eastern Utah

Arches National Park in eastern Utah contains the highest concentration of natural stone arches in the world: more than 2,000, ranging from small windows in rock faces to the 88-metre span of Landscape Arch, one of the longest natural spans on earth. The arches formed over millions of years as water, wind, and freeze-thaw cycles eroded the Entrada Sandstone, leaving fins and then openings that will eventually collapse under their own weight. Wall Arch, once one of the park’s largest, fell in 2010. The landscape is temporary in geological terms; you’re seeing it at a specific moment.

Important 2024 note: Arches implements a timed-entry permit system from April through October. Permits are required for entry during peak hours and must be reserved in advance at recreation.gov ($2 per vehicle reservation fee, separate from the $35 park entrance fee). Without a permit during the required window, you will be turned away at the gate. Book well ahead for spring and autumn weekends.

The Main Attractions

Delicate Arch: The icon of Utah, on every licence plate in the state. 64 feet tall, freestanding on a sandstone slickrock bowl above Canyonlands. The 3-mile round-trip hike gains 480 feet in elevation. Allow 2-3 hours. Go at sunset for the light; go early morning to have the arch with fewer people. The popularity is justified: the arch is genuinely extraordinary up close in a way that photographs don’t fully convey.

Fiery Furnace: A maze of narrow canyons between sandstone fins. Entry requires either a guided ranger tour (reservation at recreation.gov, limited spots) or a self-guided permit with a short orientation. The maze is real, getting lost is easy and the routes aren’t marked. Worth the extra effort for the enclosed, shadowed character it has compared to the open panoramas elsewhere.

Landscape Arch: In Devils Garden, via a 1.6-mile one-way trail. At 88 metres, it is one of the longest natural arches in the world. Parts of it fell in 1991; the remaining span is visibly thinner in the middle. The trail beyond it to Double O Arch is worth taking for the view back.

Balanced Rock: 1-mile loop, minimal elevation, impressive close-up of the 16-metre balanced formation. Worth a stop on the scenic drive.

Practical Notes

Moab, 8km south of the entrance, is the base. Full range of accommodation from budget motels to boutique hotels; book months ahead for April-May and September-October. The park’s scenic drive is 26 miles one-way with accessible viewpoints; allow at least 2-3 hours for the drive with stops.

Summer (June-August) temperatures exceed 40C. Early morning starts (before 8am) are necessary for hiking in summer. Spring and autumn are the best seasons. Winter sees few visitors and occasional snow that makes the red rock scenery striking.

Canyonlands National Park, 30km southwest, covers a different geological landscape (canyons and mesas rather than arches) and can be combined for a 2-3 day Moab itinerary.