Arches National Park sits just five miles north of Moab, Utah and packs more than 2,000 natural stone arches into a compact, jaw-dropping landscape of red sandstone fins and balanced rocks. The trails range from paved strolls to scrambling routes across slickrock, so there is something here whether you have an hour or a full day. Here are seven hikes worth lacing up for, plus the timing tricks that keep you out of the worst desert heat.
Delicate Arch: The One Everyone Wants
The hike to Delicate Arch, the freestanding arch on Utah's license plate, is the park's signature trek. It is roughly 3 miles round trip with about 480 feet of climbing, much of it up an exposed slickrock slope with no shade. The reward at the top is one of the most famous views in the American Southwest, especially at sunset when the arch glows orange. Start early or go late, carry at least two liters of water per person, and bring a headlamp if you stay for the sunset.
Devils Garden: The Best Long Hike
For a bigger day, the Devils Garden Trail at the end of the park road delivers the most arches per mile. A short out-and-back reaches Landscape Arch, one of the longest stone spans in the world. Push past it onto the primitive loop, about 7.8 miles total, and you string together Double O Arch, Partition Arch, and Navajo Arch with some genuine scrambling along narrow fins. This is the trail for hikers who want solitude and variety.
- Landscape Arch only: 1.9 miles round trip, easy and mostly flat.
- Full primitive loop: 7.8 miles, strenuous, with exposed scrambling.
The Windows and Double Arch
If you want maximum payoff for minimal effort, head to the Windows Section. The Windows Loop is about 1 mile and visits North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch on a gentle path. Across the parking lot, Double Arch is a flat half-mile to a pair of soaring arches that share a stone base. Both are perfect for families and for late-afternoon light. For hikes beyond Arches, including Mesa Arch in Canyonlands and Corona Arch on BLM land, see our best Moab hikes guide.
Fiery Furnace: The Adventurous Maze
The Fiery Furnace is a labyrinth of narrow sandstone canyons and fins. It requires a permit or a ranger-led tour because there is no marked trail and it is easy to get lost. If you can secure a spot, it is one of the most memorable experiences in the park, full of hidden arches and tight slot passages.
Park Avenue and Balanced Rock
Right near the entrance, the Park Avenue Trail drops you between towering walls on a 1-mile point-to-point through a dramatic canyon corridor. Nearby, the short loop around Balanced Rock circles a massive boulder perched impossibly on a slender pedestal in well under half a mile.
When to Hike and What to Bring
Summer in Arches is dangerous, with temperatures over 100 degrees and almost no shade, so plan strenuous hikes for sunrise. Spring and fall are the ideal seasons. Arches does not require a timed-entry reservation in 2026, so you can drive in at any time during operating hours. Fiery Furnace permits and Devils Garden Campground reservations are still required, and the rule has changed before, so confirm the current requirements on the National Park Service website before you go. Pack more water than feels reasonable, sturdy shoes with grip for slickrock, sun protection, and salty snacks.
Make It a Full Moab Adventure
Hiking is only half of what makes this corner of Utah special. After a morning on the trails, trade your boots for a paddle and get out on the water. Our Moab and Lake Powell kayaking itinerary shows how to combine the red-rock hikes of Arches with calm flatwater paddling on the Colorado River and Lake Powell for the complete desert trip.
Best Hikes in Arches National Park Near Moab FAQs
The Delicate Arch trail is the most iconic at about 3 miles round trip, leading to Utah's most famous arch. For a longer, quieter adventure with more variety, the Devils Garden primitive loop is the best long hike in the park.
The entrance to Arches National Park is only about five miles north of downtown Moab, roughly a ten-minute drive, making it easy to base in town and hike the park across multiple days.
Not in 2026. Arches dropped its timed-entry reservation for general park access, so you can drive in at any time during operating hours. Fiery Furnace permits (self-guided and ranger-led) and Devils Garden Campground reservations are still required, and the rule has changed year to year, so check the National Park Service website before your trip.
The Garden of Eden is an early stop on the Delicate Arch Trail, a short climb from the Wolfe Ranch trailhead to a viewpoint over a cluster of balanced rock formations. It comes before the exposed slickrock climb up to the arch itself, so it makes a good turnaround point if you want a shorter walk.
Yes. A short signed spur off the Delicate Arch Trail, about a quarter mile from the Wolfe Ranch trailhead, leads to the Wolfe Ranch petroglyph panel, rock art carved by Ute or Paiute people sometime between about 1650 and 1850. Look for a horse and rider surrounded by bighorn sheep.
Delicate Arch at sunset, the Windows section at sunrise, and Balanced Rock in late-afternoon light are the classic shots. Double Arch and Landscape Arch both work well at midday too, since they face open sky rather than the sun.
Commercial operators based in Moab run guided sunset tours that combine a scenic drive with short walks to the Windows, Turret Arch, and the Delicate Arch viewpoint, typically about four hours. The park also runs its own ranger-led programs, shorter and free, focused on one spot at a time; check the current schedule at the visitor center.
Yes. The worked day-by-day plan is Colorado River Kayaking Trips: A 3-Day Moab and Lake Powell Itinerary (3 Days), with the permits, the stays and the drive times already sorted. Tell us your dates and we will put it together for you and confirm what is genuinely open on those days. Asking is free: no card, no deposit, and nothing is held until you say yes.
