Visiting Arches National Park: The Complete Guide for 2024

If you hear the theme song from Indiana Jones when you look at images from Arches National Park, you are in good company. This iconic National Park was the backdrop for the opening sequence of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The young Indiana Jones attempts to save the day below some of the park’s more than 2,000 arches. Visitors to Arches National Park can visit many of the locations from this film.

If you are planning a trip to Arches National Park and need some help planning your trip, this is our starter guide for visiting Arches National Park. We often have detailed, in-depth guides to Arches National Park trip planning and will link to these where appropriate to make your trip planning as easy as possible.

The article will discuss all aspects of visiting Arches National Park, including:

• Maps of Arches National Park
• General Information about Arches
• How to Make the Most of Your Visit
• Best Things to do in Arches
• Nearby National Parks

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Articles about Arches National Park

General Articles about Arches National Park

• Arches Timed Entry: What You Need to Know

Arches National Park Lodging

• Arches National Park Camping
• Best Salt Lake City RV Rentals

Itineraries for Arches National Park

• One Day in Arches National Park

Downloadable Itineraries for Arches National Park

• Mini 1-Day Arches National Park Itinerary
• Mini 2-Day Arches and Canyonlands National Parks Itinerary
• Mini 3-Day Arches and Canyonlands National Parks Itinerary
• Mini 7-Day Utah National Park Itinerary
• All Access Pass, including all Current and Future Digital Downloads

Looking for an itinerary specially designed for you? Let National Park Obsessed’s founder design the perfect itineary just for you. Get a Custom National Park Itinerary Here. Or do you just want to chat 1-on-1 with a Natioanl Park planning expert? Book a National Park Travel Consultation.

Arches National Park Activity Guides

• Things You Can’t Miss on Your First Visit to Arches

Road Trips That Include Arches National Park

• Ultimate 7-Day Utah National Park Road Trip

Other Articles featuring Arches National Park

• Best National Parks for Spring
• Best National Park Day Hikes

Map of Arches National Park

Click on the Arches Map above to download the official brochure map. If you’d like a PDF copy of this Arches Map click here.

Arches National Park Basics

• Region: Southwest / West Coast
• State: Utah
• Park Size: 76,679 acres (119.811 sq miles) (310.31 sq km)
• Location: Grand County
• Closest Cities: Moab, Utah
• Busy Season: April to October
• Visitation: 1,482,045 (in 2023)
• Funniest 1-Star Review: “This park was extremely underwhelming. I went in with low expectations ready to see a couple rocks with holes, instead what I saw where many stone pillars that resembled circumcised donkey dicks. Over all has some pretty nice rocks though take the kids!”
• Official Website: NPS.gov

How much does Arches National Park Cost?

Arches National Park costs the following:

• 7-day Passenger Vehicle Pass – $30
• 7-day Motorcycle Pass – $25
• 7-day Individual Pass – $7

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When is Arches National Park Open?

Arches National Park is open year-round.

Are dogs allowed in Arches National Park?

Yes, pets are welcome in Arches National Park but are limited to developed areas such as roads, parking areas, picnic areas, and campgrounds. Pets are not allowed on trails or overlooks. Please review the Arches Pet Policy before bringing your dog to Arches.

• Pets must be leashed at all times.
• Leashes must be 6 feet (1.8 meters) long or less.
• Pets may not make excessive noise that impacts visitors or wildlife.
• Pet excrement must be immediately collected by the pet handler and disposed of in the nearest trash receptacle.
• Leaving a pet unattended and tied to an object (other than your own parked vehicle) is prohibited.
• Pets may not be led by a leash from a bicycle or vehicle.
• Pets may not be left unattended in vehicles if it creates a danger to the animal or if the animal becomes a public nuisance. Cars heat up quickly. When air temperatures exceed 65°F/18°C, a pet in a vehicle may die—even with the windows cracked.
• Pets are not allowed:
  • on any hiking trails, or anywhere off-trail, even while in a carrier
  • at any overlooks
  • in the visitor center or any building
• Leashed pets may accompany you in the following areas:
  • Along established roads or in parking areas
  • In established campgrounds and picnic areas

Where are Arches National Park’s visitor centers?

• Arches National Park Visitor Center – Open Year Around

Land Acknowledgment

The park, now known as Arches National Park, is on Núu-agha-tʉvʉ-pʉ̱ (Ute) land.

Thank you to the Native Land Digital for making the Indigenous territories accessible to all. They have mapped the known territories to the best of the current knowledge and is a work in progress. If you have additional information on the Indigenous nations boundaries, please let them know.

Native Land Digital is a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization with the goal to creates spaces where non-Indigenous people can be invited and challenged to learn more about the lands they inhabit, the history of those lands, and how to actively be part of a better future going forward together.

How Much Time Should I Spend Visiting Arches National Park?

If you have a couple of hours in Arches National Park, hike to the Windows, Double Arch, Garden of Eden, Balanced Rock.

If you have one day in Arches National Park, hike to Landscape Arch and see sunset at Delicate Arch.

If you have two days in Arches National Park, take a tour or hike in Fiery Furance.

If you have three or more days in Arches National Park, hike Park Ave or rent a 4×4 and drive to Eye of the Whale Arch, or visit Canyonlands.

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Things to do in Arches National Park

Hiking in Arches National Park

• The Windows – 1.2 miles (round trip) – 150 ft elevation gain – A short hike to the base of 3 different arches – North Arch, South Arch, and Turret Arches.
• Landscape Arch – 1.9 miles (round trip) – 250 ft elevation gain – This popular hike leads to a spectacular ribbon of rock that is more than 100 yards long.
• Delicate Arch – 3.2 mile (round trip)-630 ft elevation gain – Hike along the slickrock out to the most iconic arch in the park. The trail is marked by cairns. Bring a flashlight if doing a sunset hike.
• Fiery Furnace – 2.1 mile (round trip)-500 ft elevation gain – This permit only hike takes hikers through a labyrinth of narrow sandstone canyons. This is an advanced hike.

Best Things to Do in Arches National Park

• Balanced Rock Trail
• Sand Dune Arch
• Junior Ranger Badge
• Skyline Arch
• Delicate Arch
• Nature Trail

Best Things to See in Arches National Park

• Courthouse Towers
• Double Arch
• Fiery Furnace Viewpoint
• Courthouse Wash Rock Art
• Petrified Dunes Viewpoint
• Panorama Point

Best Guided Tours of Arches National Park

Arches National Park Wildlife

• Western Collared
• Lizard
• American Kestrel
• White-throated Swift
• Kangaroo Rat
• Desert Bighorn Sheep
• Dark-eyed Junco

Where to stamp your National Parks Passport Book in Arches National Park?

The National Park Passport Book is the BEST and cheapest National Park souvenir. Every National Park Obsessed person should have one of these books.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT stamp your government-issued passport.

There are three official stamps for Arches National Park. Here is the list of National Park Passport Stamps you can get in Arches National Park:

• Moab, UT
• Moab, Utah
• NPS Centennial

Bonus Stamps

• Junior Ranger
• Moab, Utah (Delicate Arch)

Arches National Park Passport Stamp Locations

Here are all the locations to find the Arches National Park Passport Stamps. Not every stamp is available at every location.

• Arches NP – Visitor Center – Bookstore
• Arches NP – Visitor Center – Stamping Station
• Canyonlands NP – Headquarters
• NHT Moab Information Center

National Parks Near Arches National Park

National Park Service units within a 4 hours drive

• Arches National Park
• Aztec Ruins National Monument
• Canyon De Chelly National Monument
• Capitol Reef National Park
• Dinosaur National Monument
• Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
• Hovenweep National Monument
• Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site
• Natural Bridges National Monument
• Navajo National Monument
• Timpanogos Cave National Monument

National Park Service units within an 8 hours drive

• Bandelier National Monument
• Bryce Canyon National Park
• Capulin Volcano National Monument
• Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
• Cedar Breaks National Monument
• Chaco Culture National Historical Park
• City of Rocks National Reserve
• Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
• El Malpais National Monument
• El Morro National Monument
• Fort Union National Monument
• Fossil Butte National Monument
• Golden Spike National Historical Park
• Grand Canyon National Park
• Great Basin National Park
• Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument
• Hohokam Pima National Monument
• Lake Mead National Recreation Area
• Manhattan Project National Historical Park
• Minidoka National Historic Site
• Montezuma Castle National Monument
• Pecos National Historical Park
• Petrified Forest National Park
• Petroglyph National Monument
• Pipe Spring National Monument
• Rainbow Bridge National Monument
• Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
• Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
• Tonto National Monument
• Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument
• Tuzigoot National Monument
• Valles Caldera National Preserve
• Walnut Canyon National Monument
• Wupatki National Monument
• Zion National Park

Final Thoughts on Arches National Park

Do you have any questions about Arches National Park, let us know in the comments below or need help planning your National Park trips. Let me know in the comments or join me in my National Park Trip Planning Community!

Pin for Later: The Complete Guide to Visiting Arches National Park in 2024