Arches National Park Travel Guide
Sometimes when we visit a national park we drive to all the park highlights. Not the case with Arches National Park!
We picnicked and hiked and got real close and personal with those beautiful natural arches. We were tired and maybe a little tired of each other by the end of the difficult hike, but it was so worth it! Check out our travel video of Arches National Park here and keep reading below all the details of what we did.
Arches National Park Quick Stats
Size: 76,519 acres
Location: Eastern Utah
National Park Established In: 1971
Best For: Hiking, car camping, ROCK ARCHITECTURE!, cycling
WHAT TO DO
While we wanted to get up close and personal with this national park, there is a great scenic drive called… you may have guessed it… Arches Scenic Drive! It’s 19 miles that will take about 90 minutes to drive, but can take far longer if you stop to take pictures and marvel at the views!
If you have the time, check out Balanced Rock. Things in this park are pretty literally named. It’s a huge rock balanced on a much smaller rock structure, and it’s a lot cooler than it sounds. Best part? It’s only 0.3 miles from a parking lot so it’s just a quick 15 minute walk to the structure.
There are over 2,000 documented arches, although that number is always changing because some may have fallen and new arches may be forming.
The longest arch is Landscape Arch, which has a light opening of 306 feet.
The tallest arch is Double Arch South, which has a vertical light opening of 112 feet.
Want more ideas of what to explore? This was my favorite Arches blog when I was planning our trip!
WHAT WE DID
We decided to be a little ambitious with these three kiddos and hike the three mile trail to Delicate Arch, about 90 minutes out or three hours for the full hike. The hike was rated “difficult,” but the kids did great! The hike to the arch is mostly uphill, but that means the hike back is much easier!
The general consensus is that it was slightly easier than the hike we did in the Grand Canyon. These kids are really old pros by now!
Delicate Arch is the main attraction in Arches National Park, so you can assume there will be crowds if you go in the spring or fall.
We visited February when there are fewer crowds. I loved going in February! By the time we got warmed up, we were all in pants and light long-sleeved shirts. I don’t know how people do it in warmer weather!
WHERE TO STAY
Adventure Inn is a family-run hotel in nearby Moab. It’s a quick seven-minute drive from the park’s entrance. The rooms are affordable and you get a free hot breakfast (and high-speed internet) with your stay!
WHERE WE STAYED
We stayed at Moab Valley RV Resort. This was our hub while visiting Utah parks!
WHEN TO GO
Spring and fall are technically the high season, with temperatures ranging between the 30’s and mid-80’s during both seasons. We went in February and felt the weather was perfect and refreshing for our longer hike. There were also fewer people, which was great for photos! I would really suggest avoiding going in summertime when temperatures are regularly in the 100’s.
FUN FACT
There are five National Parks in Utah! We stayed at Moab Valley RV Resort and visited three National Parks from that home hub.
Arches National Park (3 miles from resort)
Canyonlands National Park (30 miles from resort)
See what we did here!
Capitol Reef National Park (134 miles from resort)
TIP
When it comes to Delicate Arch, you may have to choose between going when there are fewer people and going when the light is best for photos. Because trust me, you’re going to want photos of this!
The best time to photograph the arch is sunrise (meaning you start your hike before dawn), sunset (meaning you walk back in the semi-darkness), or late afternoon.
The best time to avoid crowds is in the early morning, which gives you harder light to work with for pictures.
WHERE TO EAT
We pack a great lunch and plenty of snacks. Kids carry their own food and water in their backpacks.
Here’s what we use on every hike.
KID FRIENDLY?
Yes, there are so many benefits to hiking with kids. It’s a great opportunity to teach real life lessons about risk and safety. It also allows them to be in nature, be creative, and to create their own adventure.
There are so many great things to stop and explore, so the kids get to be in charge of what they want to explore. A hike is kind of a kid’s curiosity playground. They get to jump on rocks, play in a puddle, ask tons of questions, etc.
Here’s what I take on every hike.
YES! MY KIDS LOVED THE JR. RANGER PROGRAM:
This is such a great way to get the kids involved and really get excited about the park. You can go on the park website and download all the information and resources and print it beforehand so you can learn about it with your kids before you go. Then you’d turn your booklet into a ranger at the visitors center and receive your Jr. Ranger pins, or you can wait until you get to the National Park (that’s what we do), and receive a beautifully colorful workbook, do the activities while at the National Park, then head back to the visitors center (before they close) and receive the pins.
Either is great! We love the workbook the parks provide, and it means we don’t have to figure out where to get the content printed.
HERE’S WHAT I BOUGHT TO MAKE THIS EVEN MORE FUN FOR THE KIDS
CATCH UP ON ALL OUR AIRSTREAM ADVENTURES HERE.
LOOKING FOR A HANDY GUIDE (WITH LINKS AND EVEN MORE FUN PICTURES) TO ALL THE INFO ABOVE?
