Arches National Park

Arches National Park:  How to plan your trip

Arches National Park is one of the top 10 most beautiful parks in the southwestern United States. How to get into it, how much it costs and other useful information about the Arches National park.

What is Arches National Park and why go there

If you go to the USA as a tourist or a traveler, then for nature and national parks. We are primarily interested in everything that is located within a car with the start of a trip from Los Angeles or Las Vegas.

Arches National Park (NP Arches) is one of several dozen national parks in the southwestern United States. It's not as big as Canyonlands or Yosemite, but incredibly beautiful.

There are a great many arches scattered throughout America, but only in the Arches Park they are carefully collected by nature in a fairly compact area. So compact that one might assume that this US Department of Tourism has colluded with the forces of nature. But scientists say that Arches formed over millions of years.

There are more than 2,000 arches in the park, the most interesting are several dozen, and we will talk about them. And also about what time is best to go, and how long it takes to see as much as possible in the Arches National Park and what to see first.

Arches National Park

Where is the park, useful information about Arches National Park

Arches National Park is located in Utah near the small town of Moab, a typical representative of the American outback. Mostly white Americans live in the city, the very ones on whose votes President Trump staked.

The city of  Moab,  although small, is located in such a place that it is worth devoting a separate post to it.

Arches National Park is 8 km away. from the city of Moeb, you need to go north and move along highway No. 191. Approximately 10 minutes after the check-out, you will park near the visitor center.

Before the trip, I advise you to read our article on how to safely drive a car in the USA and some parking rules in the USA.

Opening hours of the park: all year round and around the clock.

How much does it cost to visit the park: $25 per vehicle. If you are going to visit several parks, it is worth buying an annual subscription to US National Parks at the visitor center, which costs $80.

The Visitor Center is open from 8:00 to 16:30, in winter from 8:30 to 16:00

Distance from Las Vegas to Arches Park - 730 km, travel time 6.5 - 7.5 hours

The distance from Los Angeles to Arches Park is about 1200 km.

The distance between Las Vegas and Los Angeles is 435 km.

Arches Park is also adjacent to Canyonlands Park and Dead Horse Park.

What to do in the park if you come for 2-3 hours

If you come to see the Arches Park and the time is only 2-3 hours, it is worth driving along the Scenic Drive, 58 km long. which is laid along the Arches park with several stops.

What to do in the park if you come for half a day

If you have half a day left, you can:

• Make it to the Scenic Drive

• Make a short track through the park, for example, walk along the  Park Avenue Trail

• The road that leads to the section of the park called Windows.

Things to do in the park if you're here for the day

Drive along Scenic Drive and go through several long tracks such as the track to the arches:

• Double O Arch (Double O Arch)

• Tower Arch (tower arch)

• Delicate Arch (Delicate Arch) 

• Landscape Arch (Picturesque Arch)

What to do in the park if you come for a few days

In a few days in Arches National Park, you can afford to be everywhere, including a section of the park called Primitive Loop or Devil's Garden, which are on the outskirts of Arches National Park.

Arches National Park, Scenic drive

How to get to Arches National Park, Utah

There are a couple of stupid ways that are advised on the Internet, like buses in conjunction with trains ... I'm not a masochist, I think that you are too. Therefore, we fly either to Los Angeles or to Las Vegas, we rent a car right at the airport and set off to conquer the US Wild West.

Of course there are still flights through New York and then to the city of Salt Lake City. But, as for me, through Los Angeles is more pleasant and interesting, and often cheaper.

You can buy a cheap ticket to Los Angeles through the aviasales.com website - this is an aggregator that collects the best deals on destinations from airlines and recommends the most optimal flight time and price. In addition, they have a low price calendar, which we love for unexpected pleasant surprises.

What to see in Arches Park, the most interesting

I have already said that in the park there are dozens of the coolest arches created by nature, in addition, there are also Windows that are slightly different in geometry.

A picturesque road leads to all the main arches and viewing platforms (view point), which is called Arches Scenic Drive, its length is 58 km. and you have to go through it. Parking in the park is free, but sometimes you need to look for places in the season.

Be sure to take the Arches park map from the tourist center, it is easy to navigate, and I will list the most interesting arches and places in the park.

Double Arch - a very popular Arch located near the entrance to the park, it is also one of the most photogenic.

Arches National Park, Double Arch photo

Arch Double "O" (Double O Arch) - located next to the Picturesque Arch, you can watch both in one track.

Picturesque arch (Landscape Arch) - the arch is so thin that it was fenced off from tourists, but I'm afraid that it won't last much, hurry up if you have time.

Arches National Park, Landscape Arch

The Delicate Arch is the most popular Arch, it can be viewed from afar through a small but impassable canyon or walk along the track that leads directly to the Arch itself. Be careful! This Arch is very popular among Chinese tourists who are brought by bus. The best time is early in the morning.

Arches National Park, Delicate Arch

"Devil's Garden" (Devil's Garden) - these are eight beautiful arches, which are located quite far from the road. A hiking trail leads to them, you will have time only if you stay in the park on the second day.

Balanced Rock (balancing rock) - miraculously balancing a huge stone at the base attracts tourists.

The Windows - windows, these are three massive Arches, you can climb on them and take beautiful photos.

Arches National Park photo

Also interesting are Sand Dune Arch, Skyline Arch and Tower Arch, which also have separate walking tracks.

Where to sleep near Arches National Park, Utah

There is one campsite in the park. Places need to be ordered in advance, it’s impossible to put up a tent just anywhere – rangers are watching this.

Devils Garden Campground is  28 km away. from the entrance to the park. Overnight price is $20 per bed. Visit recreation.gov for details, or call (877) 444-6777, (877) 833-6777 (TDD), or (518) 885-3639.

Moab Valley RV Resort & Campground is a popular campsite in Moab with a pool and BBQ facilities. You can stop and spend the night in a car - the cheapest option for an overnight stay.

Moab Beds and Bagels are a great Bad & Breakfast option, spacious and very comfortable.

Red Cliffs Lodge - A lodge with great views of the surrounding area and an on-site horse farm, close to the Colorado River.

We lived in an apartment complex called Purple Sage - I recommend it to everyone who loves comfort and does not like to overpay. Two-room apartment with kitchen, mini-laundry, bathroom and internet, parking in front of the house is free.

Arches National Park

Where to eat near Arches Park

In the park itself, there is no food in the form of cafes and restaurants, or even seedy fast food. For Americans, rest is separate, food is a completely different story in another place.

The nearest place where you can have a bite or eat in the city of Moab (Moab), the main street is full of restaurants and cafes.

Travel Tips

A car trip to the national parks of Utah and Arizona should be combined with an overnight stay in Las Vegas. Plan subsequent overnight stays in cities such as Kanab, Page and Moab, as well as Tusayan (Grand Canyon). From these points, it is best to plan a circular route through US parks or radial trips.

Always take water with you. The climate in these places belongs to the desert - it is very dry and you always want to drink, there is nowhere to buy water in the park. For the whole day you need to take at least 1 liter. per person.

In Moab, as well as in other parks in this area, sudden changes in temperature are typical in the morning, it can be cool and even cold, during the day it is very warm and cold again in the evening. We were in early June - it was just such a weather, a warm jacket or windbreaker is required. In winter, the weather is quite different - snow and cold.

The best time to travel is April-May, the high season begins in summer - there are a lot of Chinese and Americans who travel these days. In addition, it is very hot in summer - up to +40, not very comfortable.

Read also: 

• Canyonlands National Park (Island in the sky) | Guide 

• Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah - history, photos, review and useful information