Located in Southern Utah, visitors to Arches National Park will experience an otherworldly landscape of beautiful red sandstone, towering arches that defy gravity, and wide open desert views. Having visited many of the desert national parks, including Joshua Tree and Death Valley, I was a little worried Arches would pale by comparison…. However, I was blown away by the colorful rocks, dramatic arches in all shapes and sizes, and beautiful juniper and sagebrush-dominated landscape! This unique national park is definitely worth a visit, and today I’m sharing the ultimate Arches National Park 2 day itinerary.

While you could easily spend anywhere from one to four days visiting Arches National Park, I recommend planning a two day trip. This will let you see all of the park’s main highlights without being too rushed. Below you will find our Arches National Park 2 day itinerary, as well as when to visit, tips on what to pack, and where to stay during your trip.

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The ultimate Arches National Park 2 day itinerary

Below you will find out Arches National Park 2 day itinerary. You’ll also find information about the best time of year to visit Arches, what to pack for your trip, and where to stay in Moab when visiting the national parks nearby.

The best time of year to visit Arches National Park

There are a few factors to consider when deciding the best time of year to visit Arches National Park. For me, the main considerations are crowds, timed entry restrictions, and weather. Below is some information to consider when planning a trip to Arches.

Regarding crowds, the busiest times of year to visit Arches National Park are May – October, with April/May and September/October being the “prime” seasons. During this time of year timed entry tickets are required to enter the park. In 2025 the timed entry dates are April 1 – July 6 and August 28 – October 30, 2025. However, visitors can enter the park without reservations before 7 am and after 4 pm. If you want to visit during the peak season you’ll need to plan ahead to get tickets. You’ll also face high prices for hotels and other lodging options, as well as crowds in town. Parking at trailheads can also be a challenge.

Another major consideration when planning a trip to Arches are the temperatures. Like many desert environments in the American southwest, Arches National Park is cold in winter and hot in summer. The average high in December and January is in the mid-40’s, and visitors can encounter snow. Average snowfall per year is about 4 inches, but snow rarely sticks around for more than a few days. On the flip side, summer temperatures are quite warm. Average high temperatures from June – September are close to, or exceed, 90 degrees, which I find unpleasant (and sometimes unsafe) for hiking.  

When to visit Arches

So, what time of year should you visit Arches National Park? If you want to avoid the busy season (which means crowds, timed entry tickets, and high prices for hotels!) I recommend planning a trip for December – March.

We visited in January 2025 and the conditions were perfect. While the desert is cold in the early morning, we were able to stay plenty warm with proper layering. We also shed most of our layers during our hikes, since it’s quite warm in the desert sun! We also didn’t have to deal with crowds, which was fantastic. If you want to visit during the most temperate weather, then April and October are great options!

Where to stay when visiting Arches National Park

When we visited Arches National Park we stayed at Hoodoo Moab, which we highly recommend. This property is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton, which are known for their one-of-a-kind destinations and elevated properties.

What did we like about Hoodoo Moab? Most importantly, the rooms were quiet and the beds were comfortable. However, what really stood out were the hotel vibes and amenities. The entire property had a lovely, understated elegance. The decor reflected the desert colors, and the hotel rooms offered fantastic views of the red rocks surrounding Moab. 

The Hoodoo is also centrally located in Moab, which means you can easily walk to just about everything in town. There is a fantastic outdoor pool and hot tub that make this a great spot for families. There is also an on-site restaurant called Josie Wyatt’s Grille. You can find more details on the restaurant below in our itinerary.

In addition to lots of hotels, there is also a ton of BLM land around Arches. If free, off-grid camping is your style, that’s also a great option! In addition to our hotel stay, we spent a few days free camping on federal land in our truck camper. We found the free camping options in Moab to be convenient and enjoyable.

What to pack for a trip to Arches National Park

• America the Beautiful park pass – If you plan to visit more than two national parks a year (usually $30 per entry), then I highly recommend purchasing the America the Beautiful park pass. The pass is $80 for the entire year and offers unlimited entry to all national parks and national monuments! 
• Trail Campons (in winter) – Trail crampons (also called ‘microspikes’) are placed over your shoes so that they grip the icy trails when you’re walking, preventing slips and falls.
• Hand warmers (in winter) – Arches can get COLD! I love these rechargeable hand warmers from Zippo. 
• Large water bottle – Arches does not provide drinking fountains at trailheads. You are responsible for packing in all of your own water! However, the visitor center has a drinking fountain and water bottle fill station open year-round.
• Sun protection – Arches is incredibly sunny and bright year round (even in winter)! Visitors should always pack sunscreen, sunglasses, and clothing that protects your skin from sunburn. One of our hot weather staples is REI’s Sahara Sun Hoodie (for women and men). We love these because they offer UPF 50+ sun protection, and they’re a good price point. 
• Hiking boots with good traction – The sandstone in this park can feel slick, meaning your shoes should have good traction for your safety. These hiking boots have been my go-to for over 4 years!

The perfect 2 day itinerary for Arches National Park

Below you’ll find our Arches National Park 2 day itinerary, which includes all our favorite trails. This itinerary minimizes your driving time and distances between hikes, letting you make the most of your trip to Arches National Park!

Day 1 in Arches

Hike the Devils Garden loop

If you only do one thing in Arches National Park, I think it should be a visit to Devils Garden. This is one of the top destinations in the national park, and is about a 30 minute drive from the national park’s main entrance station and visitor center. Parking is abundant, but fills up quickly during the busy season, so go early or late in the day if you want a spot! 

This trail offers amazing views of several fantastic arches. The highlight of Devils Garden is Landscape Arch, which is the longest arch in North America (pictured above)! With a light opening of over 300 feet, it’s truly a sight to behold.

In addition to landscape arch, there are a number of other notable arches along this trail. My favorites were Pine Tree Arch and Double O Arch (pictures above top/left). Depending what route you do, you may also see Navajo Arch, Partition Arch, Tunnel Arch, Private Arch (pictured above bottom/right), and Dark Angel (a rock tower, not an arch!).

There are several ways to do this hike, all with varying lengths and varying numbers of arches along the route. The shortest routes are about a mile round trip, with the longest being an 8 mile loop. The park service provides excellent descriptions of the options and lengths (along with a nice map) on this webpage.

We did the 8 mile version of this hike, which includes 7 arches and a primitive section of trail (pictured above) that requires wayfinding skills and scrambling. If you’re up for it I highly recommend that route! Another great option is to hike to Landscape arch and add on Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch, which is a 2.4 mile round trip hike. This omits the more challenging sections of the trail. 

Hike Sand Dune Arch and Broken Arch Loop (if time)

If you have extra time in the early to mid-afternoon I recommend hiking to Sand Dune Arch and Broken Arch, which are located relatively close to Devils Garden. This hike is typically 2.3 miles. However, we also added on a short segment of trail to Tapestry Arch, which made this a 2.8 mile round trip hike. Broken Arch is pictures above, and was my favorite of the three arches. If you’re not up for a 2+ mile hike, Sand Dune Arch is an easy 0.4 mile round trip journey. 

Trip tip: Sand dune arch is best photographed from BEHIND the arch, but I didn’t realize that until after we visited Arches National Park!

Each of the arches along this route are quite distinctive. Sand Dune Arch (above left/top) is tucked away amongst the red rocks, while Broken Arch (above right/bottom) is located across a brushy grassland. Broken Arch offers lovely views of the surrounding desert, and is less crowded than Sand Dune Arch. Tapestry Arch has three arches sitting side by side. However, it is not considered a triple arch since the three arches do not touch.

Visit the Fiery Furnace Overlook

Next, head to Fiery Furnace Overlook, which is 5 minutes down the road from the Sand Dune and Broken Arch parking lot. The overlook is a short walk from the fiery furnace parking lot, and offers views of the unique, fiery red sandstone formations of Fiery Furnace. This area is a natural labyrinth. We visited on a cloudy day, so the rocks looked a bit less ‘red’ than they did on subsequent sunny days!

An important note about visiting Fiery Furnace: anyone can visit the overlook. However, hiking anywhere within the Fiery Furnace requires a $10 day use permit per person, or joining a ranger-led walk. Walks aren’t offered in winter, and when they are offered they require a small fee. More details on walks and permits can be found here.

Watch the sunset at Delicate Arch 

End your day by watching the sun set at Delicate Arch. This is one of the most popular attractions in the national park. According to the park service, it’s also one of the most famous geologic features in the world! This spot gets very busy for sunrise and sunset during peak park visitation seasons, so arrive early if you want parking. 

There are a few ways to see the arch. If you want to see the arch up close you’ll need to do a 3 mile (round trip) hike with nearly 500 feet of elevation gain. It’s deceptively steep and tiring!  However, the reward is worth it. The arch sits in a  beautiful rock “bowl,” with lovely views of the La Sal Mountains behind it.

Delicate Arch is a great place for both sunrise and sunset photography! Just make sure to pack a headlamp for the journey back to the car of you go at sunset. Unfortunately, during our trip the conditions were a bit cloudy. As a result, we didn’t get the best sunset, despite hiking the trail at sunset TWICE! We also hiked this trial at sunrise. I liked the lighting best at sunrise, which you can see in the two images above the preceding paragraph. However, waking up super early (and braving the cold) wasn’t fun.

Trip tip: We are avid hikers, and it took us about 40 minutes to hike from the parking lot to the arch, so make sure to also allot sufficient time for your hike if you want to arrive before sunset.

How to see Delicate Arch without hiking

If you’re not up for hiking all the way to the arch there are two other options for seeing Delicate Arch without much hiking! Drive to the end of Delicate Arch Road, where you can do a short, flat walk to the Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint. You can also go to the upper viewpoint, which is a 0.5 mile (roundtrip) hike up a small hill. The arch is quite small and far away from these viewpoints, but they’re still a good option for seeing this iconic arch in the national park. Pictured above is the view of Delicate Arch from the upper viewpoint. I shot this with my 70-200 mm zoom lens.

Dinner at Thai Bella

End your night with the best Thai Food in Moab: Thai Bella! This adorable restaurant is tucked away just off the main street in Moab, and is a short walk from the Hoodoo. The owner, Bella, is incredibly kind, and the service is fast! I was especially impressed by the beautiful plating, and the attention to quality and freshness.

At Thai Bella we enjoyed Bella’s fresh roll and black pepper garlic green bean for appetizers, both of which were fantastic. The fresh rolls really stood out for their fresh flavor and colorful presentation! For dinner we had Khao-Soi, which is a delicious, brothy Thai street food with noodles. I think it might be my new favorite Thai dish! We also had Thai Basil, which was vegetable forward and had a delicious sweet and spicy chili basil sauce. For dessert we had fried banana, which was rich, warm, and indulgent. All of the dishes are pictured above.

Trip tip: this spot fills up EARLY! We went to dinner at 4:30 pm on a weekday during the off season, and by the time we left the restaurant was almost full. Plan accordingly, and consider making a reservation!

Day 2 in Arches

Hike Windows Loop Trail and Double Arch

Start your second day in Arches National Park day at the Windows Viewpoint and Trail. This spot is popular, so I recommend an early start! The trailhead is about 20 minutes away from the visitors center. 

I think this is the best “bang for your buck” hike in Arches. You’ll see beautiful arches and rock formations, all within a short 1 mile stretch of trail. Arches include Turret Arch (pictured in the opener to this section of the blog), North Window, and South Window. Pictured immediately above are two views of North Window. There are lots of good photo opportunities along this route, and it was one of Amiana’s favorite hikes in Arches National Park. 

Afterwards, starting from the same parking lot, hike to Double Arch, which is 0.6 miles round trip. This is the tallest arch in the national park, and is truly impressive! It features two dramatic arches that create a window to the sky, and is pictured above. The trail is relatively flat and easy to follow.

Hike the Park Avenue Trail

Next drive back towards the park entrance to the Park Avenue Viewpoint. The iconic 1.8 mile Park Avenue Trail leaves from here, and takes hikers into a wide canyon with massive rock fins and curiously carved towers. You’ll walk through a wash with dramatic, swirling rock colors and textures on the ground.  If you have extra time in Arches this is also a great trail to do at sunset.

Check out Ring Arch, a hidden gem in Arches National Park

The last hike in the park I recommend doing is the 2.9 mile (round trip) trek to Ring Arch. This arch isn’t listed on the National Park Service website, but it does have a clear and well established trial. You can find directions and a map on Alltrails. As a result of not being advertised by the NPS this hike flies under the radar, and we didn’t see anyone else on the trail.

The hike takes you through the grassland and across a wash towards towering, rocky cliffs. Here you’ll find ring arch, and if you’re feeling adventurous you can scramble up into the bowl of the rocks. The arch has a unique and beautiful ‘window’ to the sky. 

Enjoy sunset at petrified dunes overlook

End your time in Arches National Park by watching the sun set at petrified dunes overlook, which is located near the Park Avenue Trail. This beautiful overlook doesn’t require any hiking, and looks out at the unique petrified dunes and the La Sal Mountains. 

Dinner at Josie Wyatt’s Grille

Finish up your night back in Moab with dinner at Josie Wyatt’s Grille, which is conveniently located in the Hoodoo hotel. There is a beautiful outdoor patio overlooking the red rocks. Inside has a casual yet refined ambiance that makes this restaurant perfect for a date night or special meal.

This steakhouse is known for their meat, and Amiana enjoyed the prime rib, which was perfectly tender and juicy. She also enjoyed their sriracha shrimp, which came with a generous portion and was extremely flavorful (and not too spicy!). I got a veggie burger, and enjoyed the black bean patty. I also highly recommend their onion rings, which were perfectly sweet and crispy. Make sure to save room for dessert! A true highlight of the meal was their lemon and blueberry seasonal cheesecake.

I hope you found this Arches National Park 2 day itinerary helpful! If you plan a trip inspired by this itinerary let us know in the comments. We love hearing about your trips! Looking for more Utah Mighty Five itineraries? Click here! You can also find more USA national park itineraries here.