3-Day Travel Guide for Arches National Park, USA
Day 1
07:00 Depart from Salt Lake City, drive to Arches entrance, 4 hours, 380 km. Arrive at Arches National Park and park at the Visitor Center.
11:00 Visitor Center: Visit the exhibits to learn about the park’s geology and ecology and pick up a trail map, 0.5 hours. Walk 5 minutes to the next attraction.
11:30 Park Avenue Trail: 1.8-mile round-trip, flat and easy trail with views of canyon walls and distant mountains, 1 hour. Drive 5 minutes (2 miles) to the next attraction.
12:45 Balanced Rock: 0.3-mile loop trail, short and flat, close-up views of the iconic balanced rock, great for photography, 0.5 hours. Drive 10 minutes (4 miles) to the next attraction.
13:40 Double Arch: 0.5-mile loop trail, easy, view the spectacular twin arches side by side, soft autumn light, 0.5 hours. Drive 15 minutes (5 miles) to the next attraction.
14:50 The Windows: 1-mile loop trail, moderate difficulty, walk through arch frames for panoramic views, colorful at sunset, 1.5 hours. Drive 20 minutes (8 miles) to Moab accommodation.
17:00 End of day, head to Moab for accommodation.
Day 2
06:00 Depart from Moab, drive to Arches entrance, 10 minutes, 5 miles. Arrive at the park early to avoid crowds.
06:30 Delicate Arch: 3-mile round-trip trail, moderate difficulty with 480 feet elevation gain, climb to the base of the world-famous arch, prepare for early cold in October, 3 hours. Drive 20 minutes (8 miles) to the next attraction.
10:20 Three Gossips: 1-mile loop trail, flat, view three parallel arches and desert vegetation, 0.5 hours. Drive 15 minutes (6 miles) to the next attraction.
11:00 Skyline Arch: 0.3-mile loop trail, easy, view the unique cantilever arch spanning the canyon like a bridge, 0.5 hours. Drive 25 minutes (10 miles) to the next attraction.
12:00 Sahara Dunes Arch: 0.7-mile round-trip trail, short, walk through dune canyon to see the hidden arch, cool and comfortable in autumn, 0.5 hours. Drive 30 minutes (12 miles) to the next attraction.
13:10 Devil’s Garden Trail: 7.2-mile loop trail, moderate to difficult with about 300 feet elevation gain, see Landscape Arch and several other arches, bring water and sun protection, 4 hours. Drive 10 minutes (4 miles) to Moab accommodation.
18:00 End of day, head to Moab for accommodation.
Day 3
07:00 Depart from Moab, drive to Arches entrance, 10 minutes, 5 miles. Arrive at the park.
07:30 Tower Arch: 3.3-mile round-trip trail, moderate difficulty with rocky terrain, view the remote tower-shaped arch and isolated desert scenery, good trail conditions in October, 2 hours. Drive 40 minutes (15 miles) to the next attraction.
10:20 Fiery Furnace Viewpoint: 0.2-mile short walk, overlook the intricate rock maze, great for photography, 0.5 hours. Drive 20 minutes (8 miles) to the next attraction.
11:00 Fiery Furnace Trail: 2-mile round-trip trail, moderate difficulty, permit required, explore narrow canyons and hidden arches, fewer people in autumn, 2 hours. Drive 15 minutes (6 miles) to the next attraction.
13:40 Private Arch: 1.4-mile loop trail, easy, view a small intimate arch and pine tree scenery, 1 hour. Drive 25 minutes (10 miles) toward Salt Lake City.
15:00 End of trip, return to Salt Lake City (4-hour drive, 380 km).
When I drove a RV fleet around the western United States in 2016, I didn't include Arches National Park in the trip because the RVs were relatively slow and the mileage was long. This year, I added Arches National Park to the trip to the seven natural attractions in the western United States, as well as Monument Canyon, which I will visit tomorrow. Arches National Park is located near Moab, Utah, USA. It covers an area of 309 square kilometers and preserves more than 2,000 natural rock arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch. The highest point in the park is Elephant Peak, which is 1,753 meters above sea level.
Arch National Park (Arches National Park), located near the town of Moab in Utah, USA, covers an area of 309 square kilometers and preserves more than 2,000 natural rock arches including world-renowned exquisite arches. It is not in the presence of its majesty!
Arches National Park is located in the eastern part of Utah, USA, covering an area of 76,519 acres (309.7 square kilometers), with about 850,000 visitors each year. Some people come here to study geology or are interested in the evolution of nature; of course, more people come here to see the famous arches and then describe the experience to others. Regardless of the motivation, its magnificence and research value are definitely recognized. The park not only has arches, but also numerous spires, pedestals, balancing stones and other unique geological features; all the stones have textures with very strong color contrasts.
Yellowstone National Park is the oldest national park in the United States and the world. The park is famous for its geothermal activity, and the wildlife here includes wolves, mountain lions and bison. The park is one of the largest volcanic craters in the world, and it has one of the largest forests in the world. There are more than 10,000 hot springs and more than 300 geysers. There are more than 290 waterfalls. The park has Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone River, canyons, waterfalls and hot springs, and is a famous tourist destination. [Scenery]
Arches National Park, located near the town of Moab in Utah, USA, covers an area of 309 square kilometers and preserves more than 2,000 natural rock arches, including the world-famous Delicate Arch. The highest point in the park, Elephant Peak, is 1,753 meters above sea level. There are about 850,000 visitors every year. Some people come here to study geology or are interested in the evolution of nature. Of course, more people want to see the famous arches and then describe the experience to others. Regardless of the motivation, its magnificence and research value are definitely recognized. It first became a national historic site on April 12, 1929 and a national park on November 12, 1971. Since 1970, 42 arches have collapsed due to erosion.
We headed to Arches National Park, home to the world's largest concentration of sandstone arches. Spanning over 70,000 acres, it boasts hundreds of natural rock arches, each with its own unique shape. It's up to your imagination to decide what to create. The eye-shaped arch is the most famous, Delicate Arch, and according to our guide, it's also the state symbol of Utah. Having just visited Monument Valley the day before, I wasn't particularly impressed by the arches in the same color scheme. Perhaps I'm a bit tired of it. 😁 However, I was intrigued by the thick white snow piled on the rocks. It's hard to say, we're from the South. 😂