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Arches National Park

Nature reserves & national parks ·Moab ·Closed
4.842.6K
#2Nature reserves & national parks in the USMost reviewed in MoabTravelers' Choice 2026
  • Visit: 3–8 hours
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About

Arches National Park protects Utah’s high-desert sandstone arches beside the Colorado River, north of Moab on the Colorado Plateau.

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Arches National Park
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Why go

  • Park Avenue’s cliffs, likened to the skyscrapers of New York’s famous avenue.
  • Balanced Rock, a boulder about the volume of three buses resting on a pedestal.
  • Popular trails ranging from a few hundred yards to more than seven miles long.

Opening hours

TodayClosedShow all
MondayClosed
TuesdayClosed
WednesdayClosed
ThursdayClosed
FridayClosed
SaturdayClosed
Sunday00:00 – 23:59

Don't miss

  • Delicate ArchA stand-alone formation and the park’s most photographed arch; it became a symbol of Utah and appears on license plates and stamps.Arches National Park, Utah
  • Landscape ArchThe park’s longest arch, spanning about 89 metres.Devils Garden
  • Double ArchTwo nearly perpendicular arches share one end.Arches National Park, Utah
  • Fiery FurnaceRock columns and fins are separated by maze-like narrow passages.Where Salt Valley and Cache Valley meet

With kids

  • Children can complete a junior ranger book and earn a badge.

Tips for your visit

  • Explore by scenic drive, viewpoints and short trails, or take longer hikes to rock formations.
  • Popular trails range from a few hundred metres to more than 11 kilometres.
  • Cycling is another way to visit.
  • Guided commercial tours are available.
  • Get supplies in Moab: goods and services are scarce inside the park.

Best time to visit

  • Ranger-led walks and evening programmes run daily from spring through autumn, when visitation and traffic can also be heavy.

Know before you go

  • Permits are required for backpacking, canyoneering and rock climbing.
  • Tours and campsites can be reserved.
  • Stay on trails, rock and sandy washes to protect biological soil crust.
  • Do not climb Balanced Rock or any arch with an opening over three feet.
  • Slacklining and BASE jumping are prohibited throughout the park.

History

Wadleigh urged Park Service director Stephen T. Mather to protect it as a national monument. Frank Pinkley suggested the name “Arches” after visiting the Windows section; the original monument consisted of two small, disconnected sections.

  1. about 300 million years agoA saltwater basin called Paradox Basin occupied the area.
  2. about 10,000 years agoHunter-gatherers reached the area and made stone tools from local chert and chalcedony.
  3. 500–1300 CEAncestral Puebloan farming in the region peaked.
  4. 1776The Domínguez–Escalante expedition passed through Ute and Paiute homelands.
  5. 1923Prospector Alexander Ringhoffer brought the area to railroad official Frank A. Wadleigh’s attention.
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  1. 1929The area became a national monument on April 12 to protect its geological formations.
  2. 1938The monument grew by 29,160 acres, bringing Delicate Arch within its boundaries.
  3. 1971Congress redesignated it as a national park on November 12.

How to get there

  • 10 minCarThe main entrance road begins about 10 kilometres north of Moab; allow about 10 minutes by car.

Shorts

Interesting facts6

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  1. 90 centimetres

    An opening counts as an arch only when its widest diameter exceeds 90 centimetres.

    Arches-Nationalpark - Wikipedia

  2. An underground salt bed helped shape the park’s arches, spires, balanced rocks, fins and eroded monoliths.

    Arches National Park - Wikipedia
  3. 140 million

    The Entrada Sandstone was deposited about 140 million years ago; most park arches form in its salmon-coloured rock.

    Arches National Park - Wikipedia

  4. Water, ice and wind erode sandstone fins, sometimes leaving openings that become arches.

    Arches National Park - Wikipedia
  5. 1991

    In 1991, an 18-by-3-metre block fell beneath Landscape Arch.

    Parc national des Arches - Wikipedia
  6. 1,723 metres

    The park ranges from 1,245 to 1,723 metres in elevation.

    Parc national des Arches - Wikipedia

Sources: Arches National Park - Wikipedia · Arches National Park - Wikipedia (part 2) · Arches National Park (U.S. National Park Servic… · Plan Your Visit - Arches National Park (U.S. Na… · Basic Information - Arches National Park (U.S. … · Arches-Nationalpark - Wikipedia · Parc national des Arches - Wikipedia · checked 28 Sep 2026

Where
E Center Street, UT, Moab

Plan from here: Evening walk →

Questions and answers

Is Arches National Park open every day?

Yes. Arches National Park is open 24 hours every day.

Can I go backpacking, canyoneering or rock climbing in Arches National Park?

Yes. A permit is required for each activity.

Are Arches National Park’s arches natural stone bridges?

No. They are openings in rock ridges formed by erosion without flowing water.

What happened to Wall Arch in Arches National Park?

Wall Arch collapsed beside Devils Garden Trail between 4 and 5 August 2008.

How large is Arches National Park?

It covers more than 300 square kilometres.

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