Visiting Arches may seem somewhat intimidating if you pull up to the gate and get stuck in a line that inches along over the course of an hour. This need not be the case. With a few quick pointers, you’ll be in the park and off to see the sights in no time.
Here are some things you’ll want to know before visiting Arches…
Guide to Arches
Where is Arches?
Arches National Park is located in Utah’s high eastern desert. The park entrance is found on the east side of Highway 191, about 5 miles north the old mining town of Moab, Utah.
The park’s proximity to this small town make visiting a breeze, as there are a wide array of services available in Moab, with lodging, dining and guide services on practically every corner. Nearby is Canyonlands National Park, which makes this a convenient location to check off two national parks in one stop.
Seasons in Arches
Arches is a year-round park. Its high desert climate provides an extremely dry landscape, and receives a mere 10″ of annual precipitation. The park’s high desert climate can be quite variable however, with temperatures often varying more than 40ºF in a single day, any time of year.
MORESpring and Fall are the most enjoyable times to visit, as temperatures are generally quite mild and the scenery is enhanced with wildflowers or fall foliage. Winter usually means freezing temperatures, but can provide some stellar photo opportunities when snow provides a dramatic contrast to the red rock. Summer is boom time, and can be hot as hell, with daytime temperatures often exceeding the century mark, but evenings are usually splendid.
Arches Entrance Fee
As a Park Junkie, you already have the National Parks Pass, aka the Interagency Pass. It’s only $80 and is one of the best purchases you’ll make this year. It grants entrance to more than 400 national park service units and is an economic necessity for those who make it a practice to visit multiple parks in a calendar year.
MOREYou may also access the park with a Military Pass, Annual 4th Grade Pass, a Senior Pass, an Access Pass or a Volunteer Pass.
These passes can be obtained at the gate to most national park units and can also be ordered online at the link below.
If this idea doesn’t turn you on, prepare to spend $30 to enter the park. It should be stated, that park junkie writes fortune cookies on his days off, and he predicts this fee will certainly increase, much like postal rates and taxes…
Visitor Centers in Arches
There is only one visitor center in Arches. It is located just inside the park entrance on Utah Highway 191, about 5 miles north of Moab. It is open year-round except for Christmas Day. All park information can be acquired here, including backcountry permits. The park movie can be viewed here and there is a small gift shop.
Driving in Arches
Driving into the park is a relatively straightforward affair. There is one main entrance, and this provides immediate access to the park’s visitor center. From here, an 18-mile one-way scenic drive leads visitors onto a series of mesas unlike any others in the world.
MOREMotorists in Arches suffer no shortage of window candy on the scenic drive. Towers of red stone reach skyward in all directions, and large walls of stone stand in rows as if in battle ready formation. Numerous pullouts provide roadside photographic opportunities and for those who would like a closer look, many short paved trails lead to even better scenery.
A couple of short side drives on the east side of the scenic drive lead to sights such as the Windows and Wolfe Ranch, where the trail to Delicate Arch begins. Aside from these options, drivers are confined to the scenic drive until it reaches Devil’s Garden, where the road ends, and motorists retrace their tracks back to the park’s entrance.
For the adventurous explore with a high-clearance 4×4, there are a couple of other options. The Salt Valley Road leads across a broad, desolate valley to the park’s northwestern corner and the Klondike Bluffs. The road to this area is usually well-maintained and graded, and is often passable in an average vehicle, but you’ll want to check at the visitor center to inquire as to current conditions.
A small road with a number of deep sand pits leads westward just south of the Klondike Bluffs parking area This road gets real, fast. You’ll want to avoid this mess for sure… unless you have a high clearance 4×4 and the skills necessary to crawl through a series of rocky outcrops and deep sandy runs.
This road leads past the Marching Men, and into a quiet corner of the park that offers a short moderate trail to Tower Arch. From here, another road wanders into the park’s western desert and runs for 9 miles. This road is for real as well. Deep sand and steep grades provide numerous challenges here and the NPS recommends north to south travel only.
After passing the Eye of the Whale, this road ends at the junction with the Willow Flats Road, which if followed to the east, leads back to Balanced Rock and the junction with the 18-mile scenic drive. If followed to the west, the Willow Flats Road leads to Highway 191 and has numerous dispersed camping options near the highway.
These roads are not for tourists. They are dry and desolate. No one is coming to help you if you break down or get stuck and you will likely die a slow painful death…
Camping in Arches
Camping is available in Arches. The Devil’s Garden Campground is located 18 miles from the park entrance. It is open year round and offers tables, grills and flush toilets. RVs up to 30′ can be accommodated. It is nearly impossible to acquire a site here without advance reservations. See link below for reservations.
MOREThere are two groups sites in the campground that can service up to 11 people. There are two other sites that offer accommodations for large groups. The Canyon Wren site can hold 35 people and the Juniper Basin site has space for up to 55 people. No trailers or RVs are permitted in the group sites.
Lodging and Dining near Arches
There are no lodging or dining facilities inside the park. You’ll be happy to know that nearby Moab has an excellent array of options.
Camping Near Arches
Numerous options for camping exist outside the park. Park Junkie usually utilizes the free dispersed camping available at Willow Flats, just to the east of Highway 191. More options exist in Moab, as well as in the surrounding areas.
Guide to Arches
Relevant Links
National Park Guides
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YOU CAN DIE. Activities pursued within National Park boundaries hold inherent dangers. You are solely responsible for your safety in the outdoors. Park Junkie accepts no responsibility for actions that result in inconveniences, injury or death.
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