The Ultimate Guide to Arches National Park

The Ultimate Guide to Arches National Park

Arches National Park is one of the United States’ most famous national parks. As such, it makes for one of the best day trip destinations when you stay in Blanding, UT. The park’s name is self-explanatory, as there are around 200 different arches located throughout the 120 miles of national park land.


In this guide, we’ll take you through some of the key areas of the park, highlighting some of the best arches and hikes nearby. We’ll also answer some of the commonly-asked questions about this national treasure.

The Facts You Need to Know about Arches National Park

Where is Arches National Park?

The renowned park is near the town of Moab in southeastern Utah. It’s around an hour drive from Blanding, UT, where our Cedar Canyon Rentals are located.

Entrance Fee

Annual Pass: $80

Private Vehicle: $30

Per Person (no vehicle): $15

Motorcycle: $25

Timed Entry Ticket: $2 (for reservations)


Reservations are required when visiting Arches. Make sure you apply for one before you arrive.

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Canyon Country Discovery Center

Address: 1117 N Main St, Monticello, UT

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday: 10AM - 4PM, Closed Sundays and Mondays


This is less of a historical museum and more of an educational one! It’s great for young kids who are discovering the world around them. There are physics experiments, natural exhibits and much more. Maybe not a reason to go to Monticello on its own, but can be fun as a pit stop!

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The Best Things to See in Arches National Park

When you enter the park, you’ll be met with a long stretch of road and a world of possibilities. There are several pull-off sections with some of the best sights in Arches. Let’s go over a few.

Window Arches

After a 20-minute drive with iconic sandy cliff sides and miles of desert, the first series of arches is on the right. A massive rock formation called Balanced Rock looms over the desert hills. While this can make for a great picture spot, if you want to focus on the arches, turn right on Windows Road just after you see the natural structure.


Here you’ll see the following:


Double Arch

Distance: 0.6 miles


On this short walk, you get two arches for the price of one! Double Arch Trail is only a mile walk round-trip, and is astoundingly big. The two arches aren’t layered on top of one another—they are side by side.


While older guests may be fine staying at the base of the rock formation, you can climb up into it and get some great pictures and views of the valley if you dare make the steep walk.


Windows Loop

Distance: 1.2 miles


Just south of Double Arch, you’ll be able to see three more arches by walking the Windows Loop. North Window and South Window can both be seen fairly close together.


Just after you see the windows, you’ll find Turret Arch, which features a massive hole that almost looks like a bullet hole carved into rock. That’s three arches on one hike.

Four Corners

Address: 597 NM-597, Teec Nos Pos, AZ

Hours: 8AM - 6:45PM

Cost: $8 per person


Are you trying to fill in your state’s visited map, and want an easy way to check off four of them? Come to the Four Corners monument—the only place that you can be in four states at one time.

When you arrive at the monument, you’ll see vendors at all four corners, selling souvenirs from all the different states! While maybe not the most thrilling attraction, it’s the only place you can actually do this in the entire country, so you might as well visit it for that alone!

Check on the masking requirements for the monument by clicking the button below!

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Delicate Arch

Distance: 3.2 miles

It’s time to see the most iconic arch in the whole park. You’ve seen pictures of this arch if you’ve done any research on the park. Seeing the picture itself may have inspired you to come here in the first place.


Because this hike is so popular, you may want to come to this arch first to beat the crowds. It’s only around a 30 minute drive to get to the parking zone.


The hike itself is more difficult than average, but if you’re used to hikes in general, you shouldn’t have a problem with it. It’s fine for kids 7 and up, though younger children and older guests may struggle with a particularly difficult incline in the middle of the hike. It’s all worth it by the end.

Devil's Garden Arches

Distance: 7.9 miles


Twelve more miles up the road, you’ll find what’s known as the Devil's Garden. This is certainly the most strenuous hike in the park if you go the whole loop, but if you tough it out, you’ll see a series of incredible arches. Even if you don’t want to hike for that long, you’ll still see a few highlights:


Landscape Arch

When you first start the path, you’ll see a few easily-accessible arches like Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch, but Landscape Arch is a little further up the trail and will make your jaw drop. It’s exceptionally long, and is likely to break in the near future. It’s hanging on by a thread (for a rock) so make sure you get a picture with this one before it becomes impossible.


Broken Arch

Broken Arch is another one of our favorites. While many guests don’t attempt to visit it because they don’t think it’s a real arch, the actual formation looks like it's chipped, which is really interesting. The trail is pretty quiet, so if you want peace, you can get it here.

Cedar Canyon Vacation Rentals may not be the closest property to Arches, but we provide a cozy and quiet escape from the hustle and bustle of Moab. We’re also closer to Canyonlands, Goosenecks State Park, and much more! Check out our rooms and book today.


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