Arches National Park Driving Tour

After you enter through the park entrance ($10 per vehicle, or $5 per walking/bicycle/motorcycle) park in the first parking lot on your right and walk into the Visitors center. Here you can get information about the campgrounds, ranger programs such as the Fiery Furnace walk, or look through the information exhibits on the geology and history of Arches National Park.

If you have some more time, there is usually a short film which provides a great overview of the park and of the near by area. Once you have had your fill, get back in the car and start the driving tour along Arches Entrance Road. There is only 1 major road and plenty of signs, making it difficult to get lost.

Park Avenue is the first turnoff along the road and one of the major viewpoints in Arches National Park. From the parking lot you will see a small canyon with striking formations on both sides (best seen in the morning when the warm light makes the rocks glow).

If you want to stretch your legs a bit more (and get a better perspective of the formations) hike into the canyon through Park Avenue towards the Courthouse Towers parking lot. The hike is 1 mile one-way (you can have a separate driver pick you up at the other parking lot), or 2 miles out and back.

Along the hike, be sure to check out formations such as the Three Gossips, North Park Avenue, Tower of Babel, and the Courthouse towers.

Pull off the main road and get out of your car to see the Three Gossips in all their glory. The next turnoff is closer to the formation, but this location offers the best angle to see all three formations standing tall.

You can pull off of the main road for another view of the Three Gossips and the Court House towers. You will be closer to the formations than at the previous viewpoint, but the angle is from the side which makes it tough to see it all at once.

It is hard to miss Balanced Rock because it seems to be the only thing rising above the desert floor. This formation is appropriately named--it appears as if the rock on top could tip and fall off of the column at and second. In fact the formation is much more solid than you would think.

Soon after the turnoff turn right at the next fork for a quick detour to the Windows section of arches national park.

The Windows area of Arches is another popular destination. Three massive arches are within about 0.5 miles of the parking lot, and each deserve a closer look. Start by walking to North Window, where you can walk underneath the arch and stare up at the rock above.

Then continue along the gravel path to the South Windows which are higher off the ground (walk off the path for a closer look, but don't expect to get to the top of them). Meet back up with the path and finish at Turret Arch where you can see some striking formations framed by another arch.

Head back to the car or take a quick hike over to Double Arch.

The hike to Double Arch is less than a mile out and back and it too deserves a closer look. As the name implies, there are 2 arches, one above the other, which make up this interesting formation like no other in the park (except maybe Double-O arch).

Follow the sighs for Decliate Arch and turn off of the main road continuing for a few minutes before arriving at the parking lot.

If you have the extra time, hike the 3-mile round trip trail to Delicate Arch to see the arch up close in its personal amphitheater. The trail starts level before ascending up a large rock slab, finally arriving at beautiful delicate arch (attempt this hike in the later afternoon/early evening for a cooler hike and more stunning colors on the arch).

If you do not have enough time to hike the trail, continue a little further up the road to the Delicate Arch viewpoint.

When you are done, drive back to the main road and turn right towards Devils Garden.

If you are pressed for time and cannot hike to Delicate Arch (highly recommended!) continue up the road to the Delicate Arch viewpoint where you can see the famous arch from the parking lot.

When you are done, drive back to the main road and turn right towards Devils Garden.

Devils Garden is the second most-visited section of Arches National Park, after Delicate Arch, and home to the longest trail in the park: a 7.2-mile loop touring 7 different arches, all spectacular. Many visitors hike the shortened version of the loop: 1 mile along a paved path to Landscape Arch, with 2 short optional detours to Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch along the way. If you are looking for more, continue up the slickrock fins to see Partition Arch, Navajo Arch, and Double O Arch.

Only a small percentage of visitors complete the entire loop with a quick visit to Dark Angel and Private Arch before returning along the Primitive Trail and meeting back up with the rest of the crowd near Landscape Arch where the paved path starts up again