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Moab, Utah, United States

Delicate Arch

A short hike in Arches National Park to Utah's most recognizable arch

Delicate Arch
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    This guide contains photos
 (4 votes, 1 review)
Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 3.2 miles / 5.2 km
Duration: 1-3 hours
 
Overview: Your trip to Arches National Park is not complete without first taking a trip to visit Delicate Arch. You will likely recognize Delicate Arch from the Utah license plate. The hike to Delicate Arch is just over 1.5 miles each way, totaling 3.2 miles all together. It is best hiked in spring and fall when the temperatures are cooler, or during the golden hours just after sunrise or and before sunset when the rocks seem to turn a magical color and the air temperature is bearable again.

Tips: You can park in the parking lot at Wolfe Ranch, Just a little ways off the Arches Entrance Road (the only main road in all of Arches National Park).

Bring plenty of water. Especially if you are hiking during the midday heat in the Summer, this trail can be very hot. It is hard to know how much water you are losing due to the dry desert heat. A large bottle of water will make the hike much more enjoyable.

Points of Interest

Parking
map

Parking and Trailhead
The trail starts with only slight elevation gains for the first 0.5 miles until you reach a large slab of slickrock, where you will gain most of the elevation for this hike (be careful if you visit during a rare rainstorm, as you will likely learn why it is called “slickrock”).
map

Climbing the Slickrock Slab
The trail is marked with cairns pretty thoroughly, but if you get lost look for other hikers or just head uphill, where you will likely meet up with the trail or have a better view of it from above.
map

On top of the Slickrock
Once you reach the top of the slick rock you will have a nice view of the La Sal Mountains, which are usually snowcapped even in the middle of summer. As you near Delicate Arch, the trail will drop off steeply to the left, with a sheer wall on your right. Don’t worry; the trail is at least 3 feet wide in most places, just don’t let the expansive desert views distract you for too long as you wind around the bends.

Unfortunately, Delicate Arch is hidden the entire hike until the very end.
Viewpoint
map

Delicate Arch
Finally all your hard work has paid off when Delicate Arch seems to emerge from its hidden natural amphitheatre. This natural arch stands 52ft tall, and isn’t as delicate as its name implies, so walk around and wait in line to get your picture taking while standing underneath.

After you have had your fill, head back the way you came; it’s all downhill on the way back.
Pictures in this guide taken by: chris, theropod, mahiran, wchall, gluecklichinkassel, gbonnema
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Reviews
raymondmom
If hiking / walking the trail in July, it will be more comfortable if you bring water. The trail is not difficult to walk, but it is HOT!

by raymondmom on Aug 10, 2010 at 01:20:10 pm

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About the Author

chris
chris
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When I'm not spending all of my work time and free time working on cool new products for EveryTrail,...

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