Fiery Furnace: How (not) to Get Lost on Arches’ Best Hike
Scribbled by Claire ◊ 21 Aug 2024
Fiery Furnace is, no doubt, the best hike in Arches National Park. It’s also awkward to access and is famous for people getting lost! We’ve written about why it is worth visiting, how to obtain a permit, how difficult the hike is, how likely you are to get lost, and why the area is protected so furiously.
Arches National Park is well known for being just a little bit crowded. In fact, there are even timed permits for entrance nowadays, which just goes to show how extreme the visitor numbers are becoming. So, how can you go hiking in the park and not be surrounded by people?
In our opinion, after more visits and hikes in Arches than I can count, the most beautiful, adventurous and crowd-free region in the park is Fiery Furnace! It’s easily the best hike we’ve done in Arches National Park and, with a strict daily visitor limit, you’re almost guaranteed to be exploring this incredibly unique region alone.
Even better, access to this maze-like area is by the main paved road through the park, and a daily Arches National Park timed reservation is included with your specific Fiery Furnace hiking permit.
So, what’s not to love?
Well, for starters, getting lost out in the extremes of southern Utah’s unforgiving terrain isn’t exactly ideal, and almost everyone gets lost on this hike. We got lost exactly three times and, although it was hilarious, I also did have some doubts start to creep in that I’d ever be able to make it out (I’m very dramatic).
So, we thought we’d write a little guide to assuage people of their doubts. I survived it, so you can too!
For more things to do in the area, consider checking out our three days in Moab itinerary.
IN THIS GUIDE //
Fiery Furnace – The Best Hike in Arches
WHY IS THE FIERY FURNACE HIKE SO GREAT?
WHERE IS FIERY FURNACE?
– PARKING AT FIERY FURNACE
THE FIERY FURNACE HIKE
– IS THE FIERY FURNACE HIKE DIFFICULT?
– WILL YOU GET LOST?
– THE FIERY FURNACE ROUTE
– GPS
– HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?
HOW TO GET A FIERY FURNACE PERMIT
– OUR EXPERIENCE
RULES AND THINGS WE LEARNT
THINGS TO BRING ON YOUR HIKE
FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE BEST HIKE IN ARCHES
This post may contain affiliate links. If you book through these links we may make a small commission at zero cost to you. It helps us pay for the upkeep of this blog. Thank you!
Why is the Fiery Furnace Hike So Special?
Fiery Furnace is genuinely one of the coolest hikes we’ve done in the American southwest (and we’ve done a fair number of awesome ones). Here are some reasons why:
⬩ Permitted entry system means it’s always quiet
⬩ Interesting, varied scenery, including arches and slot canyons
⬩ Adventurous ‘trail’ with easy scrambling
⬩ No published route, so there is some problem solving and spotting signs
⬩ Fiery Furnace permits include the daily park-access permit, when applicable (not the national park fee)
⬩ Highly protected area, so it’s untouched, often without even footprints
⬩ Probably the most unique hike we’ve done
⬩ Inadvertently learnt quite a lot about the distinctive environment
⬩ It’s perfect for an adventurous family outing if you have active kids that like to problem solve (they won’t get bored!)
Where is the Fiery Furnace?
The Fiery Furnace is a foot-traffic only area in Arches National Park, situated along the main Arches National Park Road, about 23 kilometres from the visitor centre. It takes around 30 minutes to drive from the visitor centre, and just a little longer from Moab.
Parking for the Fiery Furnace Hike
There is a designated parking area for Fiery Furnace. This has bathrooms but not nearly enough car park spaces! We visited around 9 am for our hike, and, despite the timed park entry permits in place restricting the number of visitors, the car park was completely full (there is a viewpoint that people without permits can visit).
We waited for around 40 minutes, but other cars kept arriving and it got pretty competitive, so we chose to park up on the main road and walk back down. By the end, there were people parking all over the ‘no parking’ zones.
Parking on the main road isn’t a big deal (it’s a five-minute walk), but it’s worth being aware that the car park is small and it’s best to arrive as early as you can.
There is no water at the trailhead car park.
Note: your Fiery Furnace permit is valid from sunrise to sunset, so it is possible to hike pretty early if you want!
The Fiery Furnace Hike
The most common questions we have been asked are specifically about the actual Fiery Furnace hike –
⬩ Is it difficult?
⬩ Is there a map?
⬩ Will you get lost?
⬩ Do you need to be fit?
⬩ How long will it take?
⬩ Does GPS work?
I thought about all these questions, too, and it actually made me kind of anxious before the hike. The National Park Service puts the fear of god into you and says that you are not allowed to wear flip flops, there is no published Fiery Furnace map, there are no trail markers, no children under five are allowed and the route involves some proper scrambling and jumping gaps.
There is even a recommendation that if you have not hiked here before, it is preferable to take a guided tour or accompany someone who has visited previously. It gives off a bit of an ominous vibe!
Below, we’ve tried to address these questions to minimise ambiguity.
Is the Hike Difficult?
The Fiery Furnace official description is, for the most part, accurate, but also a little dramatic! In our opinion, this hike is easy for the majority of the trail and not even that long (certainly, you do not need to be enormously fit).
However, the terrain description is accurate – it is necessary to climb over boulders, shimmy though narrow passages, jump over gaps and walk around some exposed ledges.
There is a little elevation change too and the weather can be extremely hot outside of the winter months.
Fiery Furnace Map
There is no specific map for the Fiery Furnace hike. There are a few dodgy AllTrails routes out there, but I wouldn’t rely on them.
Technically, there is an unpublished, anti-clockwise route, marked by around 20 little white arrows stuck to the rocks and poles. They’re not difficult to spot, but when you are actively searching for one, they can be illusive! The arrows are there, the ranger said, for trainees to use as markers for the guided tours.
Remember, you can always backtrack to the previous arrow if you get lost, then regroup.
Will You Get Lost?
Probably, yes. The National Park Service ranger we spoke to said we would definitely get lost in on the hike, at least three times.
She was correct – we got lost exactly three times! I think there are particular points where the route is difficult to pick up, so you end up wandering around, looking for an exit to the next ‘section’.
The ranger at the visitor centre also actively encouraged us to explore as much as we could – to go ‘off-route’ and wander around. The first half of the Fiery Furnace is particularly superb for this, with lots of detour options and remarkable, huge red fins to roam though. It’s an area that is ideal for getting disoriented in – we loved it and didn’t find the route finding difficult without a map.
Two specific points that we struggled route-wise with were when the path felt very subtle/hidden – like the trail didn’t seem to make sense (it does now, looking back!). One was traversing a ledge that looked like it led to nowhere, and another was a hidden slot canyon connecting to the next section (my mental image of a Fiery Furnace map is split into sections).
The Fiery Furnace Route
This is just a brief description of our route, which is not necessarily the exact route you would take (although there is one main way through the maze). If you don’t want any spoilers, just skip past this section. Also, don’t rely on anything here – we’re not good at route-finding, at all. It’s just to give anyone anxious about the hike a little overview and to mention where we got lost.
⬩ From the car park, head through the gate that says ‘permit only’, then instead of heading straight forward on the obvious path, go down the hill to the right (there’s a clear route).
⬩ Once you’ve reached the bottom and see some trees, have a hunt around to your left and you’ll see a small, white arrow, pointing the way.
⬩ Keep walking along the flat, obvious route. This whole area is worth exploring, and every now and again, you’ll see an arrow. Sometimes there are signs saying that a path leads to a dead-end. There is also an amazing double arch in this area and lots of tall canyons. Skull Arch is awesome, around 38.744896, -109.560198.
⬩ After you’ve checked it all out, there will be an arrow, around 38.743063, -109.560442, pointing left towards an enormous boulder – climb/walk up this.
⬩ If you keep going forward, you’ll end up above a very narrow slot canyon (don’t fall down). Continue along the top of this slot canyon until you reach what looks like an impassable rock, around 38.744858, -109.561410. To the right, you can shimmy across and reach the next flat, sandy area.
⬩ This sandy area was a place we got very lost in. There’s technically a very obvious arrow pointing left, plus a fallen down sign a little further on, but we just could not find a way through. This meant we explored this entire region, top to toe, before having no choice but to go out onto a ledge between the cliffs at 38.744385, -109.561835.
⬩ Following the ledge around to the right, in the distance, you’ll see a tiny white arrow pointing into a narrow slot (the second slot in view). This is the correct route – you’ll have to jump over a few gaps and squeeze through the canyon without falling (it’s not scary).
⬩ Once through the slot, follow the straightforward path and arrows, mostly forward and over a saddle.
⬩ At some point, there is an arrow pointing left on a lone fin (around 38.746123, -109.563517). This is pointing to a narrow, well-hidden slot canyon in the left-hand wall (around 38.746268, -109.563800). The arrow is not an indication to keep heading up the canyon (we did this instead of taking the slot).
⬩ From here the path is really obvious – just be careful not to drop back down the hill near the end at 38.744617, -109.564323, because we did a bit and had to climb back up. Instead, once you come out from under the rocks, turn right and head in that direction and you’ll pretty much be back at the car park!
GPS in the Area
We were informed by the ranger that GPS is notoriously unreliable in the Fiery Furnace area, however our Google Maps could locate us the entire time (although, how accurately, I don’t know).
AllTrails has a pretty good route on there if you are concerned (we didn’t use this because we’re down for some mysterious escapades).
How Long Will the Hike Take?
The length of the Fiery Furnace hike totally depends on your speed and how many times you get lost – we think three hours is a fair estimate, though.
We got lost, a bunch. And when we got lost, we just roamed around in circles, hoping to miraculously find the way out.
If I went back now, I could probably be out in an hour (it’s not physically that difficult). However, Fiery Furnace is not really the place for a race, and the longer you spend in there, the more fun it is.
We spent about four hours in the maze, which included a quick lie down and taking a lot of photos. Plus getting lost three times, of course.
I’ve read about people ‘completing it’ in less than two hours, so it’s totally possible if you’re more competent than us!
Arches National Park does not publish a length for the hike because they do not want to have it thought of as a specific trail, but it’s between 2-3 miles, and in the induction talk, they mentioned it should take around 2-2.5 hours if you just follow the markers (harder than it sounds!).
How to Get a Fiery Furnace Permit
There are only 75 permits a day available for self-guided hikes in Fiery Furnace. This means it can be very competitive to obtain one. Here are the steps:
⬩ Log onto recreaction.gov and make an account if you don’t already have one.
⬩ Permits are released 7 days in advance at 8 am MST time.
⬩ Go to the Fiery Furnace Permit page, log in a few minutes in advance of the time.
⬩ Permits cost $10 per person ($16 for ranger-guided). You’ll need to pay the Arches National Park entrance fee separate to this unless you have an America the Beautiful pass.
⬩ Pick up the permit at the visitor centre, the day before or on the day (day before is best because otherwise you must wait for the visitor centre to open on the morning of your hike).
Note | you don’t need a timed day reservation to enter the park and pick up the permit the day before.
⬩ Every person on the permit must watch a 7-minute video in the visitor centre and listen to a short presentation by a ranger, mostly about the environment and how not to damage it.
⬩ Keep the permit tied visibly to the outside of your bag for the duration of the hike.
Our Experience
We logged on before 8 am, ready to go and, by the time we had bought our permits, all the others had gone for our mid-week date (this was in mid-May). Conversely, there were tickets for a Sunday still available two days before our dates, so it can be a bit random.
The ranger talk was cute – she had a plushie tardigrade.
A ranger told us that permits will never be cancelled due to adverse weather – it’s a ‘hike at your own risk’ situation. Extremely rarely, a ranger-guided hike may be cancelled if there is imminent risk of lightning. So, check the weather before you head out.
They also told us that winter is the easiest time to get a permit, and summer holidays are the worst.
If all this hiking description talk has got you a bit anxious, there are also 14 permits a day available for 2.5 hour-long Fiery Furnace ranger-guided tours. These cost $16 and you apply the same way as above.
Some Rules and Things We Learnt From the Hike
⬩ Tardigrades live in the dry potholes, so don’t step in them.
⬩ There are also shrimp in the desert (like sea monkeys) which is another reason not to tread in the wet or dry potholes.
⬩ Don’t step on arches, vegetation or bio-crust – stick to slick rock and washes.
⬩ Bio-crust takes 100 years to mature, please don’t damage it.
⬩ Pack out everything you bring in – even orange peels.
⬩ Poison ivy is found in the Fiery Furnace near where water flows – be careful.
⬩ It’s best to wee on slick rock, not sand. Apparently, the reason is because it evaporates faster than on sand.
⬩ Cairns are not friends here. They are only built by people who visited and have no ranger-made purpose. We were advised to knock them over (although we didn’t see any).
⬩ Don’t shout (or even talk to other people outside of your group) and keep groups away from each other to maintain tranquillity.
THINGS TO BRING ON YOUR HIKE
Lots of water – you don’t know if you’ll end up in there for a while. We ran out and I was mildly panicked. We took 3 litres.
Hat – I thought it would be more shaded than it was, given that people described it as a maze – however lots of the hike was actually pretty exposed.
Decent shoes – they tell you this in the induction, but you need grippy soles for all the climbing about.
Food – because who knows, you may end up living in there for a while.
Sunblock – kind of obvious, but we went in May and it was pretty warm and sunny
Your permit – do not forget this
Wag bag – no digging holes allowed for when nature calls
Toilet roll or a She-cloth thing – pack out everything you bring in
We didn’t need bug spray
–
17 EPIC THINGS TO DO IN PAGE | AN OFFBEAT ADVENTURE IN CAPITOL REEF
Some ‘Fiery’ Thoughts: Arches’ Best Hike
Fiery Furnace took me absolutely by surprise. It was an incomparable, diverse, adventurous day that, if I’m honest, far exceeded my previous hiking experiences in Arches National Park. Fiery Furnace really upped my love for Arches, big time. It was the most fun I’d had hiking in ages and I’m so happy we chose to visit!
It’s also an absolute winner if you’re looking for a more peaceful experience in one of the American southwest’s busiest destinations – it’s actually kind of surreal how serene such an exciting hike in a popular area can feel.
We hope this guide helps you decide that this is definitely a hike worth undertaking – I promise it is the best hike in Arches National Park. Have a great trip!
For a more general one day guide to Arches National Park, take a look a our crowd-avoiding itinerary!
Hi, thanks for visiting our blog! If our free content has been of help to you, or you’ve just enjoyed our random ramblings and musings, say thank you by buying us a coffee! It helps keep The Restless Beans blog up and running.
Thank you, Claire + Nick
