A One-Day Arches Itinerary (that avoids the crowds but still includes the best bits)
Scribbled by Claire ◊ 01 Sep 2025
Are you planning your visit to Arches and dreading the enormous crowds on the trails? Do you only have one day and want to see all the park has to offer within a tight timescale? If so, we’ve got you! Here, we’ve designed a route through this insanely busy park, timing everything so you can maximise the scenery, while minimising the people!
I wasn’t that enamoured by Arches National Park on my first visit. It was beautiful, yes, and certainly unique. I thought I’d be surrounded by hundreds of arches and it would be magical. Instead of the arches, though, I was surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of people instead, everywhere I looked.
Its reputation also hyped the park up to be the best thing ever, and it just wasn’t ground-breaking for me. So, sadly, I left feeling a little underwhelmed (it was a crowded, monsoon grey, rainy day, so maybe we can blame that?).
My middle-of-the-road attitude towards Arches persevered over quite a few visits, but each time, I warmed to it a little more. I’d get a tiny bit more enthusiastic each time we drove from the Visitor Center up the precipitous hill that conceals the alien rock formations just beyond it.
Then, fifteen years after my first visit, I was in Moab and wanted to do something unusual. I’d read about a cool permit-only hike in Arches, applied for it, and off we went. From that moment I arrived, something switched in my head – I *got* it.
After all my middling visits, I was wondering: what suddenly made Arches so incredible to me? I’m not sure if it was finally taking my time to appreciate the vast views of the snowy La Sal Mountains, my third hike up Delicate Arch in perfect weather, or my amazing permit-only hike through the Fiery Furnace. Maybe it was that slow amble through Park Avenue that I’d never bothered to do before?
Perhaps, it was taking a perfectly angled photo of the Phallus Pillar (Arches’ most photogenic rock which nobody includes on their itinerary, but absolutely should).
So, I thought I’d finally write about the only place in Utah I had to learn to love. I know how to get around it, how to avoid the crowds and what the best things to do there are. It’s a small park with plenty to see, so it gets understandably crowded, and this itinerary schedules as much as possible to avoid the hordes – while including the prettiest parts of the park.
IN THIS GUIDE //
Avoiding all the People in Arches
Things to know
– Permits
– Visitor Center
Early Morning
Late Morning and Lunch
Mid Afternoon
Later Afternoon
Evening
Arches Itinerary Map
How Much is Entry?
Best Time to Visit
Where to Stay
Camping Near Arches
Where to Next?
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Itinerary Summary
Early Morning
Delicate Arch (7:30am)
Late Morning & Lunch
Fiery Furnace (10:30am)
(Alternative choice – Windows & Double Arch or Devil’s Garden)
Mid-Afternoon
Broken Arch & Sand Dune Arch (3:00pm)
Skyline Arch
Later Afternoon
Landscape Arch (4:30pm)
Evening: on the way out
Phallus Pillar
Balanced Rock
Courthouse Towers
Park Avenue
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Individual driving times are included on the itinerary below, but the total route from Arches National Park entrance to the end of the Arches Scenic Drive (Landscape Arch), via all stops listed above, is 20 miles and takes around 40 minutes to drive.
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Things to Know for Arches National Park
This itinerary involves a whole lot of hiking. Most of it is very easy or moderate, and where something is described as strenuous, that is usually only due to sun exposure and weather. Some spots involve a tiny bit of very easy scrambling (like, suitable for children). I’m not overly fit and I can do it all!
We’ve included a few alternative options to the hikes where it makes sense, so if you’ve exhausted yourself, or simply don’t fancy it, you can visit something less tiring! Our timings here also have some built-in time for parking, too.
This route is full-on and uses the entire day. If you want a more chill option, we’ve mentioned a few alternatives. Realistically, if you want to complete this itinerary in its entirety, you’ll not be able to pop back to Moab for lunch (there’s no food or gas in the park). So, pop to the Village Market in Moab and grab yourself something for lunch and a few snacks.
Permits
During certain times of year, Arches requires timed permits alongside an America the Beautiful Pass or an entry ticket purchased at the booth (fee information is listed below the itinerary). These allow entry to the park at a certain time of day and can be bought online for $2.
The timed permits are released on a first-come, first-served basis three months in advance, although there are a small number available for purchase the day before. You do not need a permit to enter the park outside the hours of 7am to 4pm.
This is to reduce overcrowding on the roads and help people park (with limited effectiveness on the parking front!).
If you enter the park outside these hours (so before 7am), you do not need a permit. This is what we would suggest if you are trying to pack in every spot that you can. If you do get a permit, purchase the earliest time you are willing to arrive. Personally, I’ve found that if you purchase a 7am one and turn up at 9am, for example, they still let you in (although I don’t suggest doing that).
The other permit-related thing to note is that this itinerary includes a permit-only hike (which is different to most other standard itineraries you’ll see). This is because it’s all about avoiding the crowds and seeing the best scenery – and this option is the best of the best!
The hike is called the Fiery Furnace and the permit is available one-week ahead of your scheduled arrival date, so hopefully most people will be reading this ahead of time! They don’t always book out that fast, either, however weekends are busier (at time of writing, four days of the upcoming seven still had availability).
However, if you’ve been unable to get a permit, we’ve provided alternative options.
We’ve written more about the permit-only hike further down.
The Visitor Center
Arches Visitor Center, located at the park entrance along the main road, is technically kind of away from the primary sites of the park.
It opens at 7.30am, so, if you are heading to your first spot in the park at sunrise, it’ll be closed on the way in. If you’re leaving the park after 6pm, unfortunately it’ll be closed, too. However, if you are picking up a hiking permit, as mentioned above, you have to pop into the visitor center the day before, or the day of your hike, so you’ll get to see it then.
It’s not an essential stop, to be honest. I’m guessing kids would love it, though. There’s loads of cool exhibits inside and it’s one of the nicer national park visitor centers I’ve been to!
Early Morning
We’d recommend arriving at the gates around dawn, or before 7am (this means you won’t need to secure a timed permit for the park). As Arches is only around five miles from Moab, this isn’t as painful as it sounds! This time of day is also the only time we haven’t always had to queue to get through the entrance gates.
Sunrise is, for most of the year, around 7am or before. During the depths of winter, it can be around 7.30am.
Even at this time, there can occasionally be queues at the entrance booths, although rarely long. If you come in later with a timed permit, you’ll definitely be sat in a queue to get in and I’ve seen them lead right back out onto the main road.
The timed-entry permits are not exactly effective at stopping traffic jams!
Delicate Arch: 7:30 – 10:00am
Some people rate this hike for sunset, but I’ve never seen any photos at sunset that were better than sunrise, so I’m skeptical! We’ve only ever hiked it at dawn (several times) when the light is lovely and there are no car parking dramas or enormous crowds.
You might see a bunch of people scaling the steep slickrock trail as you’re bounding back down. In reality though, if you start early then you’ll mostly get to experience the symbol of Utah with just a handful of others (and no queues for photos, wedding photoshoots, or loads of noise, which is an unfortunate reality of a site this popular).
Honestly, we don’t overly rate the actual 1.5-mile hike to Delicate Arch, but most people love it and I think the majority of first-time visitors would be disappointed to miss it. The route is described as strenuous, however it’s pretty short and we found the only tiring bit was getting up and over a big bit of slick rock at the beginning. You can easily do it in under two hours – we’ve done it in 1.5 hours.
Don’t forget to scramble up to the mini arch at 38.744064, -109.500940, just before the main event, for extra cool views!
On the way back, if you’re curious, there is an interesting 200-400-year-old Ute petroglyph panel just off the main path near the car park. It displays lots of sheep, cattle and men riding animals and is worth a quick diversion (it’ll only take about five minutes extra).
Note | be very wary of this hike in summer if you go between 10-4pm, and take at least three litres of water.
If you are unable to hike, there are several viewpoints for Delicate Arch which do not involve as much walking, but they are quite far away from the arch.
Late Morning and Lunch
Drive from the Delicate Arch Trailhead (Wolfe Ranch Parking Lot) to the Fiery Furnace Trailhead (4 miles, takes 8 minutes).
The Fiery Furnace car park can sometimes get busy, but not as much as others. We’ve had to park up on the road before at 38.743620, -109.570066, which is a few minutes walk from the trailhead.
Fiery Furnace: 10:30 – 2:00pm
This is the best part of the day: visiting the very special, permit-only area of Fiery Furnace! It’s one of the busiest times in the park and we think there’s no better place in Arches to avoid the crowds than here!
We’d include this hike on this itinerary even if it was heaving with people and you didn’t need permits. It’s a smashing experience that we would recommend everyone do if they want to have the most memorable time in the park!
To find out more about why this hike is special, how to get permits, and why this experience is so different to others in the park, click on over to our detailed guide.
But here, we’ll summarise a few important bits:
⬩ This permit only lets 75 unguided people in throughout the whole day.
⬩ The hike is quite physical, but not particularly challenging. It involves scrambling over a few surfaces, hopping over some gaps and traversing some wide ledges, but we saw all ages and people of varying abilities on this hike.
⬩ It’s doable by anyone who can hike to Delicate Arch!
I personally loved this hike because much of it was in the shade (it’s a mostly unmarked route though a maze of huge orange fins blocking the sun). This means it’s a great way to lose the midday crowds and avoid getting some savage sunburn.
I found the views of the La Sal Mountains from various glimpses around the Fiery Furnace magnificent, too. Plus, there’s the most stunning hidden arch in there!
This hike is one of our favourite across the entire of Utah, and it should absolutely be on everyone’s Arches itinerary!
Realistically, it’s the type of trek you might get lost on, so budget three hours for it, although it’s technically only around 2.5 miles long! Take some food and you can stop to eat the most peaceful lunch ever (something unimaginable at Arches!).
Optional: Alternative to the Fiery Furnace
If you weren’t able to get a permit for Arches’ best hike, then consider one of the below options instead:
The Windows and Double Arch
This is one of the busiest feeling spots in the park, not just because it’s popular, but because there’s very little parking for the demand (and don’t assume that those timed-entry permits have helped, because it’s perpetually terrible trying to find a space here).
There are two major (but very short) hikes, which is another reason why the car park is always full (instead of waiting for people to see some viewpoints, you’re waiting for them to finish two walks!).
Double Arch is super impressive and was even featured in Indiana Jones (apologies if you’re not a film buff, but all my Moab content is entwined with famous filming locations!). You can, however, see it from the car park if you’re in a rush (but it is much more overwhelming close up). The round-trip length is a little over half a mile, well under 30 mins.
The Windows hike leads to a group of arches, the largest being North Window, that you can see from the car park. It’s around a one-mile round trip, easily doable in thirty minutes.
If you must choose because of limited time, go for Double Arch, it’s more unique, scenic, and a shorter hike.
I’ve avoided this area of the park on all my most recent visits, only because it feels overly people dense whenever I pass by. If I were to visit now, I’d go last thing on my way out of the park – many people leave Arches National Park around 4-5pm, so it’s a safe bet to pop in later on in your day.
The Devil’s Garden Trail
We’ve written more details about this area a little further down, but there’s an up-to eight-mile route around the fins and arches of Devil’s Garden, which is kind of reminiscent of the Fiery Furnace, but a little less dense. It’s rugged, long, and challenging in spots, but we’d recommend it if you want a challenge similar to Fiery Furnace.
If you choose this option, leave it until the end of the itinerary, because the trail is a little quieter after 4pm.
Mid Afternoon
Next, drive towards Devils Garden, and stop at the relatively large parking lot for Sand Dune Arch (2.2 miles, 5 minutes driving).
If you’re short on time, you can just nip into the first arch below (Sand Dune Arch) which is a few minutes from the road and skip Broken Arch, however the latter is magnificent!
Broken Arch and Sand Dune Arch: 3:00 – 4:00pm
This little 2.3 mile hike passes through a cute arch hidden in the fins right by the road (Sand Dune Arch) and then heads on to one of the most underrated arches in the park (in my opinion), Broken Arch.
It’s a really easy, somewhat sandy, flat amble (unless you want to scramble up through the arch, which we highly recommend for the fantastic views behind it!). Despite being on the main scenic road through the park, it’s a far less visited trail.
The hike is out-and-back, unless you have somebody willing to take the car up to the Devil’s Garden parking lot (which we wouldn’t recommend unless you’re camping at Devils’ Garden Campground, which is where the trail terminates).
It’s a nice, easy trip after all your scrambling in Fiery Furnace, but is a little sandy and exposed, so go prepped for sun exposure.
Bonus: Skyline Arch
If you’re doing well for time, stop just up the road at Skyline Arch. It’s only a few minutes walk, about 0.2 miles from the road (you can see it clearly from the roadside parking!). Either stop and have a peek or take a quick wander on up.
You can actually see Skyline Arch clearly from the opposite side there, if you’re camping in Devil’s Garden Campground!
Late Afternoon
From Skyline Arch or Sand Dune Arch, drive one mile to the large Devil’s Garden Trailhead parking.
Honestly, it’s horrible trying to park in Devil’s Garden (despite it being an enormous lot). We’ve always found it easiest in the later afternoon, so have left this spot until near the end of the day. The car park is huge, so just circle around and you’ll eventually find a spot.
Landscape Arch: 4:30 – 5:30pm
This is the most popular area of the park and there’s really no good time to visit (the best is at the crack of dawn, or the end of the day in our experience).
However, this area is home to some really cool trails and, at 306 feet across, one of the world’s longest arches (It think it’s fifth longest and the longest in the USA). So, we’ve included it!
The hike to the arch is only 1.8 miles round-trip and flat, so you can easily fit it in at the end of your day, which is when loads of people will heading off for their dinners in Moab! It should take you less than an hour to take a peek and return to your car.
The route to Landscape Arch is just a small section of a larger, and very cool, loop that’s around eight miles. This loop (consisting of the Devil’s Garden Trail and the Primitive Trail) is a fantastic hike, but is not overly suited for anyone who is short on time as it can take a good chunk of the day to complete!
However, if you don’t get a permit for Fiery Furnace, this is a great quieter option since the crowds quickly dissipate as you head further away from Landscape Arch. I did the entire hike a fair few years ago now and would say that’s it’s not as cool as Fiery Furnace, but it’s an excellent scenic alternative.
Evening: Quick Spots on the Way Out
Below are a few places to spot on your way out of the park. They are optional little stops, so if you’re running late, don’t worry.
The Phallus Pillar
Okay, so this is just a quick, hilarious landmark to spot from the car. It’s a particularly explicitly shaped rock that only looks the way it does when driving south along the scenic drive, on the way out. It’s not so prominent on the way north.
We’ve marked it on the Google Map below!
Balanced Rock
Another quick spot to see on the way out along the Arches Scenic Drive. I don’t think it’s that interesting, but is worth a quick look.
Courthouse Towers
This striking little spot on the Arches Scenic Drive is where a scene from Thelma and Louise was filmed (where they take the policeman’s gun!).
Park Avenue
I love this area of Arches, even though it doesn’t have so many actual arches. Instead, there are these massive monolith fins which tower around the roads and trails. This part of the park really encapsulates the archetypal Utah red rock landscape, in my opinion.
Arches Google Map
Below is a savable Google Map of all the things we recommend on this itinerary.
⬩ Green are hiking trailheads.
⬩ Orange are places of interest.
⬩ Purple are optional hikes.
⬩ Blue is a suggested driving route.
To save this map, select the star next to the title.
How Much is Entry to the Park?
A seven-day pass to Arches National Park is $30 per private vehicle.
Don’t forget the Arches timed entry reservation permit of $2 from April 1st – July 6th and Aug 28th – Oct 31st, too.
There are also two other payment options, depending on your Utah road trip plans:
1. the Southeast Utah Parks pass, which includes entry to Arches and Canyonlands, plus Hovenweep and Natural Bridges National Monuments (both in the area and worth visiting). This pass costs $55, is valid for one year and permits entry for one private vehicle.
2. an America the Beautiful national park pass. If you are intending on visiting other national parks and monuments, we advise you get one. The America the Beautiful pass costs $80 for the year, and grants access to every federally managed national site in the United States. It is extremely easy to make it worthwhile if you are driving around southern Utah.
Best Time to Visit Arches
During summer, southern Utah gets very hot, often above 100 F (38 C), which is not ideal for hiking in Arches, particularly between the hours of 10am and 4pm. It would not be a smart plan to attempt certain hikes, like Delicate Arch, which is completely exposed, on burning hot slick rock with no shade.
However, luckily most hikes on this itinerary are shorter in length and mostly not that strenuous.
There is also a heightened risk of monsoon storms and lightning throughout the summer season. Keep an eye out for storms rolling in and avoid cliff edges or being out and about if there’s a lightning risk. Lightning scares the crap out of me because I’ve nearly been hit a few times in the southwest USA.
The shoulder seasons are March to May and September to November, which give you considerably better options for outdoor activities. The weather is often mild with lots of sunshine. However, crowds and accommodation rates are high as a result.
Winter can be a great time to visit too, as tourist numbers are low and lodging is cheaper. However, despite the temperatures during summer, the area around Moab gets lots of snow, ice and freezing conditions. If you have the gear and experience though, it’s a great time to be outdoors, Arches is particularly pretty in snow. Be aware though that daylight hours are up to five hours less during winter compared with summer.
WHERE TO STAY FOR ARCHES
Moab is the closest town to Arches National Park. The town is well equipped for tourists, including markets, restaurants, motels, campgrounds, breweries and quirky shops.
We’ve stayed in *a lot* of places in Moab at varying budgets (Moab is generally expensive – stay in nearby Green River for slightly lower prices, or camp). These are the best ones we’ve found:
Bowen Motel ($$) – this simple motel has the most central location on the main street, comfortable, clean rooms, and often a decent price point. We’ve stayed here a few times now and never been let down. It’s always our choice when the price is right.
Moab Rustic Inn ($$) – decent sized but slightly dated rooms, however it was clean, quiet, with a great price-point and also had a pool.
River Canyon Lodge ($$) – we’ve stayed here a few times since they did room renovations and it’s nice. The rooms are small, but modern, there’s a pool and the location is right next to the Moab Food Truck Park, which we love. You can hear a little through the walls though.
Kokopelli West ($$$) – super cute, colourful cabins, lovely hosts, great location. This amazing little find has modern, up-to-date rooms with comfy beds, fire pits and a general vibe that I just loved.
Under Canvas Moab ($$$) – I’ve stayed in other Under Canvas locations, and this particular one lives up to the name. It’s like luxury glamping and I love it! The tents gets pretty hot though, so I’d give it a miss during the scorching summer months.
Red Cliffs Lodge ($$$) – if you’re looking for something a bit special, this could be it. Hidden down Route 128, surrounded on all sides by cliffs, perched on the shore of the Colorado River is this surprising find. The location is unmatched, the rooms have a modern twist but with a kind of wood cabin vibe, and the room patios are huge. We actually discovered this place by driving past it – then immediately booked it!
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CAR HIRE FOR YOUR AMERICAN SOUTHWEST ITINERARY
We always rent our vehicles all over the world, including our recent extended trips in the United States, with Discover Cars. They’re often the most affordable, plus they paid out immediately on an insurance claim we made when our car took some heavy damage in Sicily. Find out more about why we love them so much!
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Camping Around Arches
There are loads of camping opportunities around Arches National Park.
Arches has Devils Garden Campground (reserve well in advance). We don’t love this one to be honest. There are a few really great sites in the rocks and the group site is cool, but lots of them are open and more designed for RVs. We’ve been assigned the group site here before because they included the wrong site descriptions on the website!
This campground is also always so busy (it can feel like a playground or a bro-festival, especially if you’re near the large group site!). However, it does get you guaranteed parking next to Devil’s Garden, which is super useful!
Standard sites cost $25 per night.
Outside of the park, there are amazing BLM sites down both routes 128 and 279 adjacent to Moab. These are often spots directly on the banks of the Colorado River. We’ve managed to get really decent campsites here around 11am (this seems to be when people leave!). Nearer to Arches, there is apparently BLM camping outside the park borders along Salt Valley Road, but we’ve never personally camped there.
Down Kane Creek Road/Kane Springs Blvd (leads to the Chicken Corners route), there is a lot of slightly more remote camping – we particularly liked Ledge B campground down there. These campgrounds don’t get that busy from our experience. Along the same road, nearer Moab, Kings Bottom is really nice too.
HAS OUR FREE CONTENT HELPED YOU PLAN A TRIP TO ARCHES?
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Where to Next?
Arches has never been my favourite park, which isn’t aided by my absolute obsession with neighbouring Canyonlands.
Having reflected on why this is, it could be because Arches never really felt like a wilderness to me. It was more like an outdoor playground full of fun, rocky outcrops. I mean, playgrounds of rocks are very cool, but Arches lacked some kind of mystery, intrigue and challenge; it was missing a kind of untouchable, impenetrable quality that some other parks have in droves.
However, I can absolutely see its appeal now, from a totally different perspective. I’d even go as far as saying that Arches is the best park for a one-day trip! Especially if you’re long-hike averse or just really tight on time.
It’s so distinctive, easy to access, and fun – I was missing out all these years! However, if you’re in the area, and want to know why Canyonlands is still one of my favourite national parks in country, go check out our one day guide.
If you’re extra short on time, have a look at our Arches vs Canyonlands guide, it explains how we’d see both parks in one day!
We hope you have an incredible trip!
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