Road Trips: Moab, Utah - Top Hikes in Arches National Park

Once you are packed and prepared for your trip to Arches National Park, it is now time to plan what outdoor adventures you want to do. When Brett and I visited Arches a couple of weeks ago, I had a list of hikes I wanted to do while we were there but I was blown away by the short hikes we ended up doing that were not even on my radar. Four of the trails that I discuss below were not even on our list to try but we stumbled across them as we were exploring the park. 

If you read last week's blog post, you are already informed on what you need to know while you’re planning your visit to Arches National Park. If you missed it, you can check out Part 1 here. 

Sand Dune Arch Trail

Distance: 0.3 miles | Elevation: 108 ft | Level: Easy

This trail is found right off of the main road in the park and will only take you ten minutes to complete. It may not seem like much but, once you get on the trail, you’ll first notice the trail goes right in between two rock canyons. The trail turns from dirt to sand, allowing you to feel like you are on another planet. 

My favorite part about this trail is you are in between the rocks the entire time, making you feel very small. As you continue on the trail, you will find the arch to your right and it is a great picture spot. If you’re looking for a great picture spot, go past the arch and you will find a little nook you can step up onto. This was a great spot to set up the tripod and get some great shots surrounded by the red rock. 

Landscape Arch Trail

Distance: 1.9 miles | Elevation: 252 ft | Level: Easy/Moderate

Landscape Arch was not on our radar when we first got to the park but I am so glad we ended up exploring the trail. You begin your hike at Devil’s Garden trailhead and will take about forty-nine minutes to complete. Open year-round, the trail to Landscape Arch weaves in and out of red rock, open desert spaces, and has many prime picture spots to capture the landscape around you. There isn’t much shade on this trail so definitely bring sunscreen and water. 

One thing we loved about this trail was the ever-changing landscape and views. There were slight uphill and downhill parts of the trail but, overall, it was an easy hike. Once you get to the arch, you will see the narrow span of rock hovering over the land and it is a great spot to capture a picture of Landscape Arch with a blue sky as your backdrop.

Pine Tree Arch Trail

Distance: 1.0 miles | Elevation: 196 ft | Level: Easy

Pine Tree Arch is another great trail that starts at the Devil’s Garden trailhead. As you are hiking to Landscape Arch, you will see signs in the ground directing you to different arches along the trail. Pine Tree Arch was one of my favorite spots along the trail because there weren't many people at the arch and it was a really pretty picture spot. 

The trail to Pine Tree Arch is easy, not going up in much elevation at all and winds through different red rock and open space. Again, this trail also does not have a lot of shaded areas so be sure to have sunscreen and water. Once you get to the arch, set up the tripod, step underneath the arch, and be ready to be blown away at the shots you get. 

Delicate Arch Trail

Distance: 3.2 miles | Elevation: 629 ft | Level: Moderate

One of the most popular trails in Arches National Park is Delicate Arch Trail, leading to the iconic symbol of Utah and is an amazing geological feature to see with your own eyes. Delicate Arch is the largest free-standing arch in the park and offers amazing views of the La Sal mountains in the background. 

Be sure to get to the trailhead either early in the morning or just before sunset. With temperatures getting hot in the summer and little to no shade on this hike, you will want to go during a time when the temperature is decent. It is also smart to get to the trailhead around sunrise or sunset to beat the crowds. Typically, this trail is always busy with visitors but there can be rare occasions where there are less people on the trail. 

Before completing this hike, you need to consider the weather and pack the correct supplies. For a list of “must-haves” on your hikes in the park, check out this blog post where I walk you through all you need to take to be prepared. This hike gains quite a bit of elevation and has hikers walk up a slickrock slope for some of the hike. 

Tower Arch Trail

Distance: 2.4 miles | Elevation: 600 ft | Level: Moderate

Tower Arch Trail was the first trail we did while we were in Arches National Park and I highly recommend checking out this trail. The thing that drew us to this trail was how “off the beaten path” it was which usually means less people are going to be on it. We typically like to find trails where there are less crowds which allows us to just really soak up the experience and set our tripod anywhere to snap some pictures. 

Tower Arch Trail is located in the Klondike Bluffs and is located 8 miles down the Salt Valley Road. Salt Valley Road is unpaved and is just the perfect ride to open your windows, turn on some music, and take in the vastness of the space around you. Once you get to the trailhead, there is parking and a very clean restroom facility. 

The trail itself keeps you guessing with every turn you take, taking you through sand, walking on rock, through tall red rock, and eventually ending you at Tower Arch itself. Tower Arch is beautiful and is another place that will make you feel small surrounded by red rock. We loved this trail so much that I decided to write a future blog post just on this trail, so stay tuned.