Arches National Park is just north of Moab in the state of Utah, and is home to more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches and over 30 miles of hiking trails. You can download or view a variety of maps on the National Park Service site at: Arches National Park.

Arches National Park scenery

We visited in June, because we were nearby in Colorado. But, would advise visiting in the Spring or Fall when the desert temperatures are more suitable for hiking and biking.

Because of the time of year, we did a drive through the park stopping at all the scenic overlooks. But, we added in the short hikes to most of the more famous arches. Some of the most interesting scenery in the park can also be seen right from the pull-offs, including Balanced Rock which can also be reached by a short (0.3 mile) trail.

Balanced Rock in Arches National Park

The first hike we did was Windows. Windows is an easy 1-mile loop hike with minor elevation gain up some stairs to one of the arches. It’s a great first hike, because it takes you very close to three major arches (North Window, South Window, and Turret) and is very accessible. The downside is, its one of Arches National Parks most popular hiking trails so there will likely be lots of people on all the arches, jockeying for the same pictures you want to take. But, with a little patience and creativity your hike will be rewarded.

South Window Arch in Arches National Park

The next hike we took was to Double Arches. This is also a short (0.5 mile) easy hike, and allows direct access to a great pair of arches. After a short climb, you can walk right under the two arches, making for some great photo ops!

Double Arches in Arches National Park

Last, but certainly not least, we hiked to Delicate Arch. This is one of the more difficult hiking trails, with 3.2 miles of mostly unshaded slickrock round trip. This is definitely a hike to bring plenty of water, a hat, and other appropriate gear. But, once you make your way through a small valley, up the large slick rock, and around the narrow path to the top of a mesa, you’ll be rewarded with a really great view of Delicate Arch. This arch also allows you to walk directly up to it, but be prepared for a lot of people with selfies in mind.