Featuring some of the most amazing natural rock formations anywhere on earth, Arches National Park is located on the north side of Moab. Upon entering the park we recommend you stop into the Visitor Center which is immediately on the right. You’ll find friendly rangers along with informative displays and lots of helpful info.
It’s easy to drive all the way through Arches in one day if you are just doing some short day hikes and stopping at all the vista points. If you only have 1 day to visit Arches we suggest that you start as early as possible to avoid the crowds and mid-day heat which occurs from late April to October.
Some of our favorite short hikes which can all be done on a 1 day visit are listed below:
- Park Avenue (just walk in 10 to 15 minutes and retrace your steps)
- Loop around Balanced Rock
- North and South Windows
- Delicate Arch Upper Viewpoint
- Sandstone Arch
- Devil’s Garden Area (Tunnel, Pine Tree and Landscape Arches)
There is so much to see in Arches that you could easily spend 3 days hiking and driving on dirt roads to explore the scenery.
We do not recommend backpacking in Arches. Water sources are virtually non-existent and you need to stay on trails and dirt roads to avoid damaging the fragile desert crust.
Balanced Rock 
Window Arch 
Magnificent Arch 
Sandstone Arch