Arches Details & Maps

About of Arches

The world's largest concentration of natural stone arches is found in Arches National Park. Over 2,000 of these "miracles of nature" grace the 73,000-acre area. A 40-mile round-trip paved road in the park leads to the major sights, including Balanced Rock, Skyline Arch, Double Arch, Fiery Furnace, and Delicate Arch, the park's most famous geologic feature.

The entrance to the park, 5 miles north of the town of Moab via US 191, is a winding road cut into a sheer sandstone wall directly behind the visitor center. This drive, rising up, is as striking as the views from atop the plateau, where you are welcomed with dramatic and sweeping vistas. Here the park opens up into a red, arid desert punctuated with oddly eroded sandstone forms such as fins, pinnacles, spires, and balanced rocks, and arches. Visitors can see many of these arches in the distance from the paved road. Short trails, leading from pullouts or car parks, bring you beneath these forms, where the scale of nature's forces is appreciated.

The La Sal mountains, the second highest mountain range in the state, are located east of the park and can be seen from many viewpoints within Arches. The high mountain peaks, as well as the blue sky or desert clouds, serve as a dramatic backdrop to the red sandstone desert.

Recreational activities within the park include hiking, backpacking, technical rock climbing, and biking (only on the roads). Backcountry overnight hikers must pick up a free backcountry permit at the visitor center.

Arches offers a wide variety of hikes, many suitable for all ages and abilities. Longer and more strenuous hikes are also available. The hike to the famed Delicate Arch is 3 miles round trip. Delicate Arch can also be seen from a viewpoint. Two trails in the vicinity of this viewpoint offer different views of Delicate Arch. Elsewhere in the park, trails guide visitors to several other arches.

In summer, rangers lead guided walks into the Fiery Furnace, a labyrinth of sandstone canyons; reservations are required and may be made at the visitor center. Other guided walks and campfire programs are offered daily.

Hiking through the rolling sandstone of Arches is to follow in the footsteps of prehistoric Native Americans who roamed southeastern Utah between 700 and 1200 AD.

The visitor center is open year-round. Visitors are encouraged to stop by and learn how to visit the park with minimum impact to the fragile desert environment. Here you will find maps, brochures, and books to help you enjoy your visit. A slide orientation program, geology museum, and history exhibit are also available.

Arches National Monument was established on April 12, 1929 by President Herbert Hoover. It was redesignated a National Park in 1971.

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Location Information, Contact Info & Directions

Location:

Grand County, southeast Utah. The Arches park entrance is located on Hwy. 191 about 25 miles south of I-70 and 5 miles northwest of Moab. Canyonlands is located just 27 miles to the southwest. (See Maps Below)

Address / Telephone:

Arches National Park
P.O. Box 907
Moab, UT 84532
Phone: (435)719-2299  TTY: (435)719-2319

Directions

Arches is 5 miles north of Moab on Utah Highway 191. The park is 110 miles west and south of Grand Junction, CO, 236 miles south of Salt Lake City, UT, 360 miles southwest of Denver, CO, and 350 miles north of Grand Canyon NP's South Rim.

Transportation:

Commercial airlines serve Grand Junction, CO and Salt Lake City, UT. From Salt Lake City, a commuter airline (Alpine Air: 801-575-2839) and a shuttle bus service (Bighorn Express: 435-587-3061) provide transportation to Moab. Amtrak and Greyhound both provide transportation to Green River (fifty miles from Moab), and Greyhound also stop at Crescent Junction (thirty miles away). Taxi and shuttle services can be arranged from these locations.

Operating Hours / Seasons & Climate

Visitor Center

The visitor center is open daily during the following hours:
April 5th through October 9th: 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
October 10th through October 23rd: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
October 24th through March, 2000: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed December 25th.

In summer, June through September, temperatures may exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit and winter, December through February, temperatures often drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures may range 50 degrees in a 24-hour period. Very dry! Carry drinking water at all times.

Reservations / Permits / Fees / Regulations

Entrance fee waivers are available for school groups visiting Arches. Requests should be composed on school letterhead and state the purpose of the trip and how it relates to the park. Please include group size and the dates needed. Submit requests to:

Facilities & Opportunities

Visitor Center

Located near park entrance, the visitor center houses a museum with exhibits and a bookstore operated by the Canyonlands Natural History Association. A short orientation program is shown in the auditorium on the hour and half hour.

Located near the park entrance, the Arches Visitor Center houses a museum with exhibits and a bookstore operated by the Canyonlands Natural History Association. A short orientation program is shown in the auditorium on the hour and half hour. The Visitor Center is open every day of the year except Christmas.

The Visitor Center is handicapped-accessible and there is one designated accessible site in the campground. All flush and vault toilets in the park are accessible. The new Delicate Arch Viewpoint and trail area are accessible.

Trails, Roads

The 48 mile round trip paved road in the park travels through spectacular scenery and leads to major park features. Hiking trails of varying length and difficulty lead to and through arches and into the heart of the park. Pets are not allowed on hiking trails.

Interpretive Activities

Regularly scheduled walks, guided hikes and evening campfire programs are offered by rangers mid-March through October. The popular Fiery Furnace walks often fill a day or two in advance (fee charged). Reservations for these trips can be made at the visitor center up to seven days before the walk for groups of no more than ten people. Special tours for large groups can be arranged; submit requests by telephone or in writing as far in advance as possible. Arches also offers a Junior Ranger Program for children ages six through eleven. The free booklet includes several fun activities that may be completed during a visit.

Lodging and camping facilities

No lodging in park. The Devils Garden Campground, located l8 miles from the park entrance, has 50 tent and trailer sites, plus two walk-in group sites limited to tenting for ten or more persons. Facilities include flush toilets and water until frost. You must pre-register for individual campsites at the Arches Visitor Center between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m., or at the entrance station after 8:00 a.m. Group campsite reservations are available for the two group sites; call (435) 259-4351 for information. The Arches campground fills daily mid-March through October, often by early to mid-morning.

PLEASE NOTE:
The campground will be completely closed from November 1, 2000 through February 15, 2001 for major water supply line repairs.

Food/supplies: 

No food is available in the park. In the Arches Visitor Center, you may buy film and water containers, as well as informational materials.

Accessibility: 

The visitor center is handicapped-accessible and there is one designated accessible site in the campground. All flush and vault toilets in the park are accessible. The new Delicate Arch Viewpoint and trail area are accessible.

Map of Arches National Park

Map of Utah

Click on the Arch God to E-mail Daniel Hughes

You are Arches visitor Since November 20th, 1998

Arches Info Page Updated on Tuesday, August 06, 2002 06:07 PM PST