How to Spend Two Days at Arches National Park
We visited Arches National Park in April 2018. The weather was warm, but not too hot. The crowds also weren’t bad! We would come back in the spring season for this reason. We flew into Salt Lake City, rented a car and stayed three nights in Moab. Here’s how we spent our time:
Day 1:
Arrive in Moab around 2 PM & checked into our hotel then head to Arches National Park (a short drive away!)
Hikes of the Day:
Park Avenue & Delicate Arch. I’m not sure I would recommend this, especially since there is an easy viewpoint from the parking lot. However, it was neat to see some of the sandstone up close.
Elevation Gain:
320 feet
Round Trip:
2 miles
Delicate Arch. We started this hike around 4 PM. This worked out best for the lighting & we were able to get some great shots. As we were headed back to the car, many people were hiking up for sunset. This hike was easy, but took longer than I expected. There also weren’t any shaded areas, so wear your sunscreen, sun glasses and a hat if you can.
Elevation Gain:
480 feet
Round Trip:
3 miles
For more information on Delicate Arch, click here.
Day 2
We started the day by making a stop at The Windows & Double Arch. We walked a loop around The Windows to soak it all in.
Hike of the Day
Devils Garden. This hike gives you many arches to view throughout the entire hike, plus you get to see the lovely narrow rock walls “fins” and spires. This was my favorite day in Arches National Park. Landscape Arch is the largest in the US at 306 feet long. They say it is hanging on by a thin thread. You’ll also see Double O Arch along the way. After leaving Double O Arch, we connected onto the Primitive Trail to make a complete loop. This section was my favorite. The cairns helped determine the correct way to go.
Round Trip
7.2 miles but I believe with the loop it was closer to 9
One Tip For Next Visit
Get a permit for the Fiery Furnace. We met some people on the Devils Garden trail and they said it was their favorite thing in the park. This is permit only so try to snag one at the Visitor Center the day you arrive.
Day 3
Check out the sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands! This took some convincing for my husband, but it was a great experience. I read about getting their early to ensure you have a spot to take a photo. We left our hotel at 4:30 AM and arrived 45 minutes before sunrise. There were already 10 people waiting. More and more people starting showing up as it got closer to sunrise.
After watching the sunrise, we stayed a little longer to snap a few other pictures with the Mesa Arch lit up. Then, we headed back to Moab, took a 2 hour nap, checked out of our hotel, then headed back to Canyonlands to explore the “Island in the sky” section of the park. We also stopped into Dead Horse State Park.
Hike of the Day
Murphy Point Trail
Round Trip
3.6 miles
We also walked to the Aztec Butte and Grand View Point Overlook