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Photographing Mesa Arch at Sunrise {Canyonlands National Park}

November 8 By Renée 17 Comments

Photographing Mesa Arch at sunrise in Canyonlands National Park is iconically one of the best photo ops in the American Southwest. Here’s what you need to know to capture that once-in-a-lifetime shot.

Photographing Mesa Arch at Sunrise: What You Need to Know | The Good Hearted Woman

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Full disclosure: Before we arrived on the scene, I had no idea that photographing Mesa Arch at sunrise was such a big deal. Our photog-daughter, who organized our trip, simply told us that we were going to a really cool place to take sunrise pictures.

Since Livy had been to this location a number of times before, I didn’t do my routine pre-trip research. Luckily, it all worked out great and I’m excited to share our adventure and tips for photographing Mesa Arch with you. But before I do that, I want to share a little story.

(Click here to scroll down if stories aren’t your thing.)

Photography Lesson: The Shot of a Lifetime

We arrived at the parking lot at the Mesa Arch Trailhead about an hour before the first hint of sunrise shrugged up the horizon.

Mr B and I made the short hike to Mesa Arch in about eight minutes. Our (mostly adult) kids were way ahead of us, and as we arrived, we found them momentary stopping under the arch for the requisite selfie.

As we maneuvered the uneven ground between the trail access and the arch to meet them, I passed an older man (older than me, at least) who was visibly agitated. His ire seemed to be directed at our kids, and I had no idea why.

“Get outta there!” he shouted at them, waving a hand in the air like an umpire calling out a batter. They were already moving away from the arch before he called out.

“Damn kids, trying to ruin my shot,” he muttered to me, by way of explanation. He had no way of know they were with us.

I should have just let it go, but I couldn’t help myself. “They’re really good kids,” I said quietly as we passed. (Sometimes I cannot make my inner mama bear shut up no matter how hard I try.)

He paused and looked back, face pursed, “They were going to ruin my shot.”

“Seems they were just catching the moment,” I replied, nodding toward the now empty Arch.

As I passed him, a young woman joined him on the trail. I overheard him say to her, “Damn kids were going to ruin my…”

“Dad…” she interrupted, using the same tender tone I once used with my own aging father in times of frustration.

“But I’ve been waiting a lifetime to take this shot.” I heard his voice break ever so slightly.

“I know, Dad.” She patted his shoulder, and his face softened. Together they went to set up before the inevitable crowd arrived.

We spent the next hour watching the crowd gather and set up. I kept an eye and ear on the old man, who seemed to snap to life when the camera equipment emerged. I watched him carefully set up his tripod, and adjust it so that he had a prime, unobstructed shot right through the arch. I watched him lean in to his daughter as they considered the optimal angles and adjusted their camera settings. By the time the haze on the mountains started glowing, he had every detail plotted out.

I was surprised when, as the sun began to rise over the mesa and light the La Sal mountain range beyond the arch, the old man motioned me over.

“You should shoot through right here,” he instructed. And then he stepped aside to share his carefully selected space with me. “See,” he pointed, “you can get a perfect shot of the cones rising up from the mesa right here.”

“You know,” he said, his eyes intent on the glowing skyline. “I’ve been waiting a lifetime to get this shot.”

I nodded, grateful for the lesson.

Photographing Mesa Arch at Sunrise: What You Need to Know | The Good Hearted Woman

Things to Do in Moab Utah • Travel Tips & Information from GHW

We loved our vacation in Moab! As Oregonians, deserts aren’t often high on our list of destinations, but we were blown away by the other-worldly beauty of the Utah desert!

If you’re traveling to Moab, be sure to check out these posts, too:

  • 7 Stunning Reasons to Visit Arches National Park
  • How to Survive on the Delicate Arch Trail (Totally worth it!)

Wavy Line

Photography Tips: Sunrise at Mesa Arch {Canyonlands National Park}

As I learned on our trip, Mesa Arch at sunrise in Canyonlands National Park is iconically one of the best photo ops in the American Southwest. Here’s what you need to know to capture that once-in-a-lifetime shot. 

Arrive Early

Set your alarm so that you can arrive at the trailhead at least an hour before sunrise. This will allow you to catch the first glow on the horizon. It also gives you plenty of time to adjust your camera settings, and figure out where you want to be when that much-anticipated sunstar pops through the arch.

Note that the trail into Mesa Arch, which will take you about ten minutes, is very dark before sunrise, so take something to light your way. A headlamp or flashlight are both good choices. (Sure, you can use your phone, but don’t blame me if you run out of juice in the process.)

Stake Your Claim, But Be Flexible

Crowds are inevitable. Arriving early will help you get ahead of them and allow you to find “your spot.” However, be flexible; if you manage to secure a prime location, be compassionate to those who didn’t. (Karma, my friends.)

Photographing Mesa Arch at Sunrise: What You Need to Know | The Good Hearted Woman

Take a Tripod 

A tripod is helpful for photographing Mesa Arch in two ways: first, it allows you to stabilize your camera in the low light conditions and take awesome pictures. Second, it helps you stake your claim.

There is something magical about a tripod placed. I can’t offer any guarantees here, but for the most part, people seem to respect the space a tripod takes up and won’t move it, even if you aren’t hovering over it every second. With your tripod securing your little square of Mesa Arch real estate, you can move around a bit without feeling like someone is going to “steal your spot.”

Photographing Mesa Arch at Sunrise: What You Need to Know | The Good Hearted Woman

Change Up Your Space

If you watch the light when you are photographing Mesa Arch, it’s difficult to take a bad picture. Doing so, however, will require you to move occasionally.

Photographing Mesa Arch at Sunrise: What You Need to Know | The Good Hearted Woman

Photographing Mesa Arch at Sunrise: What You Need to Know | The Good Hearted Woman

Photographing Mesa Arch at Sunrise: What You Need to Know | The Good Hearted Woman

Look Around

There are so many amazing shots at this location, and many do not include the Arch at all. If I had only been paying attention to the Arch itself, I would have missed this one entirely:

Photographing Mesa Arch at Sunrise: What You Need to Know | The Good Hearted Woman

And this one.

Photographing Mesa Arch at Sunrise: What You Need to Know | The Good Hearted Woman

And this one. (Those are two of our kids in profile on the left.)

Photographing Mesa Arch at Sunrise: What You Need to Know | The Good Hearted Woman

Stay Late

If you don’t heed any other information here, do this.

The biggest surprise I got while photographing Mesa Arch was the number of people who snapped the money-shot – that sunstar coming through the arch – and then immediately packed up and left. It’s literally like watching the first pop of fireworks on the 4th of July and leaving before the rest of the show.

Why would you take all the time and effort to get up early and drive out into the desert, just to snap one or two good shots and walk away? I don’t get it.

My best advice: stay at least 45 minutes after you see that sunstar.

Be Alert

It just so happened that our visit to Canyonlands fell on the morning of July 4th. Just as we were heading back on the trail to return to our car, I turned back one last time to take in larger scene behind us.

At that moment, someone standing on the rise next to the Arch rose up and stretched out, revealing the American flag they’d had wrapped around them. They then turned and hopped down to join their friends on the ground below.

The whole movement took less than five seconds, but somehow I managed to capture it. The image is below, and is one of my favorites from this trip.

Photographing Mesa Arch at Sunrise: What You Need to Know | The Good Hearted Woman

Finally, Put the Camera Down

There are two maxims I strive daily to follow. (I’m not always successful, but I try.) The first is, Be Kind. The second, Be Present. That means putting everything down and just being there in the place with the people.

Take some time to put your camera down, and take in the spectacular show the universe is putting on for you.

Wavy Line

More information on photographing Mesa Arch:

  • Mesa Arch Photo Tips [Fototripper] – This post has some good technical info, including recommended equipment and panorama tips.
  • Mesa Arch Sunrise Photography Tips for Boomer Travelers [My Itchy Travel Feet]
  • Mesa Arch: The Southwest’s Best Photo Op? [Firefall Photography] – Great info on camera settings.
Mesa Arch at Sunrise: The Shot of a Lifetime #photographytips #CanyonlandsNPS #canyonlands #mesaarchTweet & Share!

Wavy Line

THANK YOU so much for being a faithful reader and supporter
of The Good Hearted Woman. 🌻 Be sure to PIN this post!

Canyonlands Sunrise Photography Tips {Moab, Utah} | The Good Hearted Woman    Mesa Arch at Canyonlands - Sunrise Photography Tips {Moab, Utah}. Everything you need to know to capture that iconic sunrise shot! | The Good Hearted Woman #nationalparks #travel #photographytips #travelphotographyWavy Line

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Filed Under: Travel, Utah Tagged With: National Parks, photography, Utah

How to Survive on the Delicate Arch Trail

September 25 By Renée 14 Comments

The Delicate Arch Trail is challenging, and totally worth the effort! Go early, take your time, and bring twice as much water as you think you need.

How to Survive on the Delicate Arch Trail -- The Delicate Arch Trail is challenging, and totally worth the effort! Go early, take your time, and bring twice as much water as you think you need. | The Good Hearted Woman

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Iconic to Utah, Delicate Arch is the most famous – and most photographed – natural arch in the world. Mr B and I recently braved the three-mile desert hike to get up close and personal with Delicate Arch, and Wow!  The payoff was totally worth the effort!

We made it!!!

FUN FACTS: Delicate Arch stands about 60 feet tall at its apex. The light opening beneath the arch is 46 feet high and 32 feet wide, making it the largest free-standing arch in Arches National Park. Historically, it has been given many names, including a couple of my personal favorites: “Cowboy’s Chaps” and “Old Maid’s Bloomers.”

The term “Delicate” first appeared in a January 1934 article about the Arches National Monument Scientific Expedition, which described it as “the most delicately chiseled arch in the entire area.” [National Park Service]

Hiking the Delicate Arch Trail

  • Distance: 3.2 miles (4.8 km) roundtrip
  • Elevation Gain: 480 feet (146m)
  • Difficulty: Moderate, but could be strenuous on a hot summer day
  • Trail: Well-maintained, mostly slickrock
  • Maps: USGS Arches National Park; Trails Illustrated Arches National Park

NPS WARNING: It is critical to consider weather conditions no matter what time of year you plan to hike the Delicate Arch Trail. Take into consideration summer heat, winter ice, and your own health and fitness before embarking on this hike. Rangers frequently rescue people who underestimated the trail’s difficulty.

Can I survive the Delicate Arch hike?

The Delicate Arch Trail can be challenging. If you are hesitant about whether or not to go, let me offer this by way of encouragement: As Peter Pan’s Wendy so delicately puts it, I am “ever so much more than twenty,” and I carry significantly more weight than I should. And…

I MADE IT!!!

Proof of Life

“Mom, hold your hat and pose like a blogger!” [Olivia Huskey Photography]

It helped immensely that I had an awesome cheering section to keep me motivated and hydrated. (Thanks, Livy, Ben & Em!) However, if you are in good health and can walk three miles without issue, this is a hike you should definitely put in your back pocket.

Wavy Line

Success on the Delicate Arch Hike DEPENDS ON Being Prepared! 

WATER

Take water. Lots of water. More water than you think you will need.

It should come as no surprise that hiking in the desert is entirely different from hiking through a forest. After just minutes on the sandstone trail, I found myself already feeling parched as the dry Utah air sucked all the moisture from my body.

Water is not available anywhere on the trail, so be sure to bring plenty or fill up at the Visitors’ Center before you set out. Even when temperatures are moderate, the park recommends taking 2-3 quarts of water per person.

I feel as though I need to emphasize this point more zealously, because I know we see warnings like this all the time, but sometimes we take them for granted. As in, oh sure, of course I’ll bring plenty of water. What kind of a trail-donkey do you take me for?!

Well folks, I’ve been camping and hiking since before I could walk, so taking an ample supply of water on the trail is second nature. However, this was my first real desert hike in the summer, and less than halfway into the hike it was apparent that I did not bring enough water.

The truth is, if it hadn’t been for my traveling companions, I might have had some serious trouble. Under the circumstances, the experience was merely humbling and instructive: had I been alone on the trail, it could have been disastrous.

My Cheerleaders!

My Cheerleaders!

NOTE: The NPS suggests taking 2-3 quarts of water per person on this hike, and one gallon of water per day in the park, even when temperatures are cooler.

SHOES

This is not a “flip-flop” hike. The trail is wide and flat, and we found the sandstone surprisingly “grippy”: walking on it was a bit like walking on a path made of medium-grain sandpaper. Nevertheless, it is crucial to wear solid, supportive shoes with good traction.

That being said, I am well-known in our family for my ability to trip over invisible cracks in the sidewalk, and I did just fine in my tennis shoes. I did, however, use my daughter’s camera monopod as a walking stick much of the time, which was especially useful as we were crossing the vast, flat sandstone slab. If I were to do this hike again, I would definitely bring a walking stick or trekking poles with me.

Note that the NPS recommends traction devices (i.e., ice cleats) during the winter months, as the final 70 yards of trail are often ice-covered.

Grippy sandstone is relatively easy to walk on.

SUN PROTECTION

Desert. Sun. No Shade.

The sun on the Delicate Arch Trail trail can be blistering and unrelenting. Shady spots are few and far between. No matter what time of year you hike the Delicate Arch Trail, it is critical to protect any exposed skin with sunblock and wear a brimmed hat to keep the sun off your face and prevent your head from burning.

Shade break in the trail

One-third of the way into the hike, we desperately needed a shade-break.

TRAIL SIGNS

Along the Delicate Arch Trail, you will notice a number of strategically placed piles of rocks. These “cairns” have been placed there by National Park rangers to mark the way to go. If you are unsure of where to go on the trail, just look for the next cairn and go in that direction. Under no circumstances should you build your own cairn or knock an existing one down.

A Cairn, marking our way

TIMING

Sunrise is just as beautiful as sunset, much cooler, and always less busy. You might find several hundred people at Delicate Arch for sunset, but just a handful for sunrise. Try to enter the park before 7 am. Get an early start and beat the crowds. [National Park Service]

Setting out from the Arches National Park Visitors Center, we hit the Delicate Arch Trail just before 8:00am (which was about an hour later than we had hoped). By the time we reached Delicate Arch an hour or so later, the heat was already quite uncomfortable, and the crowds were starting to get heavy.

Best Tips for Hiking Delicate Arch Trail | The Good Hearted Woman

The image above was taken at about 9:30am, when the crowds were relatively light.

If you want to photograph Delicate Arch in all its glory, with the sun hitting all those amazing bands of red and rust just right, you’ll have to brave the crowds at sunset, which I’m told can be ridiculously huge.

Wavy Line

Along the Delicate Arch Trail 

To get to the Delicate Arch trailhead: 

From the Arches National Park Visitor Center, drive 12.3 miles up Park Avenue and turn right. Continue an additional 1.2 miles and turn left into the parking area for Delicate Arch Trail.

  • Trailhead address: Arches National Park, Moab, UT 84532
  • Trailhead coordinates: 38.73565, -109.5206 (38° 44′ 08.35″N 109° 31′ 14.13″W)

Hitting the Trail 

The Wolfe Ranch marks the beginning of the Delicate Arch Trail. This homestead was built and used by Civil War veteran John Wesley Wolfe and his family of five from 1898 to 1910, when they packed up and returned to their home in Ohio.

blank

Image Credit: Don Graham (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Just beyond the Wolfe homestead, a bridge takes you across the Salt Wash and onto the main trail.

Following the Cairns

At one point, the trail becomes a huge flat slab of sandstone, and you will have to follow the cairns (or the crowds) to find your way.

Best Tips for Hiking Delicate Arch Trail | The Good Hearted Woman

As you make your way across this wide, shadeless span, the heat can become almost unbearable by midday.

Best Tips for Hiking Delicate Arch Trail | The Good Hearted Woman

See that big flat rock face in top third of the image above? See those teeny-tiny dots on it going from the bottom to the top? Those are People! TONS of People!

Best Tips for Hiking Delicate Arch Trail | The Good Hearted Woman

One Day in Arches National Park {Moab, Utah}

Best Tips for Hiking Delicate Arch Trail | The Good Hearted Woman

The Giant’s Grin

A little more than three-quarters of the way up the Delicate Arch Trail, you will find what I am calling Giant’s Grin. (Totally made that up: I have no idea what it is really called.) I couldn’t find this listed in any of the Arches National Park literature I could find, but it it one of the coolest places we saw at the park.

Best Tips for Hiking Delicate Arch Trail | The Good Hearted Woman

Once you arrive here, you can breath a sigh of relief, because your destination is just around the corner! Before you continue though, take a minute to enjoy this mammoth formation and the stunning photo op it offers.

Best Tips for Hiking Delicate Arch Trail | The Good Hearted Woman

Just beyond the Giant’s Grin, the trails begins to narrow and hug a towering vertical ridge. The views as you make your way around the ridge are stunning.

Best Tips for Hiking Delicate Arch Trail | The Good Hearted Woman

Many thanks to Olivia Huskey Photography for taking this epic shot. It’s my one of my very favorites from our time in Arches National Park: I love the story it tells.

Then you round the last curve, and just like that, Delicate Arch is in front of you.

A Drink of Cool Water

You know that sensation you get when you take a cold drink on a hot day and the liquid flows down your throat and splashes into your empty stomach, and for just a second, the cool washing through you is pure bliss?

Rounding that ridge and seeing Delicate Arch right there in front of us was a lot like that.

Best Tips for Hiking Delicate Arch Trail | The Good Hearted Woman

Best Tips for Hiking Delicate Arch Trail | The Good Hearted Woman

Best Tips for Hiking Delicate Arch Trail | The Good Hearted Woman

Our Em.

Best Tips for Hiking Delicate Arch Trail | The Good Hearted Woman

Best Tips for Hiking Delicate Arch Trail | The Good Hearted Woman

Wavy Line

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How to Survive on the Delicate Arch Trail -- The Delicate Arch Trail is challenging, and totally worth the effort! Go early, take your time, and bring twice as much water as you think you need. | The Good Hearted Woman  How to Survive on the Delicate Arch Trail -- The Delicate Arch Trail is challenging, and totally worth the effort! Go early, take your time, and bring twice as much water as you think you need. | The Good Hearted Woman

How to Survive on the Delicate Arch Trail -- The Delicate Arch Trail is challenging, and totally worth the effort! Go early, take your time, and bring twice as much water as you think you need. | The Good Hearted WomanWavy Line

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. While clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they do help keep this site up and running. As always, all opinions and images are my own. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

Filed Under: Hikes, Travel, Utah

7 Stunning Reasons to Visit Arches National Park

September 17 By Renée 21 Comments

Mother Nature is a master sculptor and in no place is that more evident than at Arches National Park.

― Stefanie Payne, A Year in the National Parks: The Greatest American Road Trip

7 Stunning Reasons to Visit Arches National Park {Moab, Utah} | The Good Hearted Woman

When I first set eyes on Arches National Park, it reminded me of what the “alien planet” sets on the original Star Trek series might have looked like if they had had a bigger budget. As we traveled through the park, I was fascinated by all of the artistic inspiration and rich color painted across the desolate high desert landscape. Everywhere I looked, sandstone towers reached and arches bowed; their orange, rust, and red bands constantly shifting in the sun’s sweeping path.

Located in central eastern Utah near the Colorado border, Arches National Park offers visitors a front row seat to some of the most stunning sandstone formations in the world. Over 2,000 documented sandstone arches within the park’s boundaries – more than any other place on the planet. (An arch, by definition, is “an opening in the rock that stretches at least three feet in one direction.”)

One Day in Arches National Park {Moab, Utah}

Arches National Park has been on my bucket list for some time now, and this summer I finally had the chance to experience it. The middle of summer may not be the optimal time to visit central Utah, but sometimes you just have to grab an opportunity when it’s in front of you, right? (The best time to visit in is the fall or spring.)

Here are seven places in Arches National Park that Mr B and I found especially awe-inspiring:

1. Delicate Arch

[Delicate Arch Hike – 2.6 mile RT/ Moderate to Strenuous]

Delicate Arch, iconic to Utah, is the most famous – and most photographed –  arch in the world.

There is a viewpoint along the park road from which drivers can a good view of Delicate Arch. However, if it is at all within your abilities, we strongly encourage you to take the hike to get an up close, personal look. (I’ll be writing more about the Delicate Arch Hike and how to survive it in an upcoming post.)

One Day in Arches National Park {Moab, Utah}

 

Getting to Delicate Arch requires a moderately challenging hike, but it is totally worth the effort! Plan for at least 2 1/2 hours to make the hike, go early to avoid the heat and crowds, and don’t even think of hitting the trail without taking twice as much water as you think you need.

Pro Tip: This image was taken at about 9:30am. If you want to photograph Delicate Arch in all its glory, with the sun hitting all those amazing bands of red and rust just right, you’ll have to brave the crowds at sunset.

2. Giant’s Grin

[On the Delicate Arch Trail]

Full disclosure: I totally made that name up.

This place isn’t listed in any of the Arches National Park literature I could find, but it it one of the coolest places we saw at the park. (Literally. In the midmorning heat, it offered us some much needed shade.) I’m sure the ANP Rangers have a name for it, but I don’t know what it is. Whatever it’s called, you can find it a little more than three-quarters of the way up the Delicate Arch trail.

What I do know is that when you arrive at this landmark, you should be smiling, because your destination is just around the corner! Before you continue though, take a minute to enjoy this mammoth formation and the stunning photo op it offers.

One Day in Arches National Park {Moab, Utah}

If you look closely, you can see a couple of our kids cooling off in the recess.

(Did you think of a better name for this ^^^ formation? Leave us a note in the comments!)

3. Three Gossips & Sheep Rock

I don’t know why, but these particular formations just made me smile. I suppose it tickles me  that the inspiration for naming Three Gossips is just so universal – nearly everyone has aunties or uncles or siblings or friends who could be those three. And who doesn’t love a giant stone sheep in the desert?

7 Stunning Reasons to Visit Arches National Park {Moab, Utah} | The Good Hearted Woman

The Three Gossips & Sheep Rock

Three Gossips stands about 350 feet at its tallest wall and sits within a grouping of sandstone towers known as the “Courthouse Towers cluster” that also includes The Argon Tower, The Organ, Tower of Babel, Sheep Rock, and The Lamb.

One Day in Arches National Park {Moab, Utah}

One Day in Arches National Park {Moab, Utah}

4. Courthouse Tower

The arches may get the most press, but this majestic monolith took my breath away. This image was taken from a roadside pull-out: no hike required.

Courthouse Towers - One Day in Arches National Park {Moab, Utah}

You know how every once and awhile you take a shot that makes you feel like the photography gods are on your side that day?

5. Balanced Rock

Balanced Rock stands an impressive 128 feet tall, and appears as though it is defying gravity. However, it is more a case of erosion wearing away at the base where the 3,600 ton boulder meets the pedestal than any epic balancing act. Eventually, Balanced Rock will come tumbling down as the erosional process continues to shape the landscape. (Sometimes science really works hard to poke a hole in your imagination balloon, doesn’t it?)

Balanced Rock - One Day in Arches National Park {Moab, Utah}

Balanced Rock can be seen from the park road, or you can make the very short hike around the formation’s base to get a close-up perspective.

6. The Windows Section

The Windows Section contains a large concentration of arches and is one of the most scenic locations in the park.

Windows - One Day in Arches National Park {Moab, Utah}

Formations in this area include North Window, Turret Arch, and Double Arch, Garden of Eden, Elephant Butte, and Parade of Elephants. (Though, truth be told, I haven’t got the fainted idea which on is which.)

One Day in Arches National Park {Moab, Utah}

One Day in Arches National Park {Moab, Utah}

7. Double Arch

Double Arch is a Must-do when visiting Arches National Park! This spectacular flowing formation can be found in the Windows section of the park. Double Arch consists of two arches that share the same stone foundation for both of their outer legs.

Double Arch 2 - One Day in Arches National Park {Moab, Utah}

The sandy trail to Double Arch is very short and ADA compliant, which means it is considered barrier free. (Barrier-free trails may contain minor obstacles, steeper grades and temporary washouts.)

Taking the walk out to Double Arch is a lesson in perspective: the interlocking arches seem to grow to massive proportions as you get closer, and by the time you climb up into the arches themselves, you’ll finally know what those ants in your ant farm felt like.

One Day in Arches National Park {Moab, Utah}

Travel Information

  • Arches National Park Map

Arches National Park is open year-round, 24 hours a day. The park’s Visitor Center is located just inside the park, near the main entrance, with hours varying seasonally.

Park Entry Fees and Passes

  • Vehicle Entrance to Park – $25 (good for 7 days).  This fee includes all occupants of a vehicle.
  • Individual Entrance to Arches – $10 (good for 7 days). This fee applies to bicycles and walk-ins (per person).
  • Motorcycle Entrance – $15 per motorcycle (good for 7 days).
  • America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passis honored. Cost is $80. This is the best deal for people intending to visit multiple parks within a year’s time. You can get NP Parks Pass online or at the park entrance.
  • Southeast Utah Parks Pass
    $50 valid through the month of purchase. Admits 1 private, non-commercial vehicle or its pass holder to Arches and Canyonlands national parks, and Hovenweep and Natural Bridges national monuments.

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7 Stunning Reasons to Visit Arches National Park {Moab, Utah} | The Good Hearted Woman

Filed Under: One Day in..., Travel, Utah Tagged With: National Parks

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