Arches National Park
Discover a landscape of contrasting colors, land forms, and textures unlike any other. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive rock fins, and giant balanced rocks. This red-rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and inspire you with its sunsets.
Alerts
- InformationTrip-planning tips for 2026
Planning to visit Arches this year? To ensure the best experience, please anticipate potentially long wait times at the entrance station. If trailhead parking is full, plan to return a little later. Please avoid parking on vegetation and roadways to help preserve this beautiful place for everyone to enjoy.
Fire nearby
- WildfireSlough Canyon
48 mi from the park's reference point · 4,774 acres · 80% contained
Within 50 miles, as of 2026-10-14. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Check the park's alerts and the managing office before you drive.
Fees & passes
| Type | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Private VehicleAdmits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15 passenger capacity or less) and all its occupants. | $30 | |
| MotorcycleValid for 7 days. Admits up to 2 private, non-commercial motorcycles with up to 4 total passengers. | $25 | |
| Per PersonAdmits one individual with no car. Typically used for bicyclists, hikers, and pedestrians. Youth 15 and under are admitted free. | $15 | |
| Passes | ||
| Annual Entrance - ParkValid for one year through the month of purchase. Admits one (1) private, non-commercial vehicle or its pass holder to Arches and Canyonlands national parks, and Natural Bridges and Hovenweep national monuments. U.S. residents only. | $55 | |
Hours
| Park Hours | Daily · All Day |
When to go
May draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Campgrounds
| Devils Garden Campground | 57 sites | |
| $25 a night · Devils Garden Campground typically open year-round. Firewood is only available for purchase at the visitor center bookstore, not at the campground. | ||
Every campground here has its own page on Campsite Atlas, with site counts, hookups, rig limits and booking windows. All of them on one page → How park camping works
Visitor centers
- Arches Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The visitor center is generally open every day except December 25. Hours vary by season. You can learn about the park from exhibits and a bookstore. Rangers are on duty to answer your questions. Restrooms and drinking water are available.
Explore
Things to do
- Stargazing Events in Southeast Utah1-3 Hours
Rangers occasionally lead stargazing programs and events at parks throughout southeast Utah. Learn about what to expect and check out a schedule of stargazing events at Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Hovenweep and Natural Bridges national…
Opens on the Park Service site - Explore the Fiery Furnace
Entry to the Fiery Furnace is managed by permits and ranger-led tours to ensure the experience of solitude and wilderness.
Opens on the Park Service site - Canyoneering at Arches
Arches has no real "slot canyons" but does afford some unique on-rope opportunities.
Opens on the Park Service site - Rock Climbing at Arches
Most climbing routes in the park require advanced techniques. Climbing is not allowed on any arches or certain named features, such as Balanced Rock.
Opens on the Park Service site - Hiking at Arches
Arches contains a variety of hiking trails, from easy/moderate to long and strenuous. Many trails use cairns (stacks of rocks) for markers and cross broad rock surfaces, requiring attention to follow.
Opens on the Park Service site - Stargaze at Panorama Point15-120 Minutes
Arches National Park and the surrounding Colorado Plateau offer some of the darkest night skies remaining in the United States. You can enjoy the park after dark by viewing spectacular night skies.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 10Hide
- Start at Arches Visitor Center15-60 Minutes
Stop at the visitor center to plan your visit, fill your water bottle, learn about the park, and pick up a souvenir.
Opens on the Park Service site - Backpacking at Arches
Backpacking at Arches is allowed in designated sites only and requires a permit.
Opens on the Park Service site - Enjoy Arches from the Road2-4 Hours
If you pay close attention, you can see close to two dozen arches from the comfort of your car.
Opens on the Park Service site - Arches Junior Ranger Program
Filled with fun activities, free Arches Junior Ranger books reveal the wonders of Arches to kids and parents alike.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Webcams
Camera images load live from the National Park Service and partner agencies
Events
- Campground Evening Program10/1406:30 PM · runs through Oct 17 · freeDevils Garden Amphitheater
- Art in the Parks10/1509:00 AM · freeDevils Garden
- Service Saturday: Volunteer Event10/2409:00 AM · free · registration required
- Art in the Parks: Season Wrap-Up10/2906:00 PM · freeMoab Information Center (corner of Main Street and Center Street in downtown Moab)
News
- Moab-Arches Shuttle Service Begins Operations Under Multi-Agency Partnership ↗2026-09-10
Arches National Park is excited to welcome the Moab-Arches shuttle service to the park! The new service, initiated by Grand County, hopes to reduce traffic congestion and provide a new way for visitors to experience the…
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Dalton Wells CCC Camp–Moab Relocation CenterSite · Moab · 6.2 mi
- Ringhoffer InscriptionSite · Moab · 7.2 mi
- Rock House–Custodian's ResidenceBuilding · Moab · 7.4 mi
- Julien Incription PanelSite · Moab · 7.8 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for Arches National Park and Utah's national parks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthGray Fox 1× · Bighorn Sheep 1×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 188 birds, 56 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAmerican Kestrel · Bald Eagle · Burrowing Owl · California Condor · Cooper's Hawk · Ferruginous Hawk · Golden Eagle · Great Horned Owl · Long-eared Owl · Merlin · Northern harrier · Osprey · Peregrine Falcon · Prairie Falcon · Red-tailed Hawk · Sharp-shinned Hawk · Short-eared Owl · Swainson's Hawk · Turkey Vulture · Western Screech-Owl
Waterfowl & wadersAmerican wigeon · Black-crowned Night-Heron · Canada Goose · Cinnamon teal · Common Goldeneye · Common Merganser · Eared Grebe · Great Blue Heron · Great Egret · Green-winged Teal · Northern Pintail · Snowy Egret · Virginia Rail · Western Grebe · White-faced Ibis
Shorebirds & seabirdsKilldeer · Least Sandpiper · Long-billed Curlew · Long-billed Dowitcher · Solitary Sandpiper · Spotted Sandpiper · Wilson's Snipe
Gamebirds & dovesEurasian Collared-Dove · Mourning Dove · Rock Pigeon · White-winged Dove · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDowny woodpecker · Hairy Woodpecker · Lewis' Woodpecker · Northern Flicker · Red-naped Sapsucker · Williamson's Sapsucker · Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Hummingbirds & swiftsBlack-chinned Hummingbird · Broad-tailed Hummingbird · Rufous Hummingbird · White-throated Swift
Also on the checklistAmerican Crow · American Dipper · American Pipit · American Redstart · American Robin · American Tree Sparrow · American goldfinch · Ash-throated Flycatcher · Bank Swallow · Barn Swallow · Belted kingfisher · Bendire's Thrasher · Bewick's Wren · Black Phoebe · Black Rosy-Finch · Black-billed Magpie · Black-capped Chickadee · Black-chinned Sparrow · Black-headed Grosbeak · Black-throated Sparrow · Black-throated gray warbler · Blue Grosbeak · Blue-gray Gnatcatcher · Brewer's Blackbird · Brewer's Sparrow · Brown Creeper · Brown Thrasher · Brown-headed Cowbird · Bullock's Oriole · Bushtit · Canyon Wren · Cassin's Kingbird · Cassin's finch · Cedar Waxwing · Chipping Sparrow · Chukar · Clark's Nutcracker · Cliff Swallow · Common Nighthawk · Common Poorwill · Common Raven · Common Yellowthroat · Common redpoll · Cordilleran flycatcher · Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed) · Dark-eyed Junco (Oregon) · Dark-eyed Junco (Pink-sided) · Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) · Dusky Flycatcher · European Starling · Evening Grosbeak · Gadwall · Golden-crowned Kinglet · Golden-crowned Sparrow · Gray Catbird · Gray Flycatcher · Gray Vireo · Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch · Green-tailed Towhee · Harris' Sparrow · Hermit Thrush · Horned Lark · House Sparrow · House Wren · House finch · Indigo Bunting · Juniper Titmouse · Lark Bunting · Lark Sparrow · Lazuli Bunting · Lazuli x Indigo Bunting hybrid · Lesser goldfinch · Lincoln's Sparrow · Loggerhead Shrike · Lucy's Warbler · MacGillivray's warbler · Mallard · Marsh Wren · Mountain Bluebird · Mountain Chickadee · Nashville Warbler · Northern Goshawk · Northern Mockingbird · Northern Rough-winged Swallow · Northern Waterthrush · Northern shrike · Olive-sided Flycatcher · Orange-crowned Warbler · Pine siskin · Pinyon Jay · Plumbeous Vireo · Purple finch · Red-breasted Nuthatch · Red-winged Blackbird · Rock Wren · Rose-breasted Grosbeak · Ruby-crowned Kinglet · Sage Thrasher · Sagebrush Sparrow · Savannah Sparrow · Say's Phoebe · Scott's Oriole · Song Sparrow · Sora · Spotted Towhee · Steller's Jay · Swamp Sparrow · Townsend's Solitaire · Townsend's warbler · Tree Swallow · Vesper Sparrow · Violet-green Swallow · Virginia's Warbler · Warbling Vireo · Western Bluebird · Western Kingbird · Western Meadowlark · Western Tanager · Western Wood-Pewee · White-breasted Nuthatch · White-crowned Sparrow · White-throated Sparrow · Willow Flycatcher · Wilson's Warbler · Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay · Yellow warbler · Yellow-billed Cuckoo · Yellow-breasted Chat · Yellow-headed Blackbird · Yellow-rumped warbler
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · Black-tailed Jackrabbit · Botta's Pocket Gopher · Brush Mouse · Bushy-tailed Woodrat · Canyon Mouse · Common Muskrat · Crawford's Desert Shrew · Deer Mouse · Desert Cottontail · Desert Woodrat · Hopi Chipmunk · Merriam's Shrew · North American Porcupine · Northern Grasshopper Mouse · Ord's Kangaroo Rat · Pinon Mouse · Plains Pocket Mouse · Rock squirrel · Western Harvest Mouse · White-tailed Antelope Squirrel · White-tailed Prairie Dog
PredatorsAmerican Badger · American Black Bear · Bobcat · Common Gray Fox · Coyote · Kit Fox · Long-tailed Weasel · Mountain Lion · Northern Raccoon · Northern River Otter · Red Fox · Ringtail · Striped Skunk · Western Spotted Skunk
Hoofed mammalsBighorn Sheep · Elk · Mule Deer · Pronghorn
BatsAllen's Big-eared Bat · Big Brown Bat · Big Free-tailed Bat · Brazilian Free-tailed Bat · California Myotis · Canyon Bat · Fringed Myotis · Long-eared Myotis · Long-legged Myotis · North American Hoary Bat · Pallid Bat · Silver-haired Bat · Spotted Bat · Townsend's Big-eared Bat · Western Small-footed Myotis · Yuma Myotis
Activities
Activity guides for this park Camping in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Horseback riding in the national parks · Rock climbing in the national parks · Stargazing in the national parks
All 16 activitiesHide
Weather & climate
Arches is part of the Colorado Plateau, a "high desert" region that experiences wide temperature fluctuations, sometimes over 40 degrees in a single day. The temperate (and most popular) seasons are spring (April-May) and fall (mid-September-October), when daytime highs average 60 to 80 F and lows average 30 to 50 F. Summer temperatures often exceed 100 F, making strenuous exercise difficult. Winters are cold, with highs averaging 30 to 50 F, and lows averaging 0 to 20 F.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to enter Arches?
Entrance is $30 per private vehicle, $25 per motorcycle, and $15 per person on foot or bike. Admits one private, non-commercial vehicle (15 passenger capacity or less) and all its occupants.
Source: National Park Service
Which passes work at Arches?
The $80 America the Beautiful pass covers the entrance fee here, and a Arches-only annual pass is $55.
Source: Is the pass worth it
Can I pay the entrance fee in cash?
No. Arches takes cards only at the entrance.
Source: National Park Service
When is entrance to Arches free?
Next on October 27, Theodore Roosevelt's birthday. 2 fee-free days are left this year, for US residents only.
Source: Free entrance days
Do I need a reservation to enter Arches?
No. There is no timed-entry or entrance reservation at Arches. Camping and some tours have their own reservations.
Source: National Park Service
Is Arches open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
Can I camp in Arches?
Yes. The Park Service lists 1 campground in Arches: Devils Garden. 1 takes reservations through Recreation.gov.
Do any Arches campgrounds have hookups or showers?
No. None of the 1 listed campgrounds report showers, electric hookups, or a dump station.
Source: Campgrounds
Do camping fees at Arches include the entrance fee?
No. Camping is charged per night on top of the entrance fee or a pass; Devils Garden is $25 a night.
Source: Campgrounds
Is anything closed at Arches right now?
1 active alert as of October 14, 2026: Trip-planning tips for 2026.
Source: Alerts
How busy is Arches?
1,511,740 recreation visits in 2025, number 57 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Arches?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show AT&T 4G LTE. No reported coverage for Verizon and T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
