What to See in Arches National Park

A small park for big emotions

Put your hat, take your whip, you are now Indiana Jones in Arches National Park. This small park is one of the most amazing and famous in the country. The strong thermal amplitudes and the combined forces of nature (rain, snow, frost) have shaped sumptuous landscapes over the millennia, marked by the presence of stone arches: more than 2,000 across the Park!

If you want to know how long it takes to visit Arches National Park, you should read the article I wrote on the topic! And if you want to explore other national parks in the U.S. you can read the articles I wrote about Badlands National ParkGlacier National ParkGrand Teton National ParkArches National Park, Grand Canyon Skywalk, or Monument Valley.

red rock arch formation in a rocky landscape
Keep reading to discover all the main arches from Arches National Park. Picture from @mmashlynn

The monuments of the Arches National Park

Short or long, massive or tapered, the arches give the landscapes a unique and spectacular character, further reinforced by the presence of other fanciful formations: hanging rocks, fairy chimneys, vertiginous red cliffs.

A surrealist landscape which has served as a backdrop for many films, and which one can easily explore in one day. As soon as the entrance is crossed, the road rises quickly and the show begins. We first pass through Park Avenue, a corridor of rock walls as thin as they are vertiginous, which evoke the alignment of the buildings of the mythical New York artery.

flat red rock formation in a scenic landscape
The Park Avenue in Arches National Park. Picture from Bob Walker

Then, we discover the very evocative rock of the Three Gossips.

red rock formation under a cloudy sky
On the right, The Three Gossips. Picture from Keven Bree

About ten kilometers further stands Balanced Rock, a rock suspended 39 m above the ground, quite surreal. Just after, the road on the right leads to the Windows Section, which reveals superb arches. We first pass near the Garden of Eden, with its many rocky needles, very popular with climbing enthusiasts, then here are the first arches of the Parade of Elephants, huge red rocks sculpted by erosion. It is nothing yet compared to the North and South Windows, two neighboring stone arches just as monumental as the other, which face the Turret Arch, erected at the edge of the valley.

As you can see, there are tons of arches in Arches National Park, which is logical after all. Since it’s impossible to show you them all, I regrouped the main ones in the next paragraphs.

The Landscape Arch

The Devil’s Garden trail allows you to discover some of the most spectacular arches in the park. It leads to Landscape Arch, one of the longest arches in the world. 32 m high, it is 88 m long. In 1991, an 18-meter-long piece of rock broke away, almost reducing it to a line suspended in the air. Superb!

a very thin and long red arch
The Landscape Arch. Picture from Christian Wagner

The Double Arch

The path continues through sometimes dizzying landscapes, to Double O Arch, which forms a large “8” in the sky. This beautiful walk allows you to discover varied landscapes, still wild.

two red rock arches from a low angle
The Double O Arch. Picture from Josh Soriano

What about around the Arches National Park?

Canyonlands

Canyonlands National Park in southeastern Utah is known for its dramatic desert landscape carved by the Colorado River. Since it’s very close to Arches National Park, the landscape is not totally different here. For example, you can see similar arches, like Mesa Arch in the Canyonlands National Park.

sun setting behind a red rock arch
Mesa Arch in the Canyonlands, the closest park to the Arches National Park. Picture from Tom Gainor

Great Salt Lake

However, if you want to enjoy a totally different landscape, you can head to the Great Salt Lake, which is a little farther away than Canyonlands to Arches National Park.

person walking on white soil with sun setting
Bonneville Sand Flats close to Great Salt Lake. Picture from @davidmrule

As you can see in that picture, switching from the amazing forms of the arches to the simplicity of this salt flat is incredible.

Travel responsibly in Arches National Park

I enjoy finishing my articles with eco-tourism advice. I did it for Sequoia National Park, Bali, Yosemite, Madeira, Adirondacks, Antelope Canyon, Uluru, Death Valley, La Salar de Uyuni Tour, and the Cathedrals Beach. Indeed, such places must be preserved. Please travel responsibly and make sure you keep this place as beautiful as it currently is.

If you are interested in the U.S. road trips, you should download my e-book: The Best U.S. Road Trip. It’s free.

See you somewhere in the world.

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