Our family visited Arches National Park for spring break this year. I had been as a teenager but no one else in my family had ever been, which is kind of embarrassing, since it is only a few hours away. We decided a couple of years ago to have more staycations and see more of Utah. Whether you live in Utah or not, visiting Arches National Park should be on your bucket list!
I have a video below that shows in more detail all the places and arches we saw and hiked to. There is a wide range of things for each level of ability. There are a lot of look out and drives, short trails, and longer more challenging hikes.
Tips for Visiting Arches National Park
*Pack lots of water! It gets hot and most hikes and trails are in full sun the whole way.
*Get a Reservation This is the first year they have tried a reservation system. More info below.
*Hike in the morning and Evenings It get hot!
*If possible, plan your visit for the Spring or Fall Summer is not only very hot, but it is the peak busy season. To avoid the crowds, go in the cooler months.
One of my favorite arches is the Landscape Arch. It is the longest natural arch in the world!
Double Arch was one of my son's & husband's favorites. It was so interesting up close. And standing inside gave such a fun perspective. It is only a short distance from the parking lot too.
Double O Arch (not to be confused with Double Arch above) was our family's favorite hike. It was 4.7 miles in total and a bit challenging. I am terrified of heights and the ridge we had to walk along scared me. But I think that is part of why I found this hike so rewarding. I was able to conquer my fears (as long as I could hold onto Shane with a death grip) and it felt good to look back and say "I did that!"
Double O Arch was one of the prettiest arches in the park. It was nice and shaded too, which was nice after a long hike.
All the red rock formations and red sand made it feel other worldly. My boys had a blast climbing and exploring.
The hike to the most famous arch, Delicate Arch, was less fun. The 3 mile hike was almost all in full sun and wasn't exactly the most scenic or beautiful hike I have been on. Avoid this hike during the hottest part of the day and make sure tp take a lot of water. That being said, it is a must do hike. The arch at the end is totally worth it!
Reservations
This year was the first year they implemented a reservation system to even out the amount of visitors in the park. Typically everyone shows up at 7am and the wait time to get in the park can be up to 2-3 hours long. Having a designated time to show up ensured that you only waited about 10-15 minutes. It was so nice to have less crowds! Some trails we were the only ones hiking for most of it!
If you plan on visiting Arches National Park, make sure to hop on their website to get reservations. If the times are full, you can get on at 6pm every evening when they release more spots.
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Another favorite place of ours is Yellowstone. Check out my post about why we love it so much!
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