One Day in Arches National Park: Best Stops for a Perfect Day

Morning: Begin Your Arches Adventure

Getting to Arches early is key to a full and fulfilling day. However, if you are looking to take a leisurely pace and don’t plan to hike very much or far, a late start should be just fine. Either way, if you are traveling in April-June or Sep-Oct you will need to have a timed-entry reservation, as well as a few days in July and August. If you can’t snag an early morning entry (before 9 or 10), consider entering before 7am or simply adjust this itinerary to focus on your most important sites. Plan for a long line into the park, and give yourself 30-60 minutes of waiting to get in before 7am.

Park Avenue Viewpoint

Honestly, you’ll have a beautiful sunrise wherever you are in the park, but one option close to the entrance and easy to access is the Park Avenue Viewpoint. While you might get some good views just from the overlook, consider hiking down the canyon.

It’s a 1.8 mile out-and-back trail with lots of stairs, so plan accordingly. While it is on the shorter side, there is a steep grade at the beginning (and end) of the trail. You will stop at the Courthouse Towers Overlook in just under one mile before turning around.

It’s important to note that you will be in a canyon if you choose to hike. That means your sunrise experience will be a little different as the sun lights up the canyon walls, as opposed to looking out on a wide expanse. You can always watch the sun start to peak out over the landscape from the parking lot and then head into the canyon as it continues to rise.

Even if you start later in the day, Park Avenue is a great first or last stop in the park, so consider adding it to your list!

Note – there are only about 20 traditional parking spots, but hopefully you can find an open one early. If not, just find a good overlook own that road with parking and enjoy the sunrise from there. You can consider doing the hike in reverse and park at the Courthouse Towers Overlook which has about 20 parking spots as well.

OTHER POPULAR SUNRISE SPOTS:

• Delicate Arch
• Fiery Furnace Overlook
• Devils Garden Campground (pictured above)
• The Windows

Stop at the Arches Visitor Center

If you have kids, or kids-at-heart, in your group you might want to head back down to the Visitor Center after sunrise to grab your Junior Ranger books and explore the small museum and gift shop. The Junior Ranger Program is a great – free – way for kids to engage with the park! To avoid backtracking, consider printing the booklet off at home instead.

You will still need to stop at the Visitor Center on your way out of the park to get a ranger to sign off your book and receive your badge.

In addition to your Junior Ranger Books, consider this National Park Activity Book for Kids: 30+ printable activities all about our awesome parks.

Devils Garden

Hop in the car and head to the end of the main road to Devils Garden. Here you can eat a picnic lunch at the picnic benches and then explore the surrounding area.

You could spend hours in Devils Garden, but with limited time I suggest hiking to Landscape Arch and turning around. It’s just under one mile, one way, without too much elevation gain. This is a popular hike, so don’t expect to be in solitude. The entire loop at Devils Garden is almost 8 miles, so if you’re looking to escape the crowds you can push further on into the more primitive trail areas.

There are several off-shoots to explore as well, and even a fun little sandy area not too far from the entrance.

But if your kids love sand, skip this part and make sure to leave time for the next stop: Sand Dune Arch.

Sand Dune Arch: Best Stop with Kids

While Delicate Arch is my favorite, Sand Dune is my most recommended. It’s easy to access, unique, and so much fun for kids.

Park in the small lot, and if it’s full circle around a few times. Because the hike is on the shorter side, many don’t spend a lot of time here.

You have a few hiking options from the parking lot. When the trail splits, you can go left and head to Broken Arch and complete either a loop or simply turn around. Otherwise, you can head to the right and go directly to Sand Dune Arch.

My top tips for Sand Dune Arch are to expect sand (hence the name) and bring some toys. We love to bring our beach toy bucket and our kids could have spent all day playing. There isn’t much more to explore past the arch, so if your kids aren’t into digging don’t plan on spending much time here.

The trail is less exposed, so it’s a good option for the warmer afternoons in Arches.

Fiery Furnace Viewpoint

While you can try and reserve a permit or guided ranger tour of Fiery Furnace, they can be hard to come by and the hike can be a little disorienting if you haven’t been there before.

If you are unable to secure a permit or aren’t interested in exploring the area, consider stopping at the viewpoint. You won’t need more than a few minutes to enjoy the views, and it might inspire you to come back another time and enter the maze-like hike.

The Fiery Furnaces is a well-known and well-loved region of the park, so most visitors should take the time to enjoy it—even from afar.

Visiting out West with kids? Consider a stop at Death Valley – one of my favorite parks with kids. (Just not in the summer!)

The Windows and Double Arch

These two hikes start at opposite ends of a large parking lot. Be aware, however, that they are incredibly popular (and for good reason), and spots may be filled. We took our young children (1 and 3) on both of these hikes, and we all loved them. Due to traffic congestion on our last trip, we made do with a drive-by, but or those who need shorter hikes, I highly recommend waiting for a spot and then taking your time in the area. You can easily spend an hour or so exploring the two hikes and the incredible scenery.

The Windows is comprised of three different stops – North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch. While not as easy as the Double Arch trail, it’s still an easy hike with some spectacular views.

On your way to or from this area, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for Elephant Butte: a rock formation that looks surprisingly similar to an elephant – trunk, tail, and all!

Even though the sites at Arches are relatively close together, you will still be spending a lot of time in the car. Check out this post with my best tips for road trips with kids.

Balanced Rock

You don’t even need to get out of the car to enjoy this wonder, but I suggest you take 5-10 minutes to walk around the formation and check out the views all around. My kids were pretty much done with any form of hiking, so I enjoyed one of the quietest moments of the day and will forever love this stop because of it. 😂

Sunset at Arches National Park

Just like sunrise, you won’t get a bad sunset at Arches. We enjoyed both from our campsite at Devil Garden, but if you are only in the park for one day and following this itinerary, simply enjoy the sunset near Balanced Rock or another nearby pullout.

While sunset at Delicate Arch would be incredible, bring a headlamp for each person, extra layers for when it cools down, and take it slowly on the return hike. Before our most recent visit, I had only experienced Delicate Arch at night! The hike can certainly be done, but be wary of poor weather, high wind, or seasonal ice.

Essentials for Families:

• Hats – Beanies for winter, sun blockers for summer
• Sunglasses – Not a lot of tree cover, so protect your eyes
• Sunscreen – Needed year-round
• Sturdy walking shoes for kids – Mine did fine in sneakers, but good hiking boots with a good tread could be helpful. Just make sure they aren’t too heavy for little ones.
• Snacks – Bring more than you think you will need. Avoid things that melt or spoil quickly. We love fruit leather, sour candies, and of course too many bags of Goldfish. Jerky, nuts, apples, and oranges are other snack options that are probably going to make you feel better than what we usually bring.
• Refillable water bottles – Bring more than you think you will need. I know it’s heavy, but the more you drink the lighter it gets! Hydration packs like this one are also fun to have and make carrying larger quantities of water easier.

Optional Gear:

• Binoculars for spotting wildlife
• Small backpacks for each child (emphasis on small or it might end up being too much for them. A cross-body or belt bag may be a good choice too)

One Day is Enough