Arches National Park is located 4 miles from Moab in eastern Utah. The park spans over 76,000 acres, equivalent to 119 square miles.
It is a high desert landscape with elevations from 4,085 and 5,653 feet.
We spent a day exploring the park and hiked the area surrounding the Devils Garden and other sites.
It is a gorgeous park and definitely a must-do if you’re in the Moab area.
The park has over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, which is the highest density of arches anywhere in the world.
The geological structures in the park include towering spires, balanced rocks, and all types of unique formations.
Arches National Park first gained recognition in the 1920s when a railroad manager brought it to the attention of the National Park Service.
It was first created as a National Monument by President Hoover in 1929, and later became a National Park in 1971.
With an annual precipitation of less than 10 inches, the park’s environment is both rugged and arid. Plan accordingly.
Bring lots of water, sunscreen, and a sun hat.
Devils Garden Campground
Devils Garden Campground is Arches National Park’s sole campground. you can reserve campsites from March 1 to October 31.
Campsites are reserved as soon as they open up.
Without a reservation, finding a campsite within the park is unlikely.
From November through February, campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Both RVs and tent campers are welcome at Devils Garden Campground.
There are no hookups for RVs, but drinking water and flush toilets are available.
Dark Sky Park
Arches National Park is recognized as being an official Dark Sky Park.
The park hosts numerous events about astronomy in the dark night skies.
In the image above, a Park Ranger is showcasing the night skies using a telescope. The milky way is hard to miss!
Getting There
Arches National Park has been seeing a significant rise in visitors each year.
It typically has over 1.5 million visitors per year, which increased to 1.8 million in 2021.
To accommodate growing tourism while preserving the park’s integrity, a timed entry reservation system has been implemented for visits between April and October, during the hours of 7am to 4pm.
Arches National Park is located just a few miles from Moab.
To avoid traffic, you can bike to it from the Goose Island Campground using the bike path, but you’ll have a big hill to climb once you enter the visitor gates of the park.
