Arches National Park is a geologic symphony of astounding rock formations, with over 2,000 sandstone arches. These natural wonders were formed over a large expanse of time through wind and water erosion. Well, that’s the shortened version at least. Be sure to visit the Visitor Center for an in depth look on how these arches, fins and monoliths formed over time. The park expands over 76,000 acres, and visitors should plan on taking several days to explore this fascinating place.

We only had one full day in Arches, and we wish we could’ve stayed all week! It is such a big park, with so many places to explore. We visited in early March, which was a fantastic time to go because the weather was cool and allowed for all day hiking and there were very few crowds. However, I could imagine in the warmer months it would be very hot- so plan ahead and make sure you bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and hike in the cooler parts of the day.

Our first morning in Moab started with a trip to the ER for Lily. She fell off the bunk in our RV at 6am and sliced her mouth open, requiring eight stitches! The doctors and staff at Moab Regional Hospital were fantastic, I can’t imagine how hard it would be to carefully stitch up a two year old. There is a bulletin board map in the hospital, and you can place a pin in the area where you were injured. It’s called “I biffed it in Moab…” and the colored pins are correspond to what kind of injury you had. There were colored pins for biking and ATV accidents, and even a bear attack! Lily’s accident was categorized under “camping mishaps.” The board says 2019 but it must have carried over into 2020.

Travel Tip: always know where the closest hospital is located in case you are faced with an emergency.

Even with the hectic morning, we still made it to Arches and on the trails by 10am! Now that’s good timing. We stopped at the visitor center first to find out our best options for hiking with the kids, as well as pick up our Jr Ranger books. The visitor center also had great information about the how the arches and other rocks were formed into the shapes they are today. Science lesson: check!

Entrance Fees:

The park entrance fee is $35/car and is good for 7 consecutive days. Or we recommend buying the America the Beautiful National Parks pass for $80, which is good at over 2,000 U.S. federal recreation sites.

Where to camp in Arches:

Devil’s Den Garden Campground ($25/night)

There is only one campground in Arches National Park, and it is located 18 miles from the park entrance. The Devil’s Garden Campground is surrounded by beautiful landscapes and sure to be a great base for exploring the park. Facilities include potable water, picnic tables, grills, and toilets. There are no hookups, and the campground can accommodate tents as well as trailers and RVs up to 40’.

Campsites can be reserved 6 months in advance from March 1st through October 31^st, and then first-come, first-served during the off season. During the busy season, you’ll need a reservation, as the campground is almost always full. You can reserve online here. 

Where to camp outside of the park:

There are plenty of campgrounds in the Moab area, all within 10 miles from the park entrance. For a list of campgrounds, click here. 

Sand Flats Recreation Area

Sand Flats Recreation Area is a popular camping area situated about 10 minutes from Arches, and is $15/night. Sand Flats offers over 120 campsites, which offer a picnic table, fire ring and nearby vault toilets. This place is a dream for adrenaline junkies- offering awesome terrain for biking, 4x4s and motorcycles! Campsites cannot be reserved, but are on a first-come, first-served basis.

Boondocking at Willow Springs Road:

Willow Springs Road sits on the east side of Highway 191, about 15 minutes north of Arches National Park. There are large areas of mostly flat sandstone, making it a great option for tent and RV camping. The views we had were absolutely incredible, and made us fall in love with dispersed camping all the more. Camping here is FREE!

We stayed here two nights. We later found out that it is known as the place for the younger crowd to camp and party on the weekends. So, when we arrived on a Saturday night we were a little taken back by the amount of loud music, drinking, and dancing going on. Just not an ideal situation when we have young kids with us! The land is very spread out, so we eventually did find a spot that was away from the loud crowds, and Sunday night the party crowd was gone. Our kids loved the wide open spaces to explore, including climbing a large rock (find them in the picture below!) to climb and playing  in the sand.

Family Friendly Hiking:

With a park this large, you can be sure to find many options to suit your hiking needs. There are 22 trails in Arches marked as “easy” but don’t stop there! It’s always a good idea to stop at the visitor center and talk to a ranger about hiking options.

Balanced Rock Loop Trail

This .3 mile loop trail is short and sweet! The Balanced Rock is one of the most famous, iconic rock formations in Arches. Marvel and wonder at how this ginormous rock rests on top of a rock pedestal.

Double Arch Trail

The Double Arch Trail is a quick and easy .6 mile loop trial that will bring you up close to, you guessed it, TWO arches!

Landscape Arch Trail

This out and back trail is marked as “easy” and will lead you to the iconic Landscape Arch. The Landscape Arch is the longest arch in the park, stretching 306 feet.

Windows Loop and Turret Arch Trail

At 1.2 miles in length, this “easy” loop trial is perfect for little hikers. You must first start the hike at the Windows Loop Trail, and then take the turn off for the Turret Arch.

Park Avenue Trail

This “easy” out and back trial is 1.8 miles which would be a great option for the younger kids, and offers beautiful landscape views and impressive rock formations.

Wolfe Ranch and Petroglyph Trail

Take a glimpse into history by exploring Wolfe Ranch, and learn how the family came to settle in this small, one room cabin. Hike on a little further to see Petroglyph’s carved into the rock nearby. This trail is only .5 miles long, but is fun to explore!

Delicate Arch Trail

This 3 mile out-and-back “moderate” difficulty trail leads you to the iconic landmark of Arches National Park. The climb is worth the views! I was nervous about this trail because there had been some recent deaths prior to our visit. I discovered that there were only a few areas of the trail that we just needed to be more cautious with the kids. We’ve made it a point to instruct our kids to carefully listen to our instruction (i.e.: not run or wander off) while we hike trails like this. We definitely recommend bringing plenty of water and snacks for breaks while hiking with the kids!

This photo shows a short section of the trail that is the most “scary” for kids where they need to stay close to the wall side to avoid going over the edge on the left.

Other things to do:

Take a scenic drive. Arches Scenic Drive stretches for 19 miles, from Highway 191 to the Devils Garden trailhead at the back of the park. It would take about 30 minutes to drive, but you’ll probably want to stop to take pictures or just stare in amazement along the way.

Earn a Jr. Ranger Badge. We just love this program! Stop at the visitor center to pick up your free Jr. Ranger Book and complete the required activities. There are different tasks and activities to complete for different ages, so it is manageable for younger and older kiddos alike! After they are finished, you can head back to the visitor center to be sworn in as a Jr. Ranger and receive a free badge. Short on time? No worries! Kids can complete the tasks at their own pace, mail the book in, and the park will send them a Jr. Ranger badge and certificate! **Due to Covid- the parks have temporarily suspended the mail in/processing service of books and badges, but do offer activity booklets to download with virtual badge.

Learn about science. Spend some time at the visitor center to learn about how these impressive rock formations came to be!

We hoped you enjoyed this adventure guide about Arches National Park and that it will be helpful in planning your future trip! There are affiliate links in this post, which if you purchase something from these links, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting our adventure fund!