Arches Itinerary: Two Strenuous Days, Plus Plans for 1 to 3 Days

Arches is compact, famous, and busy, which makes it a park where a little planning pays off fast. My guide, Arches National Park: History, Highlights, and One- to Three-Day Adventures, gives you nine ready-made plans for one, two, or three days, from short walks to famous views to a long day on the fins of Devils Garden.

Why Go

Arches is red rock at its most dramatic: sandstone fins, balanced rocks, and of course the arches themselves, with Delicate Arch the one everyone recognizes. Most of the big sights sit within a short drive of the entrance, so even a single day can hold a lot.

The rules change from year to year, so check before you go. In a February 2026 announcement, the National Park Service said no timed-entry reservation is required in 2026, though you still need an entrance pass. Reservations are still required for Fiery Furnace hikes, self-guided or ranger-led, and for Devils Garden Campground from March 1 through October 31. From November through February, its sites are first-come, first-served. The park also warns of entrance lines and full parking lots at peak times, and notes that it's an International Dark Sky Park that encourages after-hours visits.

That last point is worth taking seriously. Early mornings and evenings are cooler, quieter, and often the best light.

How Many Days Do You Need in Arches?

Most of the big sights sit within a short drive of the entrance, so one day can hold a lot, but it asks a single morning to do everything. Two days let you give each day a center, and in the strenuous plan that means Delicate Arch one day and the long Devils Garden trail the next. Stay in the same Moab base both nights, refill water each evening, and check the next day's conditions before bed. Heat, storms, and ice all change what's sensible on this rock, and the plans assume two full park days with time to rest afterward, not a long drive right after the last hike. The guide has plans for one, two, and three days at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup for heat, storms, or ice.

Sample Itinerary: Two Strenuous Days in Arches

Here's a shortened version of the guide's strenuous two-day plan: Delicate Arch on the first day and the Devils Garden main trail to Double O Arch on the second. Day 1 is about three miles with roughly 500 feet of climbing, plus an optional canyon walk; Day 2 is 4.1 miles, with scrambling and exposure beyond Landscape Arch. Both days start and end in Moab.

Day 1: Delicate Arch and a Measured Afternoon

Have breakfast in Moab and drive early to Wolfe Ranch, allowing about an hour plus delays. Start the Delicate Arch hike after daylight with a proper pack: food, water, navigation, sun protection, and a light. It's roughly three miles round trip with about 500 feet of climbing, and the guide allows three to four hours. Loose sand on sloping rock, wind, and the narrow ledge near the arch all deserve time, and if anyone gets uncomfortable with the exposure, turn back together. After lunch and a real break, the Park Avenue canyon walk is optional on a cool afternoon: roughly two miles out and back, about two hours, with an uphill return. Back in Moab, fill water, check shoes and feet, and set tomorrow's turnaround time.

Backup plan: for unsafe weather or ice, use short open viewpoints and the visitor center instead of Delicate Arch. If conditions improve the next day, pick one major hike rather than trying to fit in both.

Day 2: Double O Arch By the Main Trail

Leave after an early breakfast and allow at least an hour from Moab to Devils Garden, plus entrance delays. This is the 4.1-mile out-and-back to Double O Arch, not the Primitive Trail loop or the full 7.9-mile system; the Navajo and Partition arch spurs add about 0.8 mile together. Walk the developed approach to Landscape Arch and decide there. Beyond it, the trail needs hands as well as feet on narrow, exposed sandstone, and Landscape Arch is a worthwhile destination by itself. Carry the official trail guide and follow the markers and signs. Allow four to five hours with generous pauses, longer with both spurs, and keep the afternoon for viewpoints, not another big hike.

Backup plan: on wet or icy rock, or in high winds, storms, or severe heat, stay off the upper Devils Garden route. Do the moderate Landscape Arch outing if its own conditions are safe; otherwise stick to developed overlooks.

The full version in the Arches guide adds maps, meals, and wildlife to watch for, along with the other eight itineraries.

What's in the Guide

• Nine itineraries: one, two, and three days at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, with timing, driving and parking, meals, water, and a backup for heat, storms, or ice.
• History, from Native homelands and rock markings to Wolfe Ranch, the 1929 monument, and arches that have fallen in living memory.
• Highlights including Park Avenue, Balanced Rock, the Windows, Delicate Arch from near and far, Landscape Arch, and the Fiery Furnace.
• A wildlife chapter on 14 commonly seen animals, from mule deer and ravens to chipmunks and lizards, each with a photograph and notes on where and when to look.
• Trip planning for seasons, Moab, drive times, permits, camping, accessibility, safety, and stargazing.
• 28 photographs and 7 orientation maps.

Who It's For

If you want the famous views without a long hike, the easy plans string together the short walks and overlooks. If you want the full Devils Garden loop or the climb to Delicate Arch, the strenuous plans are built for that. And the guide explains how the park actually works on a busy day, from entrance lines to full trailhead lots to heat and water.

Formats

You get an EPUB for Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play Books, and most e-reader apps (Kindle readers can use Amazon's Send to Kindle), and a 104-page PDF for any computer, tablet, or phone, or for printing the pages you want to carry. The download link arrives by email right after purchase.

This is the second illustrated edition, with research completed in October 2026. Entry rules and trail conditions change, so check the park's alerts before you go. Pack water, start early, and leave room in the day to look closely.

Get the Arches National Park guide

Before you go: see Arches National Park alerts and current conditions, checked daily, for current closures and what they mean for your trip.

This is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Conditions change; check the park's current alerts before you go.