Utah - Day 13: Arches National Park

On Thursday, May 13, 2021, I spent 18 hours immersed in the wonders of Arches National Park. I started with night sky and sunrise photos at the Windows section, hiked all of Devil’s Garden Trail, Sand Dune and Broken Arch Trails, visited Park Avenue and Courthouse Towers, and capped off the day with hiking Delicate Arch Trail at sunset.

Night Sky at Arches National Park

I arrived at the Windows Trail trailhead at 3:30am for night sky photography.

I chose the Windows section for my night sky shoot after learning that capturing Turret Arch framed by the North Window is considered the quintessential sunrise shot. Since I also planned to photograph the sunrise there, it made sense to start with night sky photos. Plus, the short, easy climb up a gravel trail to the Windows section made it an accessible spot to navigate, even in the dark with just my headlamp.

As first light approached, I wrapped up my night sky photos and continued along the trail to walk through the North Window, scrambling up the rocks for a sunrise shot of Turret Arch framed by the window. After spending about 3 hours in the Windows section and feeling satisfied with my photos, I headed back to my car to continue my journey.

Devil’s Garden Trail

Next on my itinerary was the Devil’s Garden Trail, a popular 8-mile hike known for its stunning collection of natural arches. The trail offers the chance to explore up to eight impressive arches.

I started with Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch, then continued clockwise, visiting Landscape Arch, Partition Arch, Navajo Arch, Double O Arch, Dark Angel Arch, and finally Private Arch. After enjoying the serene beauty at Private Arch, I retraced my steps, passing Double O Arch and Landscape Arch before heading back to the trailhead.

Though advertised as 8 miles, both my AllTrails and Garmin apps recorded a distance of 9.9 miles, taking just under 6 hours. The extra mileage added an unexpected challenge to the hike, but the opportunity to view the breathtaking scenery and unique formations made it all worthwhile.

Sand Dune and Broken Arch Trails

Next, I headed to the Sand Dune Arch parking area to hike the Sand Dune and Broken Arch Trails, arriving around 2:30pm. The Sand Dune Arch Trail is a short, easy walk through sandy terrain, while the Broken Arch Trail winds through open blackbrush and grassland flats to the arch. Though it appears broken due to a crack at the top, Broken Arch is actually intact. According to AllTrails, the 1.65-mile hike took me about 45 minutes to complete.

After completing the Sand Dune and Broken Arch Trail hike, I drove to Skyline Arch and set out on the short, easy 0.4-mile round-trip hike from the parking lot to take in the scenic views of the arch.

Park Avenue and Courthouse Towers

Next, I headed to Park Avenue and Courthouse Towers. While the Park Avenue Trail is a short 2-mile out-and-back, I had already hiked nearly 12 miles between Devil’s Garden Trail and Sand Dune and Broken Arch Trail, and still had a 3-mile hike ahead of me to reach Delicate Arch for sunset. So, I decided to skip the hike and instead took photos of Park Avenue from the viewpoint. Afterward, I drove to the Courthouse Towers parking area for more photo opportunities.

Around 5:30pm, I left the Courthouse Towers parking area and drove to the Wolfe Ranch Parking Lot, which serves as the trailhead for Delicate Arch Trail.

Delicate Arch Trail

The trail is about 3 miles roundtrip, climbing 480 feet. On very busy days, the Wolfe Ranch Parking Lot fills up. If that happens, additional parking is available at the Delicate Arch Viewpoint lot, which adds an extra mile each way to the hike.

Sunset on Thursday, 05/13/2021 was at 8:22pm. Arriving at the parking lot around 6pm gave me plenty of time to find a spot and enough leeway to include the additional mile, if I needed to park at the Viewpoint parking lot. Luckily, I didn’t have to.

The trail gradually climbs slickrock fins to reveal the iconic Delicate Arch. Along the way, panoramic views of the surrounding red rock landscape unfold, making the arch’s dramatic curve at the summit an unforgettable reward.

Completing the hike and enjoying the sunset from Delicate Arch really was the perfect way to end the 18-hour day at Arches National Park.