Delicate Arch Arches National Park Hike Guide
Delicate Arch is a heavily trafficked out and back hike located in the heart of Arches National Park. This 3 mile hike is tackled by hundreds of hikers every day and brings those who can make the mile and a half one way trail to a massive sandstone arch. The arch is unique from most others as it has beautiful views of the La Sal Mountains directly behind it. This is a family friendly hike and suitable for hikers of all skill levels.
Delicate Arch Quick Facts
Virtual Trail Guide: Delicate Arch
Delicate Arch Hike Rating: ★★★★ (⅘ Stars)
Distance: 3.3 Miles – Includes small detour to Petroglyphs
Elevation Start: 4,304ft
Highest Elevation: 4,846ft
Total Elevation Gain: 677ft
Estimated Time to Complete: 1-2 Hours
Difficulty: Easy to Moderate What does this mean?
Class: Class 1 – What does this mean?
Season: Year Round – Best Time to Hike Winter, Spring and Fall
Directions to Delicate Arch
Trailhead: Delicate Arch
Getting Here: First navigate to Arches National Park just north of Moab, Utah. Once through the entrance station, follow the main road for about 11.5 miles until you reach Delicate Arch Road on your right. Drive for a mile or so and reach the well marked TH on your left.
Parking: This hike is extremely popular and parking is sometimes going to be very tricky. If you want to avoid crowds, head here before 8AM or after 4PM. There is a massive parking area that can fit 100+ cars, but likely it will be full on many occasions. There are a couple of non-plumbing restrooms at the TH.
Fee: As of 2022, there is a typical fee + required reservation if visiting Arches National Park April 3 – October 3. This is a test system and may change in future years. Read more about it here. If visiting outside of this period, you can just pay the fee which is $25.
Summary
Dogs: Like all US National Parks, Arches is not dog friendly on any hiking trails.
Camping: Read more about camping in Arches National Park here.
Make it a Loop: This is an out and back hike with two small add-ons: Wolfe Homestead and the Petroglyphs. Both are under a half mile RT total but worth checking out if you like history.
Trail X Factors: Crowds
Whenever you have a hike that has one endpoint, especially at a smaller distance and is in a National Park, chances are it’s going to be crowded. Unless you are like me and want to have peace and quiet in nature, this is likely not a problem. However, what can be sort of annoying on this one when you get to Delicate Arch itself. The area around the arch forms an echo chamber of sort which makes even the smallest conversations quite loud and getting your picture under the arch usually involves waiting in line.
Hike Tip(s): If I had to plan your visit to Delicate Arch Garden, here are some tips:
- Visit during the winter (Jan/Feb/March)
- You will avoid a reservation, likely have smaller crowds and best of all have snow on the La Sal Mountains which adds to the picturesque views on this hike.
- Get to the TH early or later in the day. If you visit outside of this period, crowds will be insane and parking spots can be tricky to find.
Best Views: There is no question that the best views on this hike are at Delicate Arch itself. Take some time to explore the area around the arch as there are a number of unique viewpoints around the end of the trail.
Delicate Arch Arches National Park Hike Route
Gear Needed
- Men’s Trail Runners
- Women’s Trail Runners
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
- La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Women’s)
- Backpack
- Food & Water – I would recommend at least 32-64oz of water
- Protection from the Sun
- Map of Area
- Optional: Garmin inReach
- Optional: Hiking Poles
- Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
- Optional: Camera and Lens
- Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod
- *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.
My Trip to Delicate Arch: March 2022
My hike to Delicate Arch was part of a bigger day in Arches National Park where I hiked Devils Garden first. I had some energy left and wanted to be able to film another video so I decided to add on Delicate Arch as hike number 2 of the day. I arrived at the parking lot around 3PM in the afternoon and surprisingly it was almost full still. The hike started with a small detour to an old homestead made by John Wolfe, a Civil War Veteran from Ohio. After reading a quick history of the primitive cabin, I continued up the wide, well established, dirt trail.
After about a half mile of hiking, the dirt trail ended and the elevation gain started by leading me up a large slabby section of rock. There were hordes of other hikers, but most were coming down which I figured was good for my views at the arch itself. I continued hiking on the rock and eventually reached a portion of the hike that signs at the start warned about: a 4-5 foot wide pathway with about a hundred foot drop on the left side. Apparently, this section is tough when it’s icy or snow covered, but luckily for me it was bone dry. I stopped here to enjoy some of the non “feature” arches and windows to the left and right including Twisted Donut Arch before rounding the corner and arriving at Delicate Arch.
Although the hike was just okay in my opinion, Delicate Arch and the views here were 10/10. The snow capped La Sal Mountains behind the massive red sandstone arch was quite breathtaking. I sat at the arch and enjoyed the views for a while before heading down back to the car. Before ending the hike, I made a small detour to a cool set of petroglyphs made by the Ute people hundreds of years before. Delicate Arch itself is absolutely worth fighting the crowds and somewhat boring hiking to view.
