Arches National Park is easily one of the most iconic National Parks in all of the United States. Located in Moab, Utah, Arches boasts otherworldly rock formations, massive natural arches and plenty of mountainous desert hikes.
While everyone would love to witness the epic Arches, not everyone enjoys difficult, sweaty, dangerous hikes (myself included).
Luckily, many of the best arches in Arches National Park are accessible by easy hikes or no hiking at all. Here are seven insanely easy hikes in Arches National Park that will make your park visit worthwhile.
Can You See The Arches Without Hiking?
You can see some of the arches without hiking in Arches National Park, such as the famous Double Arch. However, the majority of the best arches do require at least a short walk to see.
Note, you can also see arches beginning to form in the red rock formations without hiking if you look closely. You’ll see most of these formations near Park Avenue and the Courthouse Towers at the southernmost area of the park.
1. Double Arch
The first of these easy hikes in Arches National Park is the iconic Double Arch.
Honestly, Double Arch solicits virtually no hike at all. You can see the arch from the parking lot, and to get to the base of the arch, you only need to walk about three to five minutes.
Total Walking Distance (out and back): 0.6 miles
AllTrails Difficulty Rating: Easy
2. Windows And Turret Arches (Easy Hikes In Arches National Park)
The Windows Loop And Turret Arch Trail is a loop trail that features three arches: the Windows Arches and the Turret Arch.
The Windows Arches are two football-shaped arches that sit right next to each other, giving the appearance of two rounded windows from the trail. On the other hand, Turret Arch is a one-of-a-kind formation that arches between two giant hoodoo-like rock formations.
If you only want to take one of the longer walks on this list, I suggest you opt for the famous Landscape Arch, which I’ll discuss soon. But, this easy hike is noteworthy, nonetheless.
Total Walking Distance: 1.2 miles
AllTrails Difficulty Rating: Easy
3. Balanced Rock
Like Double Arch, Balanced Rock is visible from the parking lot and does not require any hiking.
In fact, you can see Balanced Rock from the comfort of your car as you drive through the southern region of the park.
Additionally, there is an extremely short loop trail if you would like to walk toward the base of Balanced Rock (only 0.3 miles). But, again, you can see the formation from your car, too.
Total Walking Distance: 0.3 miles
AllTrails Difficulty Rating: Easy
4. Sand Dune Arch (Easy Hikes In Arches National Park)
Next, Sand Dune Arch offers an incredibly unique and secluded natural archway tucked in the middle of, you guessed it, a sand dune.
Furthermore, Sand Dune Arch resembles the shape of a bow tie, much like the nearby Bowtie Arch or the national park’s very own Twisted Doughnut Arch
Total Walking Distance: 0.3 miles
AllTrails Difficulty Rating: Easy
5. Landscape Arch
On the contrary, Landscape Arch is a strikingly long, straight, thin arch that crosses over a wide span of desert wildlife.
Landscape Arch is one of the most well-known arches in Arches National Park — and for good reason. It’s memorable by its fragile shape, and it’s fairly easy to get to.
The walk to the arch is less than one mile (1.9 miles total out and back); plus, the trail is paved all the way until the last sandy section of the hike.
Again, if you’re debating on hiking to Landscape Arch or the Windows/Turret Arches, I would personally recommend Landscape because of its delicate shape and popularity.
Total Walking Distance: 1.9 miles
AllTrails Difficulty Rating: Easy
6. Visit The Arches Viewpoints (Easy Hikes In Arches National Park)
Drive-up viewpoints are a non-hiker’s best case scenario. There are numerous viewpoints to see at Arches National Park, and all they require is parking and briefly hopping out of your car.
Most of the red-rock viewpoints are located in the southern area of the park. These viewpoints include but are not limited to: Courthouse Towers, Balanced Rock, Park Avenue and Petrified Dunes.
Moreover, other viewpoints worth mentioning include the Lower Delicate Arch viewpoint, Upper Delicate Arch viewpoint, Fiery Furnace and Salt Valley Overlook.
Total Walking Distance: None
7. Petroglyphs Near The Delicate Arch Trailhead (Easy Hikes In Arches National Park)
Finally, the last of the easy hikes at Arches National Park is the short, flat walk to Wolfe Ranch and the nearby petroglyphs.
In a matter of minutes walking, you’ll find yourself looking at authentic Native American petroglyphs, as well as an old abandoned ranch.
This trail is located near the Delicate Arch trailhead (you can see the ranch from the parking lot), thus making it a perfect beginning or end to the Delicate Arch hike. I’ll talk more about the Delicate Arch hike next!
Total Walking Distance: 0.5 miles
AllTrails Difficulty Rating: Easy
How Hard Is The Hike To Delicate Arch?
The hike to Delicate Arch will make you breath heavy, and you’ll probably have to take a few breaks, but it is not a hard hike overall.
Obviously, if you have health-related issues (hips, legs, heart, elevation sickness, etc.), then I recommend opting out of the Delicate Arch hike and heading to the Lower Delicate Arch viewpoint instead. You’ll still be able to see the arch, just not from the Arch’s base.
Otherwise, any healthy non-hiker should be able to conquer the Delicate Arch hike with a few breaks here and there.
Total Hiking Distance: 3.2 miles
AllTrails Difficulty Rating: Moderate
Is The Hike To Delicate Arch Scary?
Unless you have a diagnosable, irrational fear of heights, the hike to Delicate Arch is not scary.
There is a really steep climb for the first half of the hike, which may be intimidating toward the top if you’re afraid of heights. There are also a couple cliff-like drop-offs next to the trail toward the end of the hike.
Other than those elements, the Delicate Arch hike is not scary at all.
Do you have any other questions about Arches National Park or the surrounding Moab area? Ask me in the comments below or feel free to message me on Instagram. I will personally reply!
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