Guide to Arches & Canyonlands National Parks

Dave and I took a road trip through the American Southwest desert in October 2017, visiting six national parks and one national monument. Arches and Canyonlands National Parks are both located in eastern Utah, within 30-minutes of each other. Arches is aptly named for its 2,000 natural sandstone arches, while Canyonlands covers over 335,000 acres of canyons and mesas in the high desert. The town of Moab is a great home base for exploring both parks. We spent three days in the area and barely scratched the surface. In and around the two parks is expansive backcountry perfect for ATV or mountain biking adventures. We stuck to the more accessible sights, and put together a guide of our favorite hiking trails, and where we ate/slept in Moab.





HWY 128 | A curvy 31-mile scenic byway that starts just south of Arches and travels along the Colorado River through large red rock mesas. It’s a great place to explore. We took a couple detours down small dirt roads. One offered the classic view of desert rock formations off in the distance. Another led to a river entry, where we arrived just as a group of people and their dog floated by on a raft.

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK ENTRANCE | Take your time, Arches has one of the most dramatic entrances we’ve seen in a national park. It instantly throws you into steep, dramatic switchbacks that zigzag in between giant red rock walls.

DELICATE ARCH | A moderate 3-mile roundtrip hike that climbs roughly 500ft to the most iconic symbol of the American Southwest. The trail itself is not very distinct; sand and rock boulders don’t exactly make a clear-cut path. The trail signs were the only things confirming we were going in the right direction. The 64-foot freestanding arch stands majestically on the edge of a sandstone amphitheater, with the La Sal Mountains as its backdrop. It’s a pretty perfect way to kick off the day. 

LANDSCAPE ARCH | An easy, relatively flat 1.6-mile roundtrip hike to the longest arch in North America at 306ft. It’s actually located inside Devil’s Garden, which is full of large rock fins and other natural arches.

SAND DUNE ARCH | The arch itself isn’t too impressive, but we enjoyed the short trail leading to it. We had to squeeze in between narrow stone walls, and hike in incredibly deep sand. 0.4-miles roundtrip.







Canyonlands is split up into four districts. We explored Island in the Sky, located in the park’s northeast corner roughly 30 miles from Moab. 

MESA ARCH | 1-mile roundtrip trail to Canyonlands’ most photographed arch. I had repeatedly read tips to get here during sunrise, and I am so glad that we did. The inside of the arch was glowing bright orange from the sunlight. And to top it off, it perfectly framed the rocky terrain that stretched out to the La Sal Mountains on the horizon.

SHAFER CANYON OVERLOOK | The view from this overlook is stunning. We arrived just as the sun peaked through, and slowly lit up the canyon in front of us. 1,000 feet below is White Rim Road, an unpaved, four-wheel drive route that traverses the canyon floor below the Island in the Sky Mesa.







There are no restaurants inside the national parks, so bring your own food or plan to eat in Moab.

THE SPOKE | A fun bicycle-themed restaurant with an all american menu.

LOVE MUFFIN CAFÉ | A cozy coffee shop that’s good for grabbing quick pastries. It’s also one of the only places open early in the morning.





BEST WESTERN PLUS CANYONLANDS INN
A hotel in Moab or nearby campgrounds are pretty much the only lodging options near Arches & Canyonlands. The parks do not offer any facilities other than one campground in Arches, two campgrounds in Canyonlands, and restrooms at major trailheads. Our stay at the Best Western was great. It was located in the center of town, so we were able to walk everywhere. The room was comfortable, with amenities like free wifi and a complementary breakfast.