Welcome to Travel Tuesday! We’re officially out of Colorado and now in Utah! The Delicate Arch hike was one of many, many hikes we did in a single day, but I figured I’d start here first because it was the subject of a one-star review of Arches National Park (…someone thought it didn’t look like the license plate).
Delicate Arch Hike in Arches National Park
Distance: 3.1 miles (out + back)
Elevation: 613 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Duration: 2.5 hours
Trailhead Address: Delicate Arch Trailhead, Delicate Arch Trail, Moab, UT 84532
Parking: $30 (admission fee; free if you have the annual interagency pass)
Elevation: 613 ft
Difficulty: Moderate
Duration: 2.5 hours
Trailhead Address: Delicate Arch Trailhead, Delicate Arch Trail, Moab, UT 84532
Parking: $30 (admission fee; free if you have the annual interagency pass)
Bring. Lots. Of. Water. I was not in a very good mood about 3/4ths of the way into this hike. Hiking in 102 degree weather at 2 pm in August isn’t the best of ideas either.Soooo don’t do what I did and stay hydrated!
This hike doesn’t have much in the way of shade, so make sure you wear sunscreen and have a hat + sunglasses!
For the most part, the trail is pretty well-defined by rock cairns so you probably can’t get lost! (It’s pretty heavily trafficked, so if anything, just follow the people.)
The only stretch of shade we had!
You’ll eventually end up along the narrow rock ledge (goes for about 200 yards) and you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful view of the Delicate Arch! (You can get right up close to it!)
Honestly, it’d probably be best to hike here in the spring and fall when it’s not burning hot, but do what you can! If we weren’t trying to hit every arch in the park (obviously not every, but lots), we would’ve planned better. :P
Parking gets pretty limited at peak months, so try to get there early!
- Have you ever been to Arches National Park?
- Do you think this arch looks like the Utah license plate? (Did you know someone rated Arches National Park as 1 star because they thought it didn’t? …)
16 comments
Skip to comment form
Haha I know the feeling when you go for a hike at the hottest time of the day and without enough water. We’ve all been there … Nonetheless it looks like a good day hike :)
It was still beautiful! :P I definitely need to do better about drinking more water when I’m hiking though!
This looks like a fun park to visit! I really appreciate the tips as well! I wouldn’t want to be in a situation where we didn’t have enough water when it’s that hot!
Arches was an awesome national park! :] I’d love to go back someday to explore more, but if going in the summer, defffffinitely gonna make sure there’s enough water (and snacks)!
Wow nature is absolutely gorgeous! This looks like a fun adventure!
It definitely was! :D I’d love to go back again sometime to explore more!
The Arches National Park is on my bucketlist, along with many other parks in Utah and Colorado. These are great tips for when I finally do make it there (and I will). Now I just need the US/Canadian border to open up again.
Ahh, I hope you have a lot of fun when you go! I managed to squeeze all the national parks in CO +UT into my road trip last year and would recommend em’ all! :] Will be writing about the rest of the ones in Utah every Tuesday for the next several weeks!
OMG! All of your blogs have pictures that always make me want to get out and explore ASAP!!!
This hike looks amazing!! x
Aww, thank you! :] I hope we all get to travel/explore again soon!
wow cant believe the only bit of shade was that little section!!
Maybe it varies during time of day–I probably shouldn’t have hiked it in the afternoon, but we had limited time, so we just went with it, hehe.
Sounds like it was a nice hike. I’ve yet to visit any of the parks in the middle of the US, but I really should!
There are so many amazing ones there–I hope you get a chance to visit them sometime! :]!
We’ve been to Arches twice – in 1981 and 2018. We have pictures of us standing under the arch and all around it in 1981, but when we returned in 2018 even walking along the shaded ledge made us queazy and we couldn’t believe we’d been so brave when we were younger. LOL I don’t remember what time of day we made the hike in August 1981, but I definitely remember that it was mid-afternoon in June in 2018 and it was hot!
Debbie @ Deb Runs recently posted…Catching Up Over Coffee: Virtual Happy Hours, Yummy Lunches, and Sewing Masks
Ahh, that’s awesome! It was definitely super hot in August (I didn’t think the “going to the desert in the summer” part through too well when I was planning out my road trip, haha), but thankfully still survivable!