Welcome to the first post in our “Utah in a Week” series! Read on to find out how to visit Arches National Park in one day.
DAY 1: ARCHES NATIONAL PARK
To begin our trip, we flew into Salt Lake City the night before and stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn by the airport. (Click here to read about why we are Hilton Honors loyalists.) We love airport hotels for their reasonable rates and free shuttles to and from the airport. This one was a very nice property. We liked that our first floor room had high ceilings, making the room seem much larger and comfortable. We actually come back here at the end of the trip for our last night in Utah before flying back home.
Most of the hotels we stayed at offered free breakfast. But we came prepared for the ones that didn’t by packing some breakfast and snack items from home. We didn’t have Gold or Diamond status with Hilton at the time, but if you do, a free breakfast at this hotel restaurant would have been available. After we checked out, we were picked up by a local Enterprise. Now, we know Enterprise doesn’t always have the cheapest rates. But their excellent customer service keeps us coming back and gives us a sense of ease and comfort when renting from them. This location in downtown Salt Lake City was no different. We got a nice Subaru Impreza and were off on our way! And as you may know, avoid renting cars at the airport if at all possible, since those locations have significantly higher rates.
The drive from Salt Lake City to Arches National Park should take just under 4 hours, and the scenic route will get you pumped for the week ahead. Karen had never been to the desert before (having grown up in Costa Rica), so this climate was fascinating to see for the first time! Once we got to Arches, we stopped at the visitor center to get maps and information before driving up the mountain to enter the heart of the park.
The popular Fiery Furnace area requires reservations, and while we didn’t get to go on this hike, there are plenty of other things to see here. Our first stop was at Park Avenue, which featured a pretty easy hike down through rock walls and formations. We didn’t do the full trail, but it is a great initial hike and can be done by people of all ages.
DELICATE ARCH
Next, we drove to a picnic area near the Delicate Arch viewpoints to eat lunch. We had planned to eat picnic lunches in most of the parks, so we brought food like crackers, cheese and summer sausage. If you go during the summer like we did, be sure to pack enough ice in your cooler! After lunch, we did the hike to Delicate Arch, the famous landmark that is seen on Utah license plates. We were so used to hiking only in wooded areas that it took some time to get used to hiking in the desert. Not to mention it was around 100 degrees that day. Make sure you bring enough water on your hikes!
The Delicate Arch hike is 3 miles round trip and is moderately difficult, but can be doable for families. In the first half, you’ll make your way up some slickrock. Markings will guide you along, but if you’re like us, you may lose track of them at some point. But don’t panic, just keep moving your way upwards and you’ll be able to find the path… it’s just part of the adventure!
The most memorable part of this hike is towards the end. You will walk on a ridge along a rock wall (keep an eye on your kids here) and then all of a sudden, the wall drops away and reveals Delicate Arch in a spectacular fashion. Its appearance is so dramatic and jaw-dropping that it’s a memory you won’t ever forget. David was so awestruck he didn’t even notice there was a marriage proposal happening right in front of us. You’ll definitely want to take some time not only walking right up to and under the arch to see it up close, but also to sit down at a distance and take it all in.
LANDSCAPE ARCH & DOUBLE O ARCH
As you drive through the park, you can easily see landmarks like Balanced Rock and the Three Sisters, so keep your eyes peeled. Other ones like the Skyline Arch are less than a half mile hike from the road, so be sure to factor in some of these quick stops throughout your day in between the longer hikes. For our final hike of the day, we parked at the Devil’s Garden trailhead which provides access to numerous trails options. We chose to do the one that took us by Landscape Arch and Double O Arch. This was a moderately difficult trail that involved some scrambling across large rocks instead of a clearly marked trail at times. Once we passed Landscape Arch, the number of visitors decreased. By the time we got to Double O, there were only a few people around that trail.
Since we only were spending a day in Arches, we obviously did not get to see everything we wanted. So take a look through the hikes and attractions and prioritize which ones you want to visit. After leaving the park, we headed to the town of Moab. There are plenty of hotel options here, but we opted to stay in an Airbnb for the two nights. If we were to do this trip again, we’d probably choose a hotel instead.
DINNER AT MOAB BREWERY
For dinner, we headed to Moab Brewery. We love burgers and craft beer, so this restaurant hit the spot after a fun but exhausting day of hiking. They have a wide variety in their menu, so you’ll be sure to find something you want to eat. And did we mention they also have a bunch of gelato flavors for a refreshing dessert? Moab has plenty of shops, entertainment and food options to explore, but since we had a long day and were getting ready for another full day of hiking, we headed back to our Airbnb for the night.
And that was Day 1 of our Utah Mighty Five road trip! Have you been to Arches National Park? Leave your favorite hikes and landmarks or any questions in the comments below. Below are links to the other days from one of the greatest weeks of our lives: