An Expert’s Guide to Arches National Park Photography

We are lucky to live a only few hours away so we can visit Arches National Park multiple times each year. This means we have lots of Arches National Park vacation ideas to share!

One advantage to being a local is the opportunity to take Arches National Park pictures during every season and all types of weather and light conditions.

In this article we share our Arches National Park photography tips because taking photos of the top attractions in Arches is an important part of the experience. 

• Arches National Park tips
• Camera gear for Arches National Park photography
• Best places to see arches in the park
• Best sunrise and sunset spots in Arches
• Night photography spots in Arches

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CAMERA GEAR FOR ARCHES NATIONAL PARK PHOTOGRAPHY

We have a printed Camera Gear Checklist to help us pack all the equipment we need – that way we don’t forget anything!

We recommend the following camera equipment for taking photos at Arches:

1. Camera: Yep, you’ll need a camera to take photos at Arches! If you’re looking for something new…  → check out the compact travel cameras we recommend!

2. Tripod: We are big proponents of using a tripod. There are many compact and lightweight options out there that are easy to use. → Check out the tripods we recommend!

3. Camera Bag: Protecting your camera from the sand and dust at Arches is essential. Using a camera backpack is so nice for hiking too.  → We LOVE Lowepro camera backpacks.

4. Neutral density filter: There can be extreme differences in light at Arches around the various rock structures. To compensate for this variance of light you’ll need to use a neutral density filter.  → Check out the Kase magnetic filters we use!

5. Camera cleaning kit: You’ll want a field cleaning kit to remove dust that WILL get on your lens at Arches. NOTE: this is not for cleaning the sensor.  

6. Memory cards: Purchase name brand memory cards since you’re trusting your images to the card!  → We use Lexar and Sandisk!

7. External hard drive: Don’t forget to copy the photos to a portable external hard drive ‘just in case’.  → Check out these awesome portable external hard drives. 

8. Headlamp: For the best sunrise, sunset or night sky shots at Arches National Park, you’ll be navigating in the dark. Use a flashlight or headlamp to light your way from the parking lot to your spot. Wearing a headlamp allows you to set up your equipment without having to hold a flashlight. Remember to use the red light setting and keep the beam pointed on the ground in front of you to avoid disrupting other photographers in the area taking long exposure shots. → Check out these headlamps with the red light!

9. Photographing the Southwest book: THIS book has amazing information for taking pictures of natural landmarks in southern Utah. → We HIGHLY recommend this book!

PLAN YOUR TRIP TO ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

If you’re serious about taking the best photos at Arches…

→ CHECK OUT our Ultimate 3 Day Itinerary to photograph Arches, Island in the Sky and Dead Horse Point!

Basic Information for Visiting Arches

Arches National Park is a few miles north of Moab, Utah. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, hundreds of stone pinnacles rising into the sky, immense rock fins and large balanced rocks.

There are a variety of things to do at Arches National Park. Many visitors enjoy the scenery of red rock formations and arches from the car. Others enjoy family-friendly hikes around the arches. Those who want a bit of quiet away from the crowds will hike the longer and more primitive trails.

Use our Ultimate Travel Guide to Visiting Arches National Park to plan your trip.

Arches Travel Tip #1 – When to Arrive at Arches

Avoid the long lines at Arches National Park entrances and congestion at the parking lots by planning to arrive before 8 am or after 3 pm.

Enjoy the park and hiking trails in the cooler temperatures of the late afternoon and evening. Evening light is always best for photography and the perfect time for doing some fantastic Moab night photography in one of Moab’s many stargazing spots.

Arches Travel Tip #2 – Be Careful Where You Step at Arches

We like to ‘step off the sidewalk’ to find creative compositions when doing Arches National Park photography or Moab photography in general. And while Arches National Park is beautiful, it’s also very fragile.

If you step off the trail or away from the pullout, you may damage delicate habitat. When biological soil crust is damaged, it can take centuries to recover. Avoid the soil crust and only walk on slickrock or dirt as you explore.

Arches Travel Tip #3 – Use Your National Parks Pass

Don’t forget to purchase the US National Parks Pass – it’s a good deal when visiting multiple parks!

Arches Travel Tip #4 – Winter at Arches is Awesome

Visit Arches National Park in the winter during the off-season for cooler temperatures, less traffic and amazing photo opportunities. 

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK PHOTOGRAPHY SPOTS

The unique landscape of arches and slickrock formations makes photographing Arches National Park so fun. Here’s a list of the best places to take pictures at Arches.

1 – Photography Along Arches Scenic Drive

The scenic drive offers many landscape scenes to photograph at Arches.

The full 43-mile scenic drive, including the spur roads, takes 2 to 3 hours. Add more time if you plan to do any serious Moab, Utah photography or hiking.

The road is paved and offers Arches National Park photo spots from the pullouts along the road or in the parking lots. Some of the arches and landmarks can be reached by a short walk from the parking lot.

2 – Photographing Park Avenue

The towering rock wall along the Park Avenue trail at Arches National Park.

This is the first stop as you travel along the scenic drive from the visitor’s center. From the parking area follow the wide, paved trail for about 100 yards to the viewpoint of Park Avenue.

It’s an impressive view, but to understand why it’s called Park Avenue, you must follow the trail down and walk between the immense sandstone monoliths on either side. The real Park Avenue in New York City is a wide boulevard with soaring skyscrapers on either side.

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH Park Avenue is middle to late afternoon. The valley is in shadow and the sun lights up the east wall.

3 – La Sal Mountain Viewpoint Photo Spots

Sunrise is the best time to photograph the rock formations near the La Sal Viewpoint.

Definitely stop at this viewpoint where you’ll enjoy a 360-degree view. See the La Sal Mountains to the east and distinctive formations like Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, and The Organ in the Courthouse Towers area. Look to the horizon for a distant view of Balanced Rock and the Windows Section.

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH at the La Sal Mountain Viewpoint is sunrise. The light from the rising sun washes the rock formations with a warm red glow.  

→ READ MORE: HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH THE SUNRISE

4 – Photographing Courthouse Towers

Capture the sunrise glow on The Organ at Arches.

The Courthouse Towers area has unique rock formations to photograph: Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, and The Organ. We found the best places to take photos are from the La Sal Viewpoint to get a distant photo, or stop at the pullouts along the scenic drive.

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH the Courthouse Towers area is at sunrise. The warm light in the morning is the perfect time to capture the red glow on the formations.

5 – Balanced Rock Photo Spots

Balanced Rock is an iconic Arches photography spot.

Balanced Rock is located next to the park’s main road. It is a popular feature in the park. The .3 mile round trip trail is one of the easier Arches National Park hikes that allows you to hike a full loop around this landmark.

The impressive fact about this feature is the balanced, upper portion of the rock is as large as three school buses!

Sunset is a good time to photograph Balanced Rock at Arches National Park.

PHOTO TIPS:

• Use the various pullouts along the main road to capture different views of Balanced Rock.
• Walk the trail and take photos of the balancing rock from different angles.

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH Balanced Rock is sunset and evening.

→ READ MORE: HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH THE SUNSET

 6 – Photographing Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch is the most iconic symbol of Arches National Park.

Iconic Delicate Arch is usually at the top of the list when visiting Arches National Park. The impressive free-standing arch is a famous geologic wonder.

This arch cannot be viewed from the main road and requires a bit of walking to see if from a distance. Walk 100 yards along a level path at Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint to see the arch one mile away. There is an Upper Viewpoint that takes you a little closer, requires walking ½ mile with some stairs.

Delicate Arch from the viewpoint for those who can’t hike the trail to see the arch up close.

The trail to see the arch up close is 3 miles roundtrip and climbs 480 feet in elevation. The hike is mostly uphill and takes 1 to 1 ½ hours if you are reasonably fit.

Delicate Arch is a main attraction at Arches for tourists and photographers who want photos of arches in Utah. Be sure to practice patience and courtesy while you wait your turn to get your picture taken under the arch.

Delicate Arch is one of the best sunset spots in Arches National Park. It’s also the time when most photographers choose to line up along the bowl waiting for the magical moment. There could be hundreds of people in the small area during the summer.

PHOTO TIPS:

• Arrive at the Delicate Arch bowl at least an hour before sunset to get your spot.
• Walk around to find a unique composition.
• Take a headlamp for the hike down after sunset.

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH Delicate Arch is sunset and evening.

→ READ MORE: HIKING TRAILS AT ARCHES

7 – Photographing Fiery Furnace

Fiery Furnace is a unique photo spot at Arches.

Narrow canyons and maze-like fins comprise the Fiery Furnace. Explore the area safely on a 3-hour, ranger-led hike (make reservations in advance). Learn the history of the park as you scramble over slickrock boulders, walk through sandy trails, squeeze between rocks and navigate narrow ledges.

If that sounds too adventurous or you don’t have time, this Arches National Park viewpoint is a short walk from the parking lot. From the Fiery Furnace overlook you see an area thick with fins, spires and arches.

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH the Fiery Furnace is sunset.

8 – Landscape Arch Photo Spots

Photographing Landscape Arch is a must when you visit Arches National Park.

Hike 1.6 miles along the Devil’s Garden Trail to see Landscape Arch. It is longer than a football field and the thinnest part of the archway is 8 feet thick.

As you walk along the trail near the arch, you’ll see different perspectives. There used to be a short trail that went under the arch, but falling rock from the underside has made it too dangerous for visitors to walk beneath the arch.

Walk around to see the different perspectives to photograph Landscape Arch.

PHOTO TIPS:

• No shadows on the arch – late spring and early summer in early morning – the rest of the year at mid-morning.
• Photograph various angles of the arch – straight on, to the left and to the right.

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH Landscape Arch is sunrise and early morning.

9 – Photo Spots Along the Devil’s Garden Trail

Interesting fins can be found along the Devil’s Garden trail at Arches National Park.

The Devil’s Garden hiking trail is 7.2 miles round trip, including all spur trails, making it the longest maintained trail and Arches National Park hike. The largest concentration of significant arches in the world is found in the Devil’s Garden area.

Most tourists hike an easy 1 mile to the famous Landscape Arch. There are spur trails to see Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch before arriving at Landscape Arch.

Those who want some adventure will continue along the trail that requires climbing up and over long, narrow sections of slickrock, called fins, with steep drop-offs. This section of trail leads to Navajo Arch, Partition Arch and Double O Arch.

Navajo Arch is a terrific photo spot at Arches.

PHOTO TIPS:

• Navajo Arch: Capture the front, back and under-arch views.
• Partition Arch: Capture the front and back sides (there is a steep drop-off on the back side).
• Double O Arch: Pass through the lower opening of the arch and climb the slickrock on the other side to photograph the arch with sky as the background.
• Photograph the fins along the trail as these are just as amazing as the arches!

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH the Devil’s Garden area arches is sunrise and early morning.

→ READ MORE: DEVIL’S GARDEN HIKING TRAIL GUIDE

10 – Photographing The Windows

The Spectacles in the Windows area at Arches National Park.

The Windows area and arches can be seen from the parking lot, but to appreciate their magnitude, hike inside and around the arches. The easy, 1 mile round trip Arches National Park hike takes you to the North and South Windows, also known as the Spectacles. Walk along the primitive trail from the South Window to the back side to see a more attractive view of these arches.

Get here early if you want photos of the arches without people. The Windows area is easily accessible and very popular Arches National Park photo spot.

PHOTO TIPS:

• Find a foreground element for a photo with only the larger North Window.
• Add context by having a person on the slope of the window, but if you don’t time your visit, you’ll have 50 people in this shot and that’s not ideal.

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH the spectacles is early morning – and the North and South Windows is late afternoon.

11 – Turret Arch Photo Spots

Turret Arch seen through the North Window at Arches National Park.

Turret Arch is one of the best sunrise spots in Arches National Park since you can see the light dancing across the rocks.

PHOTO TIPS:

• Photograph Turret Arch through the North Window.
• Capture various perspectives and images as you walk around and climb Turret Arch.
• Turret Arch provides a wonderful shape to complement milky way photography.

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH the Turret Arch is early morning or evening for night or milky way photography.

12 – Photographing Double Arch

Double Arch is a unique feature to photograph at Arches.

Double Arch consists of two arches that share the same stone foundation. It was formed by downward water erosion instead of side-to-side water erosion like most of the other arches in the park.

As you hike to Double Arch look to your left to see the Parade of Elephants, a rock formation that resembles a herd of elephants holding each others’ tails. Enjoy the short, leisurely trail.

PHOTO TIPS:

This is a complicated formation that has lighting issues most of the day. Work with the shadows, foreground and scale to capture the arches the best you can.
If it’s crowded and you don’t want people in your shot, focus on the top part of the arches to create a unique perspective.

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH the Turret Arch is early morning.

13 – Sand Dune Arch Photo Spots

Photograph the sand foreground at Sand Dune Arch.

On a hot summer day, this is one stop in the park that usually has an area to provide shade, cool sand and fun for kids. The easy hike takes you to a sandy area with many places to explore, play and hide. Do not climb on top of the arch as that’s against park policy.

PHOTO TIP: The sandstone fins in the area are worthy of photographs too, not just the arch. You can capture wonderful landscape photos at Sand Dune Arch.

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH Sand Dune Arch is early morning or late afternoon when the sun isn’t directly lighting the arch between the fins.

14 – Broken Arch Photography

Remember to photograph BOTH sides of Broken Arch.

The Broken Arch trail is accessed from the same trailhead as Sand Dune Arch. You can see it way off in the distance. The trail is fairly level most of the way, then has a few sloping sections as you get closer to the arch.

PHOTO TIP: Be sure to take photos from the other side of Broken Arch if you can. There is a moderately steep slickrock section to get through the arch. 

The back side of Broken Arch offers a wonderful view.

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH Broken Arch is early morning, evening and sunset.

15 – Photographing Skyline Arch

Skyline Arch is easily accessed at Arches National Park.

Skyline Arch sits high atop rocks in the Devils Garden area and it’s visible from many areas of the park.

PHOTO TIP: You can take a photo of this arch from the pullout, but we recommend you hike along the short and easy trail to get closer to the arch.

BEST TIME TO PHOTOGRAPH Skyline Arch is late afternoon.

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

On a clear night, linger in the park after dark and look up to see the sky bursting with stars to see why this park is one of the top Moab night photography spots.

Endless starry skies at Arches National Park.

Arches is recognized as an International Dark Sky Park. The park’s accessibility, remote location, altitude and weather are why they say “Half the Park is After Dark”.

Photographers from around the world come to Arches to photograph the Milky Way. Arches National Park is home to some of the best Moab stargazing spots and is the perfect place to try some Moab night photography.

Night photography capturing the milky way at Arches can’t be beat!

Some top Moab night photography spots and vantage points for stargazing at Arches National Park:

• Balanced Rock
• The Windows
• Garden of Eden Viewpoint
• Panorama Point

RESOURCES TO PLAN A TRIP TO ARCHES

• Arches National Park Vacation Ideas
• Best Time to Visit Arches
• Things to Do at Arches
• Arches National Park Hiking Trails
• Arches Packing List
• Arches National Park Camping
• Where to Stay in Moab Near Arches
• Tours Near Moab, Utah

More Places to Visit Near Arches

• Canyonlands Island in the Sky
• Canyonlands Needles
• Dead Horse Point State Park
• Moab Adventures: Cool Things to Do

Where to Stay Near Arches:

Arches National Park camping can only be done at the one small campground.

There are no hotels in Arches so most people stay in the nearby town of Moab. You’ll find restaurants and places to shop which adds to the appeal to find accommodations in Moab.

There are all types of lodging in and near Moab from budget-friendly hotels to higher-prices resorts. You’ll also find vacation rentals, a hostel, campgrounds and RV parks

READ OUR FULL GUIDE: Places to stay near Arches National Park in Moab

• Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Moab – we enjoyed our stay and highly recommend this hotel due to its location close to Arches.

• Purple Sage – our all-time favorite place to stay in Moab – walking distance to shopping, full kitchen, and only 8 units so you don’t feel lost in a large hotel. 

• Red Cliffs Lodge – rooms up to 6 people – located 17 miles from Moab, this lodge is known for its beautiful location, winery and activities like horseback riding, fishing and more!

• Vacation Rentals – we really like rentals with a kitchen, washer and dryer and amenities like a swimming pool and hot tub.

• Rent an RV – have it dropped off at your vacation destination!