40 Arches National Park Pictures + Tips for Visiting
Stunning landscape scenes is what you’ll see in these 40 Arches National Park pictures! These images of Arches National Park will inspire you to plan a trip there soon.
Use this Arches National Park picture gallery and Arches National Park travel guide to know all the best things to see, do, and photograph at the park!
We visit Arches National Park at least once a year and never tire of photographing the natural rock formations.
There are 2,000 stone archways, giant balanced rocks, and massive pinnacles that immediately draw you in to explore and take photos.
We know this gallery of pictures of Arches National Park will inspire you to add this destination to your bucket list.
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Basic Information for Photographing and Visiting Arches
Arches National Park is located in southeastern Utah just a few miles north of Moab.
Arches has a TIMED ENTRY program April through October: Timed entry tickets will be required to enter the park from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and will allow visitors to enter the park during a one-hour specified window of availability. After entering, visitors may stay in the park as long as they wish for the remainder of the day. Reservation holders may exit and re-enter the park on the same day with a correctly validated ticket. Visitors can book reservations first-come, first-served on Recreation.gov. The park will release reservations three months in advance in monthly blocks.
If you don’t get a timed entry ticket, don’t worry. Plan to arrive before 5:30 am or enter after 5:00 pm, which is perfect for sunrise and sunset photography anyway!!
Best Time to Visit Arches National Park
Check out these articles we’ve written about each season or month specifically: Arches National Park weather, services, and things to do during that time of year.
- Arches National Park in the Spring
- Arches National Park in the Summer
- Arches National Park in the Fall
- Arches National Park in the Winter
Things to do at Arches National Park
- Things to do at Arches National Park
- Arches National Park hiking trails
- Arches National Park scenic drive
Arches National Park Photography Tips
→ CHECK OUT our Arches & Canyonlands Itinerary and Photography Guide
40 Jaw-Dropping Arches National Park Pictures
Here’s a gallery of our favorite pictures and Arches National Park photo spots in order as you enter the park.
The Arches National Park scenic drive is 43-miles long, including the spur roads. Plan 2 to 3 hours for the drive itself, then add more time if you plan to do any serious 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.
Arches Park Avenue
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.
When you follow the trail down and walk between the immense sandstone monoliths it feels like the real Park Avenue in New York City soaring skyscrapers on either side.
Arches La Sal Mountain Viewpoint
Enjoy a 360-degree view of the Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, and The Organ in the Courthouse Towers area. And along the horizon you’ll see a distant view of Balanced Rock and the Windows Section.
This is a great location to see and photograph sunrise at Arches National Park to amazing to see the reflected light from the rising sun cast a warm red glow on the formations.
Arches Courthouse Towers
The Courthouse Towers area has unique rock formations to photograph: Three Gossips, Sheep Rock, and The Organ.
We like the distant view from La Sal Viewpoint, but we also stop at the pullouts along the scenic drive to get up-close photos as well.
Arches Balanced Rock
Balanced Rock is a popular feature in the park. We recommend walking around the .3 mile loop around this landmark to capture the rock at various angles and perspectives.
We also stop at the various pullouts along the main road to capture different views of Balanced Rock.
Here’s a fun Arches National Park fact about Balanced Rock: This massive desert rock weighs in at an estimated 3,577 tons, as much as 27 Blue Whales and stands 128 feet tall. The big rock on top is the size of three yellow school buses!
One of our favorite locations for Arches National Park photography at night is Balanced Rock!
Arches Garden of Eden
We love taking a trip during the offseason. When it snows, the contrast of the red rocks and white snow creates amazing Arches National Park winter photos!
The Windows Area and Turret Arch at Arches
At the Windows area you’ll find the North and South Windows, also known as the Spectacles. There’s a primitive trail from the South Window to the back side if you want to see a different view of these arches.
We recommend you get here early if you want photos of the arches without people. The Windows area is a very popular Arches National Park photo spot.
With a bit of precarious scrambling, Turret Arch can seen through the North Window, making it one of the best spots for sunrise at Arches National Park.
Be sure to capture various perspectives and images as you walk around and climb Turret Arch.
The Windows area and Turret Arch are another favorite spot for night or milky way photography.
Arches Double Arch
Double Arch is two arches sharing the same stone foundation, formed by downward water erosion instead of side-to-side water erosion like most of the other arches in the park.
As you hike the short trail 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.
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.
Delicate Arch at Arches National Park
Iconic Delicate Arch is a top Arches National Park photo spot. The impressive free-standing arch is a famous geologic wonder.
This arch cannot be viewed from the main road, it must be accessed by the popular Arches National Park hiking trail. To see Delicate Arch up close you must hike 3 miles roundtrip and climb 480 feet in elevation. The hike is mostly uphill and takes 1 to 1 ½ hours if you are reasonably fit.
If you want to avoid the crowds at sunset, this is what the area looks like at sunrise.
If you’re there mid-day, you can use the arch to block the harsh light of the sun.
Delicate Arch is a main attraction and will be busy all the time. It’s one of the best sunset spots in Arches so you’ll see photographers lined up along the bowl waiting for the magical moment. There could be hundreds of people in the small area during the summer.
You can also view Delicate Arch from a distance. There’s a short path at the Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint to see the arch one mile away. You can get a bit closer by hiking to the Upper Viewpoint, ½ mile with some stairs.
Panorama Point and Fiery Furnace
Fiery Furnace is comprised of narrow canyons and maze-like fins. Hiking here requires scrambling over slickrock boulders, walking through sandy trails, squeezing between rocks and navigating narrow ledges.
If that sounds too adventurous or you don’t have time, walk to the viewpoint from the parking lot to get an up-close view of the fins and spires. You can also get a good view of this area from Panorama Point.
Landscape Arch at Arches National Park
To see Landscape Arch you’ll need to hike 1.6 miles along the Devil’s Garden Trail. This arch is longer than a football field and the thinnest part of the archway is 8 feet thick.
Most people will hike the trail to Landscape Arch then head back. 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.
Sand Dune Arch at Arches National Park
When it’s hot, Sand Dune Arch is one place 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.
The area around the Sand Dune Arch trailhead and parking lot is one of our favorite Arches National Park photo spots for night and milky way photography.
Broken Arch at Arches National Park
You can see Broken Arch from the parking lot at Sand Dune Arch. The trail is accessed from the same trailhead, It’s a fairly level hike most of the way, then has a few sloping sections as you get closer to the arch.
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.
Arches Skyline Arch
Skyline Arch sits high atop rocks in the Devils Garden area and it’s visible from many areas of the park.
Yes, you can take a photo of this arch from the pullout, but you’ll find so many other ways to photograph this arch if you hike along the short trail to get closer to the arch.
Tower Arch at Arches National Park
It takes a bit of effort to get to Tower Arch in a remote are of the park, but it’s a nice quiet spot once you get there!
You’ll need a vehicle that can navigate the 8 miles of unpaved roads. We recommend you talk to a Ranger about the latest road conditions and if your vehicle is equipped to make the drive.
There you have it! 40 ideas of photos you need to take at Arches National Park!!
BUY AT AMAZON: Arches and Canyonlands Guides and Maps
Planning an Arches National Park Vacation:
- Best Time to Visit Arches National Park
- Things to Do at Arches National Park
- Arches National Park Packing List
- Arches National Park with Kids
- Arches National Park Photography
- Arches National Park Tours
Where to Stay Near Arches National Park:
There are no hotels in Arches so most people stay in the nearby town of 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.
- Places to Stay Near Arches National Park
- Hotels Near Arches National Park
- Places to Stay Near Arches National Park with Kids
- Arches National Park Camping
Here are a few of our favorite places to stay near Arches:
- 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 actiities like horseback riding, fishing and more!
- Vacation Rentals Near Arches – we really like rentals with a kitchen, washer and dryer and amenities like a swimming pool and hot tub.
