Arches National Park is the crown jewel of Moab. With over 2,000 natural stone arches, it’s basically a red-rock playground where every corner looks like it belongs on a postcard. The best part? You don’t need weeks to explore it. In just a day or two, you can see most of the park’s highlights.
On my last trip, I timed it just right—school had just started back in Utah, it was over 100 degrees (yes, HOT), and somehow, the park was nearly empty. Normally, you can expect an hour wait at the entrance, but I drove right in. Worth the sweat.
Here’s everything you need to know, stop by stop.
This is one of the first stops in the park and a perfect way to set the tone. The viewpoint is just a one-minute walk from the parking lot, with towering sandstone walls that look like—you guessed it—a city avenue of skyscrapers. If you hike down, you’ll follow a primitive trail (rocky and uneven, not a groomed path) that drops you into the canyon. Walking between those massive cliffs makes you feel tiny in the best way.
Courthouse Towers stand tall just beyond Park Avenue. These massive stone monoliths resemble—you guessed it—giant courthouse buildings. While it’s more of a viewpoint than a hike, the scale is impressive. The morning light casts dramatic shadows across the desert floor, making this a quick but rewarding stop.
Balanced Rock looks like it shouldn’t be standing—but somehow it is. A huge boulder teeters on a narrow pedestal, and the short loop lets you see it from every angle. It’s a quick walk, but a must-stop.
Garden of Eden isn’t a full trail, but it’s a fun pullout where you can scramble up a few short rock mounds for a wider view of the park.
If you’re not up for the full hike to Delicate Arch, the lower viewpoint gives you a solid taste. The short trail climbs quickly, but the reward is worth it. Secret tip: don’t stop at the official viewpoint. Keep going down the rock slope and you’ll get a much better, direct view of the arch.
A quick stop with sweeping views over Fiery Furnace and the red rock valley beyond. Especially pretty at sunrise or sunset when the colors glow.
This was my favorite stop of the day. The trail leads into a shady slot between fins, with soft sand underfoot and an arch hidden inside. It feels like a secret little desert hideaway. In the morning, the whole area is shaded, which is a gift if you’re hiking in the heat.
A short and easy walk brings you to a massive window perched high in a sandstone wall. Quick but worth it.
This hike packs a lot into a couple of miles. Take the spur trail to Pine Tree Arch first (a short walk with one small hill), then Tunnel Arch. Both are quick detours. From there, continue on to Landscape Arch, one of the longest natural arches in the world at 306 feet. The span is so thin it looks like it could collapse at any moment (and large chunks already have). The trail continues into a much longer loop if you’re up for adventure, but I stopped at Landscape Arch when the sand and heat got to me.
This area is perfect for exploring multiple arches in one go. North and South Windows sit side by side, while Turret Arch rises nearby. If you want a fun detour, take the primitive trail around the back of North Window for a different angle. A couple of hours before sunset, the light peeks through Turret Arch in dramatic fashion—one of the best photo ops in the park.
Double Arch is one of the park’s showstoppers. Two arches soar above you, joined at one end, creating a three-dimensional effect that makes you feel tiny. The short walk makes this an easy addition to any itinerary, and it’s one of my absolute favorites.
This is the big one—the hike everyone comes to Arches to do. And I’ll be honest, it’s not easy. The trail climbs steadily uphill, across wide slickrock with zero shade. But when you finally round the corner and see Delicate Arch standing alone on the edge of a cliff, it’s unforgettable.
I went at sunset, and while my legs weren’t thrilled with the climb, the payoff was worth every sweaty step. My friend warned me that the arch is usually packed with people—50+ at times—but I lucked out with a smaller crowd. My advice: get there at least an hour before sunset so you have time to take photos and then relax as the arch glows in the fading light.
Arches National Park is one of those places that doesn’t feel real until you’re standing there. The arches are incredible, but it’s the mix of short walks, fun scrambles, and longer hikes that makes the park special. Whether you’re up for the full trek to Delicate Arch or just want to wander through Double Arch and the Windows, Arches has something for everyone.
Bring water, bring snacks, and bring a sense of wonder—you’ll need all three.
Booked this Bryson City yurt for the ‘ber months and it’s already my top fall pick this year. 🍂
The Junaluska Yurt sleeps six but feels more like a stylish cabin than a yurt, two real queen bedrooms with actual doors, a full kitchen, and a private bathroom with a walk-in shower. Check-in is just a door code texted to your phone, no lobby, no waiting.
The real win is outside: wraparound porch, private fire pit, free firewood, a gas grill, and Smoky Mountain sunsets that stop you mid-sentence, picture all of that with October color on the ridgeline. Heads up, the last stretch in is a gravel road, so skip the low-profile rental, and there’s no restaurant onsite, you’re minutes from Bryson City, Dillsboro, and Sylva for dinner.
Two to three nights is the sweet spot. (We actually stayed in the dead of winter and it was still stunning, fall just takes it up a notch.) Full review linked in bio.
Italian food felt like the last thing I expected to find in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains... until I sat down at Ilda in Sylva.🍝
They call it Italian-Appalachian, and that’s not just a tagline. Homemade pasta, craft cocktails, local ingredients pulled straight from the mountains around it, this is the kind of meal that makes you forget you’re two hours from the nearest city. It’s cozy, it’s a little upscale, and it is not a walk-in kind of place, call ahead, because tables go fast on weekends.
It’s not cheap, and it’s not trying to be. But if you’re already making the trip out to Sylva, this is the one reservation worth planning your day around.
Full write-up, including what to order, link in bio.
Booked my fall cabin before September even started, and I’m not sorry about it. 🍂
These are the stays that make you actually want the cold to hurry up fireplaces, mountain views, the kind of porch you don’t leave. Not every one of these is going to fit every trip, but if a cozy fall getaway is on your radar, this is the roundup to start with.
One of my favorite travel seasons is almost here, and I have zero chill about it. 🍁✈️
There’s just something about fall trips cooler air, apple orchards, that first flannel of the season, food that actually makes sense with the weather again. I’m already mentally packing for it before September even starts.
If fall is your favorite time to travel too, tell me where you’re headed... I’m taking notes for the list.
Pack your bags... ✈️🧳My hiking and road trip gear shop just got a refresh, and this is everything that actually earns a spot in my bag. The dry bag pulls double duty for beach days and trail days, the Osprey backpack is the one I grab for anything motorcycle or day-hike related, and the GoPro comes with me literally everywhere at this point.
Nothing on this list is filler it’s all stuff I’ve used, packed, and repacked more times than I can count. Full shop linked in my bio if you want to build out your own kit before your next trip.
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