Moab is home to over 2,000 natural arches, but if you’re trying to hit the very top arches in Moab, there are three that rise above the rest: Delicate Arch, Corona Arch, and Mesa Arch. Each one delivers a totally different experience—one’s the Utah superstar, one’s a hidden gem outside the park, and one’s the sunrise favorite. Here’s why these three are the top arches in Moab.
If you’re planning out your Moab adventures, you may also want to check out my guide to the Top 5 Epic Views Around Moab for even more must-see red rock scenery.
Trail Length: 3 miles round trip
Difficulty: Strenuous (steep, exposed rock)
Elevation Gain: About 500 ft
Estimated Time: 2–3 hours
Best Time: Sunset
Delicate Arch is the arch—the one on Utah’s license plate and practically the state mascot. The hike to get there is no joke. It’s uphill most of the way, across slickrock with no shade, and the sun loves to remind you who’s boss. But when you finally round that last corner and see Delicate Arch standing tall on the edge of a bowl-shaped cliff, it’s pure magic.
I did this at sunset, and while my legs weren’t thrilled with the climb, the view was worth it. My friend warned me that it can get insanely crowded (50+ people sometimes), but I lucked out with a smaller crowd. If you want photos, get there an hour before sunset—you’ll thank me later.
Shortcut option: Not up for the climb? The Delicate Arch Viewpoints (Lower and Upper) offer solid views without the full hike. If you love exploring Moab’s iconic landmarks, check out my Stops to Make in Arches National Park if You Can’t Hike for easy-access viewpoints and arches you can enjoy without the steep climb.
Trail Length: 3 miles round trip
Difficulty: Moderate (rock, ladders, chains)
Elevation Gain: About 450 ft
Estimated Time: 2 hours
Best Time: Late afternoon
Corona Arch sits just outside of Arches National Park, and honestly, it’s one of my favorite hikes in Moab. The trail starts with a short climb and crosses railroad tracks before winding up slickrock marked with cairns and blue paint spots. It’s more adventurous than Delicate Arch—there’s a short ladder section and a chain to help you up one slope, but nothing unmanageable if you’re comfortable with a little scrambling.
Along the way, you’ll pass Bowtie Arch, a giant pothole arch in the rock face, before reaching Corona itself. And what a finale: the arch is massive (140 ft tall, 105 ft wide), and unlike Delicate, you can walk right under it. I hiked it around 5 pm, and the best part? We had the place to ourselves.
This hike feels like Moab’s best-kept secret, though locals will tell you it’s not really a secret anymore. Still, compared to Delicate Arch crowds, it’s blissfully quiet.
Trail Length: 0.7 miles round trip
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation Gain: About 100 ft
Estimated Time: 30 minutes
Best Time: Sunrise
Mesa Arch isn’t in Arches—it’s in Canyonlands’ Island in the Sky district. But it’s close enough to Moab that it deserves a spot on this list. The short, easy hike leads you to an arch perched right on the rim of a canyon, with sweeping views through its frame.
At sunrise, the underside of the arch glows fiery orange as the sun rises over the La Sal Mountains. It’s easily one of the most famous photo ops in Utah. When I went, it was rainy and gray, so no fiery glow—but honestly, the moody clouds made it dramatic in a different way. Pro tip: don’t just stop at the arch. Keep walking past it and look back for a grander, less crowded perspective.
Moab is full of arches, but if you only see three, make them these: Delicate Arch for the icon, Corona Arch for the adventure, and Mesa Arch for the sunrise magic. Between the three, you’ll get the full range of what makes Moab so unforgettable—sweaty climbs, quiet moments, and canyon views you’ll never forget. If you’re building out a full itinerary, you’ll love my Spend a Week in Moab: The Perfect 7-Day Itinerary, which ties all the major arches, viewpoints, and parks into one seamless trip.
A hotel that’s also a free 24-hour contemporary art museum penguins included. We booked a Corner Suite at 21c and it was massive: separate bedroom, living room, dining area, 699 square feet to spread out in. The bathroom alone had a double vanity and custom Rookwood Pottery tile that made getting ready weirdly entertaining.
The location is downtown, two minutes from Fountain Square, walkable to Boca for dinner, and close enough to hop the free streetcar into Over-the-Rhine. If OTR is where most of your plans are, you might want to stay closer to that neighborhood instead downtown worked for us, but we spent more time in OTR than we expected to.
And yes, there’s a recycled-plastic penguin sculpture that will absolutely scare you the first time you open your door and forget it’s there. Link in bio for the full review rooms, parking, walkability, and everything else before you book 🎨
Three neighborhoods, one streetcar, and more Cincinnati specialties than I could finish in one afternoon.
We hit a goetta breakfast sandwich, chocolate chip ice cream from a shop that’s been at it since 1870, a Liège waffle that earned its Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives spot, and Cincinnati chili the way it’s actually meant to be eaten... over a hot dog, buried in shredded cheddar.
$75 got us three and a half hours, a local guide, free streetcar rides, and a genuinely full stomach. Don’t eat breakfast before this one, the portions add up fast.
My third Secret Food Tour in my third city, and it’s still undefeated.
Link in bio for the full review cost, route, parking, and every stop we hit 🥟🌶️
13 creek crossings, a canyon that keeps closing in around you, and a hike I’d genuinely put back on my itinerary, West Fork Trail was the one.
We got to Call of the Canyon at 7:15am and the lot was barely a quarter full. By 12:30 it was 85% full, so if there’s one tip that matters most, it’s this: go early.
The maintained trail is 6.6 miles round trip, mostly flat, mostly shaded, but I kept my regular tennis shoes dry the whole way by hopping across the rocks at each crossing. It’s rated moderate, and honestly that’s about the distance, not the terrain.
Here’s what nobody tells you though ✨ the maintained trail isn’t the end. We changed into water shoes at the official endpoint and kept going another mile straight through the creek, canyon walls narrowing around us the whole time. That extra mile ended up being my favorite part of the entire hike.
5/5 for me. I’d bring the water shoes again in a heartbeat.
Link in bio for the full guide parking, timing, what to pack, and everything I wish I knew before I went 🥾
Two hours, zero regrets. The Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour is hands down one of the most fun things we did in Sedona.
Open-air Jeeps crawling over slickrock, backcountry views you can’t reach on your own, and the famous Road of No Return, steep, thrilling, and somehow completely safe the whole way down.
If you’re picking one paid activity in Sedona, make it this one.
You have to do @pinkjeeptours 🌵🚙 Link in bio for the full review.
Dinner beside Oak Creek at Cress, and yes, it’s a splurge, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.🤍
Candlelit tables under the trees, the creek running right beside us, a menu that mixes Arizona ingredients with French technique. We ordered a little of everything: the squash and beet salad, milk rolls with three different butters, sweet potato gnocchi that somehow felt light instead of heavy. Then two desserts because we couldn’t decide. The Vanilla Crème Caramel with Manchego cheese completely stole the show, salty and sweet in a way that sounds strange until you taste it.
Plan on $100–250 for two depending on what you order, and this isn’t the spot for a quick casual dinner, it’s slow, intentional, and worth every minute. Book ahead and ask for a creekside table if you can.
If you’re looking for one unforgettable meal in Sedona, this is it. Link in bio for the full review 🍽️
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