If you are in Utah wanting to tour the national parks you obviously have a lot of options. There are so many amazing parks to visit, you just need to be aware of which ones are easily accessible and which ones require more of a rigorous effort. Some of the best spots require long and grueling hikes (many in Zions), while others you can drive directly up to and hardly have to leave your car (Bryce Canyon).
Arches National Park has a number of different trails and viewpoints that include a good mix of both options. One of the best high payoff and low effort hikes in Utah is the Double Arch Trail in Arches National Park. It’s so short you can hardly call it a hike (only .3 miles of basically flat trail from the parking lot to the arches). However, once you are at the arches you can hike on and around the HUGE double arch adding much more distance.
Trust me, this is a fantastic hike!
Double Arch Trail Details:
- Length: .6 mi (1 km) roundtrip
- Trail Type: Out and back
- Elevation gain: 30 ft or 10 m (basically flat the entire way)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Time: 15-30 minutes
- Kid Friendly: Yes! One of the best hikes in the park for kids.
Double Arch Trailhead
The Double Arch Trailhead is located 25 minutes (11.7 mi) from the Arches National Park visitor’s center. To get there you head towards the Windows Hike Parking Area and then keep going around a the loop in the parking area until you get to the bottom. You will then see another parking lot labeled Double Arch Parking on your right (north).
Click here to see exact location on Google Maps.
I made the mistake of not realizing that Windows Hike and Double Arch Hike basically share a parking lot. Once I arrived at the Windows Parking area I had no idea I was supposed to keep driving around the loop until I got to the bottom.
My GPS was told me I was there from the Windows Hike parking lot, but I couldn’t find the trail sign anywhere. All I saw was a sign for the Windows Trail. I drove around a bit more and then realized that the Double Arch trailhead is further down in another parking lot.
Long story short, if you want the closest parking to the trailhead try and get a spot in the bottom lot.
Tips: I highly recommend downloading Google Maps before entering the park. Cell service is hit and miss in the park. Also, know that there are bathrooms at the upper and lower parking lots.
Double Arch Trail – What to Expect
The Double Arch trail is very easy to follow and not technically difficult. With it being so easy you are very likely to encounter a lot of families. It is a perfect length to keep kids engaged. The trail is really wide so even with other people you will not feel crowded.
Arriving at Double Arch
Once you arrive you will be amazed at how big the arches are! Seriously, pictures can’t show the scale of how big they really are. These arches are the third largest open arches in the park.
Double Arch is the tallest Arch in the entire park.
Though not the biggest arches in the entire park, the double arch is the highest in the park. To try to get a sense of the scale look at how tiny the people look in the photo below (yes there are people in it). The arch is huge!
Tips for Visiting Double Arch
Climb under the Arch
This is one of the Arches that you can climb under and around since there is no immediate concern of it collapsing, so make sure to take advantage of it! I would recommend leaving at least 30 extra minutes to explore and hike around the Double Arch.
As you climb up and around you will find all sort of other cool and unique viewpoints.
When is the Best time to visit?
This trail is open year round. My favorite time to visit Arches is in January because that is when there are the fewest visitors in the park.
If you want to avoid the extreme cold and heat go during spring or fall, but beware, spring (May) is the busiest time at Arches National Park. In peak months you have to make a reservation before going! If you get there without a reservation you will be screwed (more details on making reservations below).
Crowds
This hike is one of the most popular hikes in the park. Do not expect to have the trail all to yourself matter what time of year you go.
If you want to avoid the crowds go in January. That is when Arches and Canyonlands sees the fewest amount of visitors. Moab is practically a ghost town during this time. Hotels will be super cheap as well.
Regardless of the crowds though, it can still be enjoyed immensely.
Things to know about Arches Nat Park before going
I had no idea how busy Arches Nat Park was before I went. Arches is one of the busiest parks in all of Utah. So busy that recently they have implemented a reservation system in order to get into the park in the summer and early fall.
I had no idea about this before going but luckily I missed the cut off by a week. October 31st is the cut off for the off season. More on that below.
Reservations Required!
If you are planning to visit Arches between the months of April and October a reservation will be required to enter the park. You will need a Timed Entry Ticket from from Recreation.gov. One ticket per vehicle will be required.
Cost of park entry
It costs $30 per vehicle to enter the park. If you walk into the park it is $15. I don’t recommend this unless you are training for a marathon. The park is huge and requires a lot of driving.
There are some holidays where they do not require a fee to enter the park. Check here for details.
No dogs allowed. It’s a kid friendly but not a dog friendly park.
Other hikes and viewpoints nearby:
Balanced Rock (7 minute drive or 2.8 mi away)
The Windows Hike – shares a parking lot with Double Arch. Park in the top lot.