How to see Delicate Arch in Arches National Park

Moon rising over Delicate Arch. The hike brings you to this view, and you can also walk under the arch.

Did you even go to Arches National Park if you didn’t see Delicate Arch? Well, yes, you did, but I just want you to know that if you are visiting Arches, you need to make it a point to see it. There are good reasons that it’s one of the most iconic arches on our planet, and why it was first on my list of places to see in Arches National Park. Regardless of how many pictures of it you’ve seen, you can’t help but be awestruck when you see the 52-foot freestanding formation in person. If you have the time and are able to make the hike to see the arch up close you should do it, but even if you are pressed for time, you still have viewing options from a distance, which I’ll talk more about down below.

A unique perspective of the arch with only the top portion visible

Hiking to Delicate Arch
If you can fit the hike into your plan, do it. There is no replacement for getting up close and personal and it’s by far the best way to experience Delicate Arch. How much time do you need? You’ll see 2-3 hours all over the internet, but this is assuming a leisurely pace, with plenty of time to stare in wonder at the arch. This is ideal of course, but if you are on a tight schedule, I’m here to tell you that with a fast-paced hike you can do the entire trail round trip in about an hour. Even if you spend 10 minutes at the arch, most would agree that it’s worth it. Depending on the crowd when you go, that may not leave you time to wait in line for a picture standing underneath the arch, but again, if time is an issue, you should be able to have the experience of meeting the arch personally with a trip less than 1.5 hours.

That said, with how hot it can get here in the summer, you don’t want to be pushing yourself on this hike in the middle of the day. In fact, I recommend avoiding this hike altogether during that time. It will generally be most crowded around sunset, but that’s also a great time for photographing the arch, as it lights up beautifully just as all the red rocks in the Moab area. Morning is also a good option, the earlier the better. The hike itself is generally considered moderate, though a summer day hike could easily make it difficult. The majority of the trail is easy to follow, but do pay attention to signs with arrows on the parts where the path is less obvious. I’ll probably do a more thorough write up for the hike at some point, but of course there’s no shortage of descriptions out there on the interwebs. For other thoughts on a trip to Arches in the summer see my post on beating the heat.

The hike to Delicate Arch is often busy. Here, hikers are ascending the most difficult part of the trail.

Viewing the Arch from a distance
If you don’t have the time or ability to do the hike up to Delicate Arch, that doesn’t mean you have to leave the park without seeing the arch. Farther down the road from the hike trailhead, there’s a separate parking lot which gives you access to two viewpoints of the arch from down below, though you will still have to do a bit of walking. The lower viewpoint is only about 150 yards from where you park though, and it’s a flat path to get there. If you have binoculars this is a good spot for them, since the arch is about 3\4ths of a mile away. While not a significantly different view, you can also hike a quarter mile uphill to get a closer view from the upper viewpoint, which is about a half mile from the arch. I’d really only recommend doing that if you feel you want to get a little closer.

Delicate Arch as seen through a zoom lens from near the upper viewpoint, which only requires a 1/2 mile round trip hike.

Hopefully you can now see that there’s no excuse for you to go to Arches National Park without seeing Delicate Arch. Even if you don’t do the hike up to it, you can still marvel at it from a distance. If you do embark on the hike, be sure to bring plenty of water and use sunscreen, as shade is pretty close to non-existent.

Ravens are a common site near Delicate Arch