Arches National Park

If you only have one day to visit both Parks, our recommendation is to visit Arches first, and weight your time 2/3rds to Arches.  Canyonlands is a terrific place to visit later in the day and especially to enjoy the sunset.

If you have more than one day, then either Park will impress you in any order.

We would recommend a minimum of two days to explore both Parks, a full day in Arches National Park and half day for Canyonlands.  

You could fit both parks into a day and get to see the major highlights, but you won’t have much time to hike or enjoy some of the other activities or shopping in Moab.

Start in Arches and spend most of your day there, plan on moving over to Canyonlands around 3pm and enjoy the spectacular sunsets from the high plateau.

Arches National Park has far more visitors, but we think the visiting one after the other makes for a great contrast and explanation of the forces of erosion at work .

Visitation is high March – October, with Easter, Memorial Day and Labor Day the busiest.  Consider visiting in the Winter, taking advantage of off-season rates and generally milder sunny weather.

You’ll need to arrive early (before 9am) or late (after 2pm) in peak season to avoid the busiest time which can see the Parks gates shut down for traffic control.

You can also return at night to star gaze.  Certified as an official International Dark Sky Park, return at night to see the nigh sky full of stars.  Bring your binoculars or join a Stargazer Program with a ranger.

The tour for Canyonlands National Park covers the Island in the Sky portion of the Park, and this is the section that has the most things to see. The Needles part is worth visiting, but the entrance to this small area is located 60 miles south of Moab.

If you are in reasonably good shape, Delicate Arch takes a little over an hour to reach. Just be aware that the hike to the arch is all uphill, and there is no shade – so be sure to carry plenty of water and a hat.

Around 40 miles (loop).

Moab has long been a favourite place for adventure sport enthusiasts like mountain-bikers and rock climbers but simply driving the Arches National Park route as a sightseeing day trip is incredible in its own right.

There are over 2,000 arches located throughout the park, so expect lots of stops for photos and time at viewpoints to fully absorb the scenes.

Many of the arches and rock formations are visible from the scenic driving loop, or have short paved or gravel pathways, making it an enjoyable experience for those with physical or mobility issues.