{"id":21159,"date":"2016-07-04T11:03:21","date_gmt":"2016-07-04T18:03:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=21159"},"modified":"2019-11-25T20:36:20","modified_gmt":"2019-11-26T04:36:20","slug":"arches-national-park-visitor-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/travel\/arches-national-park-visitor-guide","title":{"rendered":"Arches National Park Visitor Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When you visit Arches National Park, you\u2019re witnessing geology in action. Everything you see\u2014towering pinnacles, buttes, giant balanced rocks, enormous walls called \u201cfins\u201d and the park\u2019s namesake arches\u2014were once buried thousands of feet below a dry seabed. Tectonic forces and the flow of rivers created a\u00a0new landscape<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Today, rain continues to erode and shape the rock formations, seeping into cracks to dissolve the calcium carbonate that holds the sandstone together, freezing in winter to pry the rock apart. When the water does its work on large fins, a hole appears, then slowly widens to form an\u00a0arch<\/a>. They\u2019re massive illustrations of nature at work, and the park is home to more than 2,000 of them. It\u2019s the largest concentration of natural arch formations anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n

People are drawn to this wonderland of red rock to see firsthand the massive arches in all their glory, to climb the tall cliffs and to explore the gnarly maze of slots known as Fiery Furnace. In times after a significant seasonal rainfall, people can also see a colorful display of\u00a0wildflowers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you plan on visiting Arches, check our suggestions for getting the most out of your trip. The National Park Service is also a good resource for information on\u00a0camping<\/a>,\u00a0day hiking<\/a>,\u00a0backpacking<\/a>,\u00a0rock climbing<\/a>,\u00a0canyoneering<\/a>,\u00a0biking<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0wildflower viewing<\/a>\u00a0in Arches.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Camping in Arches<\/h2>\n

Devils Garden is the only National Park Service (NPS)\u00a0campground<\/a>\u00a0in Arches. It\u2019s open year-round and located 18 miles from the park entrance. There are 50 individual sites, which are $25 per night and accommodate up to 10 people, as well as two group sites for 11 or more. The campground is very family friendly, with enough sand to be a giant sandbox for your kids, and has sweeping views of the La Sal Mountains. It\u2019s also close to a number of hiking trails in the park.<\/p>\n

Sites can be reserved throughout the year, but during the busy season (March through October) all sites are reservation only. To make a reservation, go to\u00a0www.recreation.gov<\/a>\u00a0or call 877-444-6777.<\/p>\n

Other Camping Options:<\/b>\u00a0If you try to make a reservation at Devils Garden but nothing is available, don\u2019t despair. In the nearby Moab area, there are also\u00a0private campgrounds<\/a>, other\u00a0state and national park campgrounds<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Bureau of Land Management (BLM) campgrounds<\/a>. Many of the BLM campgrounds are located right on the Colorado River, which runs along the southwest border of Arches. To see where those campgrounds are, and to view all of your public camping options in the Moab area, download the\u00a0Moab Campground Information Map<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Backpacking and Hiking in Arches<\/h2>\n

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