Did you know that you can visit Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park in just one day? As both of these parks sit on opposite sides of Moab, Utah, just a 30-minute drive from one another, combining them makes for the perfect day trip! Having recently visited both parks ourselves, we’ve designed this 1-Day Arches & Canyonlands Itinerary to include all the top spots in each park, while still giving you time to rest and recharge. Let’s dive in!
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📝 Arches and Canyonlands One Day Itinerary
Here’s how we’d spend one day in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Click on an activity to hop down to its respective section, or scroll down to read them all in order. Stay tuned to the end of the article for tips on the best time of year to visit, where to stay, and more!
ℹ️ This itinerary begins before 7 a.m. to help you avoid Arches National Park’s timed entry system. Reservations are required for all vehicles arriving between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. on select dates, including April 1 – July 6 and August 28 – October 31. If you prefer a later start, you will need to reserve a timed entry slot online.
☀️ Morning: Arches National Park
– Sunrise Hike to Delicate Arch
– Hike The Windows Trail & Double Arch Trail
– Drive Arches’ Scenic Road
– Stop by the Arches Visitor Center
🍔 Lunch: Moab, Utah
– 2-hour Lunch Break in Moab
🌄 Afternoon: Canyonlands National Park
– Stop by Canyonlands Visitor Center
– Drive down Grand View Point Road
– Hike to Mesa Arch
– Hike the Grand View Point Trail
– Watch the Sunset at Green River Overlook
~4:45 AM — Sunrise Hike to Delicate Arch (2-3 hours)
Kicking off the day in Arches National Park, we recommend getting an early start and heading straight to the Delicate Arch Trail to catch the sunrise. This 3.2-mile (5.1-km) moderate hike takes you to the base of Arches National Park’s most famous arch, which is even more impressive during first light! It took us roughly 45 minutes to get to the arch, and then we spent about an hour watching the sunrise before hiking back. A few tips for this trail:
- Wear sturdy hiking shoes with proper traction, as this trail is uneven in parts
- Bring a headlamp or flashlight to see where you’re going on the hike out
- Feel free to bring your breakfast with you to enjoy once at Delicate Arch
We recommend leaving early enough to arrive at the arch 20 to 30 minutes before the sun is scheduled to rise, giving you plenty of time to find a spot. For us, this meant arriving at the parking lot by 4:45 AM, hitting the trail by 5:10 AM, and reaching the arch by 5:45 AM. Adjust this schedule to when the sunrise is set to rise during your visit, as the exact time changes throughout the year.
☀️ If an early sunrise hike isn’t feasible, especially when traveling with kids, you can still experience the magic of the Delicate Arch trail as a morning hike—just be sure you have that timed entry reservation to enter the park after 7 a.m. While this will slightly push back the rest of your itinerary, the full day trip is still entirely doable.
8:00 AM — Hike The Windows Trail & Double Arch Trail (1 hour)
Once you’re back from Delicate Arch, head to the iconic Windows section of the park, known for its high concentration of arches. Start at Double Arch Trail and then hit The Windows Trail, whose trailheads are conveniently located right next to each other. These two short, high-reward hikes take you past some amazing views, and their proximity makes it so that you can easily complete both trails in about an hour!
9:00 AM — Drive the Arches Scenic Road (1 hour)
After your morning hikes, it’s time to take a bit of a walking break. We recommend enjoying the scenic road out of the park (Arches National Park Road) in the direction of the Arches Visitor Center. Don’t hesitate to stop at any pullover that catches your eye! Three that we highly recommend include:
- Balanced Rock: This pull-off and (optional) short trail holds a massive, precariously balanced boulder.
- Courthouse Towers Viewpoint: This viewpoint shows you colossal sandstone fins and spires.
- Park Avenue Overview: These rock formations resemble Manhattan’s “Park Avenue!”
10:30 AM — Stop at the Arches Visitor Center (30 minutes)
Before leaving Arches National Park, stop in the Visitor Center to check out their exhibits, look around their bookshop, and use their restrooms if necessary. Beyond their exhibit space, there’s also a short, pleasant trail just outside the center that takes you past tons of native plants from the region.
Noon — Grab Lunch in Moab, Utah (2-hour break)
After your packed morning, recharge and refuel over lunch in town. We’ve pencilled in 2 hours here, plus an extra hour for driving time to and from the parks, which should give you plenty of time to eat, rest, and pop your head into a few shops if you like. Although we personally opted for cooking back in our campervan, friends of ours have recommended these three spots:
- Wrap it Up — Mediterranean food truck with some outdoor seating and options for all diets
- Moab Garage Co. — All-Day-Breakfast spot with Vegetarian and Vegan options
- Cactus Jacks Moab — Classic Salads, Burgers, Sandwiches, and more with Vegetarian options
If you’d like to explore a bit of downtown Moab before heading into Canyonlands National Park, we recommend strolling down Main Street. Here, you can find tons of cute shops with specialty outdoor gear, locally-made souvenirs, art prints illustrating the Moab landscape, and more!
3:00 PM — Stop at the Island in the Sky Visitor Center (1 hour)
Once you’ve wrapped up in Moab, drive into Canyonlands National Park to the Island in the Sky Visitor Center. This center closes at PM daily, so we recommend hitting it right as you come in. Stop here to check out their exhibits, fill up on water, grab a map, and use the restrooms if necessary.
4:00 PM — Drive Grand View Point Road & Stop at Viewpoints (1 hour)
After the Visitor Center, it’s time to start exploring Canyonlands National Park! Below, we’ve listed two spectacular viewpoints we highly recommend stopping at, in order of appearance when driving down Grand View Point Road away from the center. The first one is located just across the street, so you won’t have to hop into your car immediately—just be careful when crossing the road.
- Visitors Center Overlook: Views of the La Sal Mountains to the East and Shafer Basin and Shafer Canyon Road in front of you.
- Shafer Canyon Overlook Trailhead: Views of Shafer Canyon, Shafer Basin Road, and the surrounding terrain.
5:00 — Hike the Mesa Arch Trail (20 minutes)
Mesa Arch Trail is a 20-minute, easy trail, bringing you to one of the most iconic arches in all of Canyonlands! Although it is popular during sunrise, we found it gorgeous later in the day as well. The trail itself brings you right up to Mesa Arch before turning back towards the parking lot. We recommend hiking up the small butte that views Mesa Arch for a great secondary viewpoint.
5:30 PM — Grand View Point Trail (1 hour)
Grand View Point Trail is by far the most popular viewpoint in all of Canyonlands National Park. Because of this, expect to wait for a parking spot. Once you score a spot, the trail brings you to two stunning overlooks that gaze into the park.
The first viewpoint, just a few feet away from the lot, has spectacular views of Monument Basin. If you continue onto the short, unpaved trail around the rim, the views get even better and the crowds thin out. If you’d rather skip the second viewpoint, plan to just spend 20 minutes here instead of an hour.
🥾 Alternate Trail: If finding parking proves impossible, White Rim Overlook Trail is a great alternative trail with similar views of Monument Basin.
~7:00 PM — Watch the Sunset at Green River Overlook (1 hour)
End the day by watching the sunset at Green River Overlook. This ended up being one of our favorite spots to watch the sunset in all of Utah! The overlook is located at the end of a short, paved trail that takes just 5 minutes to reach the overlook, but we recommend staying for at least 30 minutes to watch the sun go down. Feel free to copy us and pack your dinner with you to enjoy while you watch the sun go down.
⭐ If you have the time to stay after dark, check out the park’s ranger programs, as they might have an astronomy ranger talk just after the sun goes down.
🗺️ Map of One Day in Arches and Canyonlands
How to use this map: We have saved the locations from this guide on this map. You can save this map to your Google Maps by pressing the star icon. In your Google Maps, click the menu icon and then Saved Maps, where this map will appear.
🤸🏼♀️ More Things to Do in Arches and Canyonlands
If this isn’t your first time in the parks, or you end up having more than just one day to visit, here are more things to do in Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park. Besides private tours, all of these options are 100% free or included with your park entrance.
- Hop on a Ranger-Led Tour: All US National Parks hold FREE ranger-led tours and special programming, which often end up being our favorite part of our trips! Check out what’s planned in Canyonlands and Arches during your visit.
- Participate in the Junior Ranger Program: Visitors of all ages are encouraged to participate in a park’s Junior Ranger Program. Pick up a booklet at any Visitor Center, complete it during your visit, and turn it in to a park ranger to be awarded a badge specific to that park.
- Join a Private Tour: Many local companies organize special experiences in the area, such as this 3-Hour Off-Road Adventure in Moab or this Paddleboarding Tour on the Colorado River—fun, memorable ways to fill up a half-day.
- Drive Potash Road: Potash Road, just outside of Canyonlands National Park, has a few unique attractions along it. We drove to the Corona Arch Trailhead and did that trail, but there’s also Long Canyon Trail, Elvis Rock, and Potash Ponds. Keep in mind that the paved section of this road ends here.
- Explore Other Trails: Check out our hiking roundup articles on Canyonlands and Arches for more trail inspo!
- Go Stargazing: As certified Dark Sky Parks, both Canyonlands and Arches are perfect for stargazing and night sky photography. In arches, head to Panorama Point for great night sky views. In Canyonlands, both the Needles and Island in the Sky districts are prime locations for viewing.
🌤️ When to Visit Arches & Canyonlands
If you can swing it, October-November and March-April are the perfect months to visit the greater Moab area as it tends to experience slightly fewer crowds and more comfortable temperatures. That being said, here’s a breakdown of what you can expect from each season in Arches and Canyonlands.
- May – October: This 6-month period experiences the highest crowds of the entire year, lots of programming, weather fit for water activities, and many hours of daylight. Downsides include crowding on popular trails, difficulty parking, extreme mid-day temps, and some potential difficulty finding lodging.
- November – February: The winter months experience low crowds with ample parking and lodging, but frigid conditions with the possibility of ice and snow. Park programming also slows down, so your experience will be mostly self-guided.
- March – April: With medium crowds mid-week and higher crowds on the weekends, Spring in these parks looks like comfortable temperatures, ample park programming, and fairly abundant lodging opportunities.
🚗 How to Get to Arches & Canyonlands
For travel between the parks themselves, Canyonlands National Park is just a 30-minute drive from Arches National Park, located on the other side of Moab, Utah. As far as getting to these parks in general, driving is easiest, which is how we came in, but other options exist:
- By Car — These parks are most comfortably reached by private vehicle. If you don’t have a vehicle, we highly recommend renting a car.
- By Plane — The nearest airport is Canyonlands Field Airport (CNY) in Moab, but most visitors fly into Salt Lake City (SLC) and rent a car for the 4-hour drive to Moab.
- By Public Transport — You can take Greyhound bus lines to Moab or Amtrak rail services to Green River or Grand Junction, then arrange a van service to Moab. Once in Moab, you can find private shuttle services or join a guided tour to explore the park itself if you really don’t want to rent a car.
- By Bike — We saw a sign for a bicycle entrance that connects Arches National Park to the city of Moab (pictured below), which is a fantastic option for any bikers interested in biking into the park. Canyonlands is a bit further away by bike, but it is still possible to bike in.
🏨 Where to Stay Near Arches and Canyonlands
You have a few options when it comes to visiting Arches and Canyonlands. Here’s a breakdown of everything from in-park campgrounds to free BLM land to comfy hotels in the area.
- BLM Land (Free Camping) — For the most budget-friendly option, consider dispersed camping on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land just outside both of these parks. We use iOverlander to find legal, no-cost sites nearby.
- Inside the Parks — Devils Garden Campground is the only accommodation located inside Arches National Park. It’s open year-round, with reservations necessary March 1 to October 31; the rest of the year, it is first-come, first-served. A standard site is $25/night. Inside Canyonlands, you have Island in the Sky (Willow Flat) Campground that is first-come, first-serve and The Needles Campground that requires reservations in spring and fall, or for group sites year-round. Non-group sites cost $15 and $20, respectively.
- Campgrounds & RV Parks (Outside the Park) — Additional privately-owned campgrounds and RV parks can be found outside the park, such as Sun Outdoors Arches Gateway and Up the Creek Campground.
- Hotels (Outside the Park) — In Moab, you also have plenty of hotels, such as Scenic View Inn & Suites, Wingate by Wyndham Moab, and The Virginian Inn Moab Downtown.
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🎒 What to Pack for Arches and Canyonlands
Some of the biggest essentials while hiking in Arches and Canyonlands are ample hydration and sun protection. Our favorite ways to hit both of these are by carrying water bladders with our favorite electrolytes instead of tons of heavy water bottles and wearing a mix of sunscreen, sun shirts, and wide-brimmed hats. In this section, we outline everything else that came in handy for us.
Sun Protection
Hiking Essentials
Safety Essentials
💰 How Much Does it Cost to Visit Arches and Canyonlands?
Depending on your travel style, the cost of a trip to Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park can vary. The biggest costs are lodging and any private tours or activities. Here’s a breakdown of the typical costs so you know what to expect.
🎫 Consider investing in the America the Beautiful pass for $80 like we did if you’re planning on travelling to several parks within the year.
| Fee | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Park Entrances | $30/vehicle for 7 days ($60 in total) | $25 for motorcycles and $15 for individuals on foot or on a bike. |
| Camping in Canyonlands | Needles Campground costs $20/night Willow Flat Campground costs $15/night | 26 and 12 sites available, respectively |
| Camping in Arches | Devils Garden Campground costs $25/night | 51 total sites available |
| Parking | Free with park entry | Public parking also available in Moab, Utah. |
| Personal expenses | Varies | Don’t forget to budget for gas, food and drink, souvenirs, other lodging, any other activities. |
📰 Related Articles
- 11 Most Epic Sunrise Spots in Arches National Park
- How to See Arches National Park in 1, 2, or 3 Days
- 7 Gorgeous Sunset Spots in Arches National Park
- Top 11 Hikes in Arches National Park (Ranked in Order)
- How to See Arches National Park in One Day
- 11 Best Easy Hikes in Arches National Park
- 11 Best Easy Hikes in Canyonlands National Park
- How to Spend One Day in Canyonlands National Park
- Arches vs. Canyonlands: Which National Park is Better?
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