Tick It Before You Kick It

Ranking Every Notable Arch in Arches National Park

• Alexandra Lauren | The Bucket List Mermaid • Season 1 • Episode 36

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We explore Utah's Arches National Park, ranking the top 14 natural arches from most spectacular to merely impressive to help you prioritize your time in this geological wonderland🏜️

Read the full ranking: https://thebucketlistmermaid.com/best-arches-in-arches-national-park/

đź“‹Here are some examples:

• Double Arch stands as the most impressive formation, offering grandeur and accessibility with minimal hiking
• Landscape Arch impresses with its impossibly thin, delicate span – North America's longest natural arch
• Partition Arch provides breathtaking valley views, especially at sunrise when crowds are minimal
• Sand Dune Arch creates an Indiana Jones-like adventure through slot canyons to a natural sandbox
• The famous Delicate Arch ranks fifth due to overwhelming crowds despite its iconic status
• Devil's Garden Primitive Loop offers the best experience for hikers seeking multiple arches with fewer crowds

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Speaker 0:

I got lost so many times. It was a little embarrassing. Get it together, alex. Get it together. Hello, my intrepid adventurers, and welcome to Ticket Before you Kick it the podcast where we talk about everything that should be on your adventure bucket list. And today we are going to be headed to one of the most unique national parks here in the US, and that is Arches National Park. Now, whether you are short on time or you just want to prioritize your time, it can be a little overwhelming because there are a lot of well, as the name suggests, there are a lot of arches there, and some of them kind of look the same. Some of them are in completely different places, Some of them are grouped together. So I'm going to be going through and I'm going to be ranking every single arch, or every single notable arch in Arches National Park, so that you can prioritize your time and you can decide which ones to check off of your bucket list.

Speaker 0:

Let's get started Now. Before we get started, let's just quick talk about Arches National Park. Now, this is a geological wonder located near Canyonlands National Park and Moab, utah, and it offers over 2,000 arches. Now, on this one, I'm not going to be ranking 2,000 arches. I'm just going to be ranking the notable ones that everybody likes to see and are the most popular. Now let's start and let's go over the most well-known arches in Arches National Park, if they are worth it, if you have to go, hike to them and we will rank them right at the end. So stick with me. Now, number one, I have to say is number one is obviously Delicate Arch. This is the most iconic arch in Arches National Park and it even is on some Utah license plates. Odds are, if you've seen Arches National Park, it is kind of the representation for arches. Now I'm going to say something a little controversial and I'm going to say that it was a little underwhelming.

Speaker 0:

I had this big, huge expectations for Delicate Arch and it was wonderful. However, it is crowded. It is popular for a reason it's the one that everybody always recommends. It's the one if, oh, what arch did I see at Arches National Park? Delicate Arch. So that means that everybody and their grandma is there as well.

Speaker 0:

Now I saw it in two different scenarios. There was like a little parking lot where you could park and then you could kind of walk to a little viewpoint and, no joke, it was very tiny, very, very tiny. The other option is you can hike to it. It's a moderate hike, about 3.2 miles, and not that bad of elevation gain. It can get hot and it is crowded and it takes about two to three hours to do this hike. Now, the parking situation was so stressful. I actually tried to do this hike several times and couldn't actually do it because I just flat out just couldn't find a parking spot. So that is why I have the controversial opinion that, although Delicate Arch is very cool, I think you should also give the other arches a chance as well. Now, if you do want to see it and you're like, please, I do want to see the Delicate Arch, I would recommend going very early in the morning so that you can get a spot and see the sunrise over it. It is pretty cool, I'll give it that. It is cool for astrophotography and it's also very cool just like see the mountains all in the back. But you need to go during sunrise. You could try to go at sunset. However, it is going to be more crowded.

Speaker 0:

And next one landscape arch this is in the Devil's Garden area. Now, if you do want a full thing on Devil's Garden, I wrote like all the mistakes that people make in Devil's Garden for going through the entire primitive loop. There's a lot of arches in this area and I'm going to be honest, it's probably my favorite place in the park, just because it's adventurous, it's rugged. You kind of feel like you're just in the middle of nowhere when you're hiking the entire primitive loop and there are just so many arches here. So if you are an adventurer and you are a hiker, I would 100% recommend going to Devil's Garden and also checking out my vlog of me getting lost, because I did get lost. Now, the landscape arch does not lie on that primitive loop. It's actually just like a 1.9 quick out and back and the trails are very well marked. It's very easy to find. It is a little popular, so definitely go during that like sunset time, maybe in like fall or spring, just so you can avoid the crowds. However, this landscape arch is beautiful and I mean that it's just kind of different than any other arch that I saw at Arches National Park because it's so, so thin and long and I can't believe that it's still there. Fun fact, it's actually the longest natural arch in North America. It is going to be popular, but it's going to be less popular than Delicate Arch.

Speaker 0:

Now, number three on the most popular arches that you can see at Arches National Park is the Double Arch, not to be confused with the double O that we will talk about later. No, I'm not going to lie. Double arch is in like the windows section, so a lot of arches are placed here. So if you don't have a lot of time or you're just driving through and you don't want to hike, I would actually recommend coming here because you get the most bang for your buck. However, so there's like the entire windows section, with the north window and the south window and the turret arch. We'll talk about it. But on the opposite side there's this thing called the double arch and I'm not going to lie, it's just grand, unique and just so cool. The hike is really not that bad. It's like less than a half a mile all flat. You will not get fatigued on this hike.

Speaker 0:

Going to see double arch and, honestly, it's just beautiful. Please just go. Look at the photos, I'll link them on the show notes and it's just beautiful, absolutely stunning. Honestly, don't care how crowded this arch is, I would see it every single time. So moving right across the parking lot of the double arch is the north and south windows. These are very beautiful.

Speaker 0:

I must admit they were a little underwhelming just compared to the other arches that I was seeing in the area, especially, you know, compared to the double arch. They were a little crowded. It does require some hiking, so please keep that in mind. It's about a mile out and back, so it's really not that bad. However, I went midday and it was so hot Like I was literally sweating and I was like I can see why people in summer really struggle with this trail, because there's just no shade whatsoever.

Speaker 0:

Now, if you are at the north window, just a little bonus tip here If you are into photography, there are some pretty epic shots that you can get of the turret arch, which is right across from it, and you can actually frame the turret arch within the north window. If you see any postcards of the turret arch, most likely it has been photographed through that north window. If you see any postcards of the turret arch, most likely it has been photographed through that north window and then you can go to the south arch, which is pretty cool. As I said, it's a little underwhelming because I didn't really think it was super unique. However, if you're in the area anyway, I would see it Then you go to the turret arch, and the turret arch looks like something from a Mars movie. Seriously, like I was, like I don't even think I'm on Earth at this point. So definitely go to the tour at Arch. That one is so recommended, so cool, and it's right there.

Speaker 0:

So the next Arch that we're going to focus on is actually down the road a bit, and this is the Sand Dune Arch. Now, sometimes this gets overlooked a little bit by, like the double arch and the window section and all of the delicate arches and everything. However, I really really liked it. I felt like I was in an Indiana Jones movie. It was an easy hike, but you can actually go around and see another arch, so there is some hiking options here. However, you like go through this really thin thing of walls and then there's just like sand everywhere and then you go in and what I like about it is it's normally shaded because it's kind of like a slot canyon, so you have these towering sewn walls going up on either side of you and, funny story, I actually went here and I missed the arch the first time. So you actually have to keep going because I was like, oh, this is so cool, this is so fun, and then I just left. So but I went back.

Speaker 0:

I actually went to the sand dune arch. I got a really epic mermaid picture here. It's not as like open as the other arches, like double arches is just huge and it's open and it's beautiful, but this one is a little bit more secluded. I did read on the pamphlet that it's really popular with families because it's basically a giant sandbox. So would 100% recommend going to that one, just because it's unique and it's different from all the other arches, and it's only like 0.4 miles. Probably take you like 15 to 30 minutes to go see the full thing. So those I felt were the most popular ones. You know, like the ones where the parking lots are a little bit bigger, there's more space, there's more crowds.

Speaker 0:

Now let's go into the hidden gem arches, the ones that probably you've never even heard of and probably a lot of people don't even hear of, but they are deserved to talk about nonetheless. Now one of my favorites is the Double O. Now, this is not Double Arch. Double Arch is very accessible, not a lot of hiking. It's right there in that main parking lot area. Double O takes a little bit more effort to get to, and that is because it is on the primitive loop of the Devil's Garden Trail.

Speaker 0:

Now, really quickly, devil's Garden because we're going to be talking about it a lot, because there's a lot of hidden arches on this hike. Basically, it's like a giant loop which is a very well-maintained up to, basically about landscape arch. Once you get to landscape arch and you keep going all the way to the other arches, it does get a little iffy. The route is not marked well. As I said, if you do want to go watch my vlog where I got lost, definitely go check that out.

Speaker 0:

I also made an entire guide for all the mistakes that people make in Devil's Garden because it is an adventurous trail. It's not just a simple you climb up a mountain on a well-maintained trail and then you climb back down. It is adventurous, it is fun. You might have to do some navigating skills, but it is so worth it Because, since it's harder, not a lot of people do it. There's some pretty steep drop-offs, some places where I actually had to get in the water and sand. So just keep this in mind that this is an adventure trail, but it was, hands down, my favorite place in Arches National Park and that brings me to double O. So if you go to that landscape arch and then you keep going to that more adventurous side, you will hit double O.

Speaker 0:

Now, this is a beautiful arch. It was a little tricky getting down there so I actually photographed it from above and then below, but it's basically these two arches stacked on top of each other and it's so, so cool. If you were just to go to double arch, the entire hike out and then you turned around back would be around 4.2 miles and it is considered strenuous. I would recommend it for experienced hikers and it would probably take you from about two to four hours. Now, on the way to Double O, in between Double O and landscape, if we're, you know, thinking about this logically. So you have got landscape and then you keep going Trail gets a little iffy. There are two arches that you can actually see in between 00 and landscape, and those are Partition and Navajo. Now the Partition. If you were to just go to the Partition and back, it would be about 2.9 miles and about two to three hours. Now this one I would actually recommend.

Speaker 0:

I was the only one here. I had like two hiking buddies that I had met along the way, but there was no one here. I could literally look through the partition arch and see the entire thing of Arches National Park and the entire valley being illuminated by the sun coming up. It was absolutely stunning. If you are on the Devil's Garden Loop, go during sunrise, you will not regret it. It's beautiful, it's less crowded, it's more of a hidden gem. And I jaw just dropped to the floor. Truly, now, if you were to keep Going on the little spur, because both the partition and the Navajo, you do have to detour a little bit off of the main Devil's Garden Loop. You can also go to the Navajo arch and I did like this one because it's very easy to walk underneath of it. Again, not very crowded, not a lot of people there, and it was just interesting. It was like wide and then you could walk to the other side of it. So, again, just a very unique one that I would go to if you are in the area anyway.

Speaker 0:

So, now that you've gone to those little spurs, maybe you do go to 00. Now, after 00, that's where it gets extra saucy, and that is because that's when the primitive trail starts. So the primitive trail starts right after 00 and then you basically go and you have to navigate through all of these like sandstone fins. There's hardly any root markers. It is considered very strenuous, very difficult hiking. People have gotten lost, it's very hard to know where you're going. I wouldn't really say that it's like cardio strenuous, but you definitely have to be very purposeful with where you put your feet. And all of this is not meant to scare you away, because this is stunning and because it is borderline, backcountry and a little difficult. Not a lot of people are there, and by that I mean I think I saw like three other hikers and that was it.

Speaker 0:

So one of the arches that you can get to on the primitive trail is called the private arch, and man, it is private for a reason, I mean, compared to like delicate arch or landscape arch or double. This was amazing. I literally sat here for about 45 minutes and did not see another person ever Like I was. Just, it was just me alone in the middle of nowhere Arches National Park just eating some beef jerky at this private arch. 10 out of 10 recommend. So, so fun.

Speaker 0:

Now, once you have navigated your way through these sandstone fins and you are back on the main trail. There are two other arches that you can see that are on that well-maintained paved trail by Landscape Arch, and that is the Pine Tree Arch, which is really really cool and I really liked it because if you look through the arch you can actually see the rest of the primitive trail and you can see those sandstone fins through the arch, which is really really, really cool. So I liked that one better than the Tunnel Arch, which is the other one. Tunnel Arch looked like an arch was really cool, but if you're looking at arches all day it is kind of underwhelming. However, if you're right there, it's a very short detour, very short spur off of the main trail to Landscape Arch.

Speaker 0:

Now, going out of the Devil's Garden area, the entire scenic road of Arches National Park actually ends at Devil's Garden. So, as you are coming back, there is a little pull-off. Now it's very easy to miss if there's nobody there. The first time that I went there was nobody there and there's not really a defined trail. However, if you do get a map, there's this thing called the Skyline Arch, which is pretty fun to go to, especially if there is no one there. You basically would just go off into that pull-off and you will see it right away. It is very distinctive and can be a nice little one on your buckle. As I said, compared to like 00 and ones that are more unique, it might be a little underwhelming. However, if you're driving through, it's really not that far of a hike. It's more of like just a stroll up some rocks and then you see it and then you're good.

Speaker 0:

And last but not least, the Tower Arch is another one for people who are looking to hike, are looking to get more into, like, the nitty gritty of Arches National Park and maybe avoid some crowds. This is a strenuous, about two and a half mile hike. This is recommended for hikers who do want to go off the beaten path and want a more serene and peaceful Arches experience. Okay, that was a lot of information. However, those are the most notable arches in Arches National Park, so now let's go through and rank them. Obviously, this is going to be a subjective list, but I spent a lot of time in Arches National Park and even more time writing about Arches National Park because it's so cool and the point of all of this is to maybe give you some insight on what to prioritize. Maybe we'll go look at some pictures, go see which one you're like. Oh, that one I could probably skip if I don't have time, but that one I'm definitely going to hit. So here are all the 14 arches that I have just mentioned, all ranked for your bucket list.

Speaker 0:

Number one I'm sorry I have to go with double arch. I love it. It's accessible, it's easy to get to, it's just beautiful, it's grand, it's big. Love it. Number two Landscape Arch. Oh my gosh, it's just wonderful. They do have a very good trail going to it, so it's pretty accessible, but you still get a good hike in there. I don't know, I just feel like it's going to fall and you just need to see it before that happens.

Speaker 0:

I think that one should have been named Delicate Arch. That one looks way more delicate than actual delicate arch. It's like so pencil thin. Number three partition arch, specifically at sunrise. You need to go at sunrise. It is off the beaten path, it's beautiful. There's not as many crowds as the more popular ones. Number four the sand dune arch. That has to go with that one, just because it's so unique and the surrounding area around the arch is cool too. I literally felt like Laura Croft and that's why it gets a higher ranking on this list. Absolutely love it. It's all about the experience, not just the arch.

Speaker 0:

Number five Delicate Arch. I have to put it a little higher on this list just because it is the most popular Gonna be honest. It was not my favorite one, but you can tell me is my saltiness towards Delicate Arch warranted. Let me know in the comments if you thought it was like the most amazing thing ever. I do want to hear your opinion on Delicate Arch.

Speaker 0:

Number six Turret Arch. It's like something out of another planet and you really can't beat that. Number seven Double O. It is very beautiful. It is a little harder to get to and the arch itself, I think, is vaguely overshadowed by the double arch as far as grandness. However, it is still beautiful nonetheless. Now number eight the north and south window. It's accessible to get to, it is beautiful, but it is a little crowded. Number nine the tower arch. It is beautiful, it is secluded, it is off the beaten path. The only thing that is a little annoying is that you have to go through this whole hike and you basically just get to see one arch where if you were to go to Devil's Garden and do the entire like eight mile loop. You'd get to see so so many arches.

Speaker 0:

Now number 10, private arch. I really did like the private arch because it was private. However, the arch itself is a little underwhelming compared to the others and it's also a little hard getting there. I actually ended up going the wrong way and then having to like scramble on a rock and then like slide down. It was a whole ordeal. I got lost so many times. It was a little embarrassing. Get it together, alex. Get it together.

Speaker 0:

Now number 11, the Navajo Arch. I really did like how you could walk underneath of the Navajo Arch and I think it was really cool. It just was not as like grand and huge and otherworldly than other arches in the park. Now 12 at the Pine Tree Arch, I did like how you could see the fins in the background, like through the arch is really cool. But the arch itself it can get a little crowded because it is on that well maintained trail right by Landscape Arch and as it is cool, it's just like the other ones are just more unique and grand.

Speaker 0:

Now 13, the Skyline Arch. Overall it's a pretty standard arch. I really liked it. However, it can get a little stressful when there is no parking because it's just the side off. I said I went once and there was nobody, and I went the second time and everybody was there, so that did make it a wee bit stressful. I would do that for the Double Arch, but I don't know if I'd do that for the skyline arch. And then number 14, the tunnel arch. As I said, it's beautiful. If it were anywhere else it would just be stunning and you'd be like in awe. However, just after looking at all of these gorgeous and unique arches, it just is a little underwhelming. It's like the middle child of the arches, sorry.

Speaker 0:

So what arches to see? If you only have one day Now, if you aren't a super big hiker and you don't want to go exploring in the wilderness of Arches National Park, I would recommend doing the Delicate Arch in the very, very morning and I mean like be the first one there very, very morning and then, after the Double Arch, maybe going over to the window section, go see the North and South Windows, see the Turret Arch and then go see double arch. Now if you are into hiking, I would recommend just doing that entire devil's garden loop. You will not be disappointed and that is like the most bang for your buck that you can get for arches. If you can do all of that and somehow manage to like hike and get like a full day, maybe do that. However, those are my recommendations. What do you think Now?

Speaker 0:

If you are looking for a more specific itinerary and like more in depth than what I just did, I do have an entire blog post where I do rank all of these. You can see all of them ranked, you can see pictures of all of them and that is on my blog post, which I will link. Definitely, go check it out to get more itinerary recommendations and choose which arches you want to go check off your bucket list On that blog post. I also talk about things that aren't arches that you can go see, that are equally as cool as the arches themselves. So if you are going to Arches National Park I've written literally so many articles about this I should be a ranger at this point, just really into the arches. So that is all for this episode of Take it Before you Kick it. If you did enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you just subscribed on any podcasting platform or even maybe left in a review if it was helpful or inspired you. Until next time, stay adventurous.