Arches National Park In Winter | Seasonal Closures, Events & Best Things To Do

Winter in Arches National Park is a great way to see the park without the large crowds or heat of the busy summer season. Instead of battling for parking, consider visiting Arches National Park in the winter. I’ll tell you everything you need to know to plan your trip in this article!

In this article:

• Arches National Park winter conditions & seasonal closures
• The best things to do in Arches in winter
• Arches winter itinerary & nearby things to see

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What To Expect During Your Trip To Arches National Park In Winter

Visiting Arches National Park in winter is much easier to plan and is usually much less expensive than during the summer.

There are significantly fewer crowds at Arches in winter, which means there is no timed-entry requirements to plan around.

Since winter is considered the off-season, most accommodations are significantly discounted.

Unfortunately, one of my favorite park activities, ranger programs, are not offered at Arches National Park in winter. If you return to Arches in summer make sure to add them to your itinerary!

Seasonal Winter Closures At Arches

Arches National Park is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. However, the visitor center has abbreviated winter hours (9 am – 4 pm) and is closed on Christmas Day.

Snow is not very common in Arches National Park, but occasionally (only a handful of days per year) may temporarily shut down roads or hiking trails.

➝ Check current road and trail conditions here

Best Things To Do In Arches National Park In Winter

Despite the shorter days and chillier temperatures, there are still some incredible things to do in Arches National Park in winter. In fact, some of these hikes are even better in the cooler months.

Sunrise at Delicate Arch

Catching the sunrise at Delicate Arch is one of my favorite things to do in Arches National Park. One of the perks to shorter days is a later sunrise (so you can sleep in a bit longer!)

The arch is 1.5 miles from the trailhead and a majority of the hike is over flat rock. For that reason it can become quite slippery when it’s snowy, icy or wet.

I highly recommend bringing traction devices and trekking poles if you’re visiting Arches National Park in the winter.

TIP: Cairns are used as trail markers in the desert. They’re small stacks of rocks that can be easily covered in snow. I recommend using the AllTrails app (~$3/mo) for GPS-enabled trail navigation and off-trail alerts to prevent getting lost.

Drive Arches Scenic Road

This is a great activity year-round, but especially during the winter in Arches when there are fewer cars and you can really take your time at each viewpoint.

It’s also downright lovely to be able to easily find a parking spot at each stop.

The downside to visiting Arches in the summer is how drastically underdeveloped their parking infrastructure is compared to the boom in visitation over the last decade. Like, 30 parking spaces for some of the most popular sites in the park. Another reason why Arches in winter is a great option.

Whether you intend to or not, you’ll cover most of Arches Scenic Drive while navigating to the best things to do in Arches on this list. It’s the primary road through the park.

It takes around 30 minutes to drive end-to-end, but you’ll want to plan time for some hikes and views along the way.

Be sure to stop at Fiery Furnace viewpoint. It looks across a labyrinth of deep red slot canyons and is a pretty unique view in Arches National Park.

NOTE: Hiking in Fiery Furnace requires a permit due to its difficulty.

Hike Devils Garden Trail to Landscape Arch

Devils Garden is located at the very end of Arches Scenic Road. There are a ton of cool arches to see depending on the distance you want to hike.

In total, the loop trail is 7.9 miles but you can shorten it into smaller out-and-back sections.

It’s just under 2 miles to hike to Landscape Arch and back.

Past that, the trail can be more difficult in snowy or icy weather. There are a few sections that require some scrambling over rocks, and some of the trail is across flat, smooth sandstone that gets pretty slippery.

TIP: Water refill stations are limited. During winter in Arches National Park the refill at Devils Garden Trailhead is closed. Instead, stop at Devils Garden Campground to refill.

Visit Balanced Rock

Balanced Rock is one of the coolest arch formations in the park. It seems unnatural that the rock perched on top of the stack doesn’t fall off and roll away in a stiff wind.

This is also one of the easier spots to access. It’s right off the main road, there’s a decent sized parking lot, and there’s also a flat and mostly paved 0.3 mile loop around the base.

Go Stargazing At Arches National Park In Winter

With shorter days, it’s much easier to go stargazing in Arches National Park without having to stay out super late. Plus, Arches National Park is an International Dark Sky Park which means it has some of the darkest preserved skies in the Southwest.

The two best locations within the park for stargazing are at Panorama Point and The Windows. Don’t forget to bring a blanket and extra layers.

Best Hikes In Arches National Park In Winter

These are the best winter hikes in Arches National Park because they aren’t too long, and tend to be less impacted by snowy or icy conditions that make some of the trail terrain in Arches more slippery.

• Balanced Rock – 0.3 miles
• Double Arch – 0.6 miles
• The Windows – 0.7 miles
• Landscape Arch – 1.9 miles

TIP: Be prepared with traction devices.

Other Things To Do Near Arches In Winter

There’s so many great places within a very short drive from Arches or Moab. If you have some spare time consider checking out these additional things to do near Arches National Park in winter.

Corona Arch

Distance from Arches: 30 minutes

Another famous arch, but you won’t find this one inside the National Park.

It’s sometimes referred to as the little brother of Delicate Arch because it looks fairly similar.

The Corona Arch trail is 2.4 miles out-and-back, and it’s pet friendly! The terrain is a bit difficult in spots, and there are a handful of scramble sections. Otherwise, it’s a fairly easy to moderate trail.

Dead Horse Point State Park

Distance from Arches: 30 minutes

Dead Horse Point State Park has the best sunset I’ve ever seen in the United States. It’s about 30 minutes to the park entrance from Arches, and another 10 minutes to Deadhorse Point overlook for sunset.

There are plenty of ledges and areas along the overlook to sit and watch sunset. It’s spread out enough that it doesn’t feel super crowded.

Far below the overlook, the Colorado River snakes back and forth. Across from the overlook is another mesa that the sun dips below.

NOTE: There’s a $20 entrance fee per vehicle.

Canyonlands National Park

Distance from Arches: 30 minutes

Canyonlands National Park is a massive park, made up of 4 districts. However, most visitors focus on Island In The Sky because it’s the most accessible to Arches, and it also has the best things to do.

Considering how close Canyonlands is to Arches, they’re fairly different landscapes. Canyonlands has fewer arches (although it is home to the famous Mesa Arch), but lots of expansive views and mesas.

Goblin Valley State Park

Distance from Arches: 1.5 hours

If you’re heading towards Capitol Reef National Park, Goblin Valley State Park is on your route.

The landscape is incredibly unique and full of short rock formations that look like little goblins.

There are a few great hikes to do here, including The Goblin’s Lair (Chamber of the Basilisk), a 2.3 mile out-and-back trail.

Weather Conditions In Arches National Park In Winter

Arches rarely see massive amounts of snowfall. However, if there is some accumulation the park’s main road may temporarily be closed until park crew can clear it.

The park is open 24 hours a day year-round so even if some amenities close due to winter conditions you’re still able to enter the park.

Arches National Park Winter Temperature

Arches National Park is a high desert and part of the Colorado Plateau which sits above 4,000 feet above sea level.

For perspective, the highest mountain peak on the east coast is just over 6,000 feet.

That means winter in Arches National Park can be quite chilly, even if there’s not much snow on the ground.

Arches National Park Snow

It is uncommon for there to be snow in Arches National Park. When it does fall, it rarely accumulates or sticks around for very long.

Even so, the smallest amount of snow in Arches can make hiking trails, roads and parking areas very slippery because of the sandstone terrain.

December and January are the months most likely to have snow in Arches, but the deepest it accumulates is about 1 inch. More often, it melts away within hours.

One Day In Arches National Park In Winter

With fewer crowds and much easier parking you’ll be able to cover ground a lot faster than if you were visiting during the summer. The downside is you’ll have fewer daylight hours, so this itinerary works out to be a decent balance between the two.

Since it’s a relatively small park, one day is enough to see all the highlights and complete the best hikes. This is my preferred itinerary for one day in Arches National Park in winter:

NOTE: The visitors center closes at 4 pm in the winter.

Where to Stay Near Arches National Park In Winter

While there are no hotels in Arches National Park, there are plenty nearby in Moab (about 5 minutes away).

Keep Planning Your Trip To Arches National Park!

Headed to Arches? Check out these additional planning resources:

• Arches National Park Itinerary And Travel Guide
• Best Things to do in Arches National Park & Moab Utah
• How To Spend One Day In Arches National Park

Where To Stay:

• 23 Best Hotels Near Arches National Park – Unique, Pet-friendly, Budget and Luxury
• Campgrounds Near Arches National Park + Moab

Road Trip Routes:

• Mighty Five Utah National Parks Road Trip
• Las Vegas To Arches National Park Road Trip Itinerary
• Salt Lake City To Arches National Park Road Trip Itinerary