Visiting Arches National Park

How to get there

Getting to Arches is mostly straightforward. There are two ways to the park. Both ways are use Highway 191. You head south from Interstate 70 (Highway 50) at Crescent Junction. Alternatively, you can head north from Monticello through Moab. Then, cross over the Colorado River.

If you are driving an EV, be aware charging is very limited in these areas. For those heading East on H70, there is a Tesla supercharger in Green River. It has 8 plugs but is not CCS adapter capable. For those coming in from the East, there are Superchargers in Grand Junction and limited CCS. For those going West, I suggest the Supercharger at Mesa Mall, which has 6 plugs. A Rivian Adventure Network is also just a few hundred yards away. It has just opened up to CCS non-Rivians at the time of this entry. Take the time to make sure you get to at least 80% or higher since there isnt anything between there and Moab

If you come in from Crescent Junction, you have to stop at Papas Joe’s Gas and Go. It is more colloquially called “Jack Ass Joes.” You should pay them a visit. You will find it “unique” 😀

Before you go into the park, you really want a full charge since there is not any charging available in the park at all. You can easily go through 30% of your charge between the heat of summer or winter cold. There is supercharging available in Moab. The Northern supercharger is a magic dock. The southern one is not nor can it be used with any adapter. There are not any CCS chargers in Moab that I’m aware of but there many J plugs. The Field Station has Tesla destination chargers which has J plug and NACS and will charge up to 10kw. That’s 3-4kw faster than a typical J plug which is 5-6kw.

Be Prepared

Be Ready

Tips and Advice for Arches NP and many other trails and hikes in Moab and surrounding areas

Use sunscreen, a hat, water bottle, sunglasses, lip screen. I wear glasses and use a high quality polarized brown clip on sunglass lens. The flip up/down is much faster than taking glasses on or off. And it’s insanely bright in the summer months.
Light weight hiking shoes or good sneakers. Some of the trails are over rocks or up steep grades. I prefer Merrell Nova 4s. They are a trail running shoe but work very well as a light weight hiker. Super light with a vibram lugged sole. They have reinforcement at the arch. This prevents your shoe from bending if you take a rock in the middle of the sole.
Lightweight camera and a selfie stick. I love my DSLR but I would be hesitant to bring it on the hikes. between the weight and the unforgiving landing if you slip, it’s not a smart choice for casual pictures. A smart phone can take damn good pics and is much, much lighter. If you want pictures at night with star trails, then the DSLR is the way to go. It handles edge cases like this very well.
It was 30 USD to get the park, CC only. I have a annual pass which is even faster. Make sure to bring your id to use with the pass.
Most of the year requires reservations!!!! Timed entry tickets are required from April 1 – July 6 and August 28 – October 31, 2025. Do not assume you are just going to drive up and enter the park. Most NPs have seen large increases in traffic and visitors. Parking will be a challenge if you wait till later in the day. Get there EARLY like when they open and start working your way through the sights.
I have a love/hate relationship with selfie sticks but here a high quality stick can be very useful.
I use Motorola walki talkies at the national parks. Why would I do that when everyone has a cell phone? Because at Arches, cell coverage is spotty at best and often times none existent. Not everyone in the crew wants to go out on a 2 mile hike to see another rock 😉 So with 3 units, one stays in the car with whoever is there, two go with the hikers. One is the primary and one is a spare in case of a fall damages a unit. My older units can easily work over several miles at Arches. The newer T605_H2O for example can go upwards of 20 miles.
The last about cell coverage brings up maps. Download your electronic maps ahead of time or better yet, bring paper maps.
Water. water. water. Its dry and you are at 5,000 feet so you lose moisture faster than you think. Sip constantly. I have a sling water bottle holder that holds a variety of bottles easily from my shoulder in a cross body fashion. You can get a fancy pack but it’s not needed for these hikes.

All the major and many minor sights are easily accessible by car with paved roads and parking. Some require a simple walk such as Balanced Rock. This is a very easy walk on a improved trail.

Other sights like Turret Arch require a more physical workout. Look closely on the left. You can see tiny people. This gives a sense of the scale we are talking about here.

Delicate Arch requires a very strenuous steep climb to view it from a distance. Alternatively, you can take a 3-4 mile hike on a primitive trail to go up to the arch. This shot of myself is on the “easy” view trail. You can see the elevation gain or at least part of it.

Arches National Park is an amazing place to visit but when you are done, you need to refuel and take a rest. Our newest favorite lunch/early dinner eatery is called “Moab Diner” and it is at the south end of town. Well worth the small drive to get there. Parking can be tight as it’s very popular with the locals. I’m partial to the bacon cheese burger 🙂 Its very much an classic “American” style diner and menu.

For the best coffee in my opinion, check out Moab Spring Ranch which has a small coffee house called “Horsethief Coffee” in the original building dating from 1896. This is a place to vacation at but the coffee house is open to everybody. Great coffee and great art for sale if you want a unique memory and support a local artist.