Current Weather

Moab is the closest town to Arches National Park. The image to the right shows the current Moab, Uath weather and forecast in the "Weather" tab, wind direction and speed in the wind tab, and sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset times in the last two tabs. Willyweather uses forecasts provided by the US National Weather Service.

Links to Other Weather Forecasts

• Forecast - Weather Underground - Moab, UT
• Forecast - Accuweather - Moab, UT
• Forecast - NWS Point Forecast at Balanced Rock
• Forecast - Weather.com (The Weather Channel) - Moab, UT

Balanced Rock Area

Balanced Rock - most people park at the lot next to Balanced Rock and shoot from up close. Better shots are available from across the road. Instead of turning into the Balanced Rock Parking area turn left onto Willow Springs Trail/ BLM 378. Go 700 feet and park in the lot on the right. Shoot from the slickrock north of the parking lot with a medium telephoto (150 - 200 mm) to emphasize the La Sal Mountains or Turret Arch in the background. Shooting from a distance also minimizes perspective problems. There is an unofficial one-car pullover about 750 feet further down Willow Spring Road, and you can shoot with an even longer lens from there. Balanced Rock is best at sunset though sunrise works as well.

Eye of the Whale Arch is in the same general area. From the intersection of BLM 378 and Arches Scenic Drive go 0.8 miles on BLM 378 and turn right onto a strictly 4WD dirt road. Continue 1.9 miles to a parking area on the left. This dirt road is heavily banked, and I was uncomfortable driving it in a 4WD vehicle. The arch is best shot from inside, or proceed around it and shoot from its southwest side in mid to late afternoon. The arch opens to the southwest and you'll likely have it to yourself, a rare experience in the park.

The Organ

The Organ is nicely reflected in the water pockets that follow a rain. The morning after a rain, drive 1.1 miles past the Park Avenue trailhead on Arches Scenic Drive and park at the small pullout on the right side. Hike east 50 - 100 yards and look for nicely shaped water pockets on the slickrock. Even one inch of water will create a good reflection. Shoot ground level from the very edge of the water pocket. A long exposure may help smooth out the water, and for a different look, toss a small stone into the pool and shoot the resulting ripples.

The Windows Section

Turret Arch through the North Window is a magnificent shot at sunrise. From the Windows parking area, hike through the North Window and carefully make your way to the cliffs about 150 feet to the northeast. Ascend to the ledge. For a good shot of Turret, you'll need to scramble around or over a large rock. Be careful. In prior visits, there was a park service sign indicating that entering the area to the northeast of the North Window was prohibited. The last time I was there, the sign was missing.

Double Arch through Cove Arch is occasionally shot. A scramble and a walk over a narrow ledge with some exposure is needed to shoot through the arch. Best in the afternoon. You will need an ultrawide or panorama head to capture all of Cove Arch. To access Cove Arch, park at the first small pullout after the main Double Arch parking area and then hike north .25 miles. Go up the scree below and in the back of the arch and scramble up to the ledge.

Delicate Arch Area

Delicate Arch is perhaps the most photographed arch in the world, and several hundred people visit it on nice evenings despite the somewhat strenuous three-mile hike. The Delicate Arch parking lot often fills up in summer, spring, and fall, so get there early if you want to see the arch close up. Delicate Arch is best at sunset. It is also best in winter when it is fully lit closer to sunset, when the La Sals are snow-covered, there are far fewer visitors, and parking is readily available. However, the last part of the trail to Delicate Arch is on a narrow ledge which is in shade. This part can be very icy for some time after a snowfall. You should inquire about conditions at the Arches visitor center before undertaking a winter visit. For somewhat unique perspectives of Delicate Arch, consider shooting it through Frame Arch with a wide angle lens, or from the bowl below. The bowl below is most safely accessed by walking around Delicate Arch to its left side and then proceeding around the back of the arch. Frame arch is also known as Twisted Doughnut Arch

You can also shoot Delicate Arch from several other viewpoints with a long lens. The best known are the Upper and Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoints. Access them from the Delicate Arch Viewpoint Parking Lot. The lower viewpoint is only one hundred yards from the parking lot. The upper viewpoint involves a 0.8 mile RT hike with 200 feet of elevation gain.

You can also shoot Delicate Arch from the Covert Arch area. The Google map below shows two possible viewpoints. I have yet to visit either.

Cobblestone Bridge is a little-known arch on the way to Delicate Arch. An easy 0.7 mile one-way hike to the bridge is required. To get there, follow the Delicate Arch trail. After crossing the footbridge over Salt Wash, follow signs to the Rock Art Panel. After visiting the panel, follow the usage trail about 0.3 miles until a low point in the ridge on your right and cross the ridge. Then head NE .2 miles to Cobblestone. The bridge is challenging to shoot but gets great light at sunrise.

Broken and Sand Dune Arches

You can access Broken Arch via an easy .7 mile one-way hike. It is best at sunrise. Walk through the arch and position yourself to include the photogenic fins in the background. I like shooting Broken Arch with an ultrawide from its far right corner. On the way back to your car visit Sand Dune Arch which gets great reflected light. Bring out the blues and reds in post processing.

Devil's Garden

The Devil's Garden area contains two impressive arches. Landscape Arch spans 290 feet and is the longest natural arch in the United States. It is the fifth-longest in the world, the other four being in China. It is best at dawn in Spring and Summer. Part of Landscape Arch is in shadow at sunrise during fall and winter. An easy one-mile hike is required to visit the arch.

Double O arch is a photogenic arch about 2.5 miles from the Devils Garden trailhead. It is best at sunset though sunrise also works. At sunrise, use the arch's silhouette to frame the fins in the background. Double O is best from its southwest side which can be accessed by going around or through the arch. The five-plus miles round trip trail to Double O arch is great fun and should definitely be included on your visit to the park.

There are two other arches along the trail to Double O. Navajo Arch gets a wonderful glow in the afternoon. The arch's southeast corner is thick enough so that, if you stand there a 200-degree panorama will make the arch look like a double arch. Partition arch is also very photogenic, go through the arch to its east side for the best views. The arch is best at sunrise.

Tower Arch and The Marching Men

The Tower Arch and the Klondike Bluffs area of the park is infrequently visited due to the relatively long drives and hikes involved. The easiest way to get to Tower Arch is to drive 7.2 miles along Salt Valley Road and turn left onto the second of two nearby dirt roads you come to. Continue one mile to trailhead parking. For those with high clearance 4WD vehicles and good skills, you can access the arch by turning left at the first dirt road, about 100 yards before the second. The drive on this road includes a steep sandy hill which is easy to get stuck on. The hike to Tower Arch via the first route above is about 1.3 miles one way but seems longer than that as there are many ups and downs and a sand dune near the end. The hike from the second approach is only a few tenths of a mile long. Tower Arch is best shot from the inside under indirect lighting only. Mid-afternoon works well. You'll need a fish-eye or ultrawide and panorama head to capture the full length of the arch. The shadow of the arch makes a semi-circle and is quite attractive.

Save sunset for The Marching Men formation to the southeast. May is a good time to shoot the Marching Men. Look for wildflowers on the dunes as foreground.

Covert, La Boca, and Cavern Arches

Covert Arch, also known as Convert Arch, is seldom shot and a nice side trip if you're tired of the crowds. Although Covert Arch is only 2.5 miles from Delicate Arch as the crow flies, we ain't no crow. The Covert Arch trailhead is eighty road miles from Moab. Many of these miles are on dirt roads which are impassable when wet. The map below shows driving directions. The hike to Covert is 1.5 miles off-trail, and there is no trailhead parking. Park alongside the one-lane dirt road nearest the arch as best you can. From your car, continue west-northwest about one mile to the head of the canyon. Shoot the arch using a telephoto lens from the canyon head, or drop down to the slickrock bench below the rim and hike to the interior of the arch. I've marked two places where you can easily access the bench on the map below. The arch opens to the south-southwest and is best shot from its south side in the afternoon to avoid ugly shadows. Spring and summer produce the best light on the arch. If you pass through the arch to its north side you'll find a small alcove to the right. Shoot from within the nook with a panorama head or fish-eye; it will look like two arches are present. I'm told if you continue down the Covert TH road, you will come to a good overlook of Delicate Arch.

La Boca Arch is in the same area as Covert Arch and is quite attractive. It also gives the appearance of a double arch when shot from inside. Finally, while in the area, you can continue on the main road past the La Boca turnoff and eventually reach Dome Plateau Overlook. The overlook offers a great view of the Colorado River, the La Sal mountains, Fisher Towers, Castle Rock, and the Priest and Nuns rock formation.

You can access Cavern arch from the highlands of Covert and La Boca arches. The hike to Cavern begins at the Lost Spring Canyon trailhead and is 1.75 miles long. There is a good trail until you reach the fence delineating the boundary of Arches National Park. The fence also marks the confluence of Lost Spring Canyon and Fish Seep Draw. There is an opening in the fence for hikers to the right of the wash. Once past the fence, stay to the right above the wash until the wash becomes more open. Cavern is a natural pothole arch. These arches are formed by erosion in the roof of an alcove and are quite photogenic. La Boca arch is also a natural pothole arch.

The Lost Spring Canyon area contains several other attractions. Continue down canyon from Cavern Arch about half a mile to the next side canyon to the east. Turn left into this canyon, and in a mile or so, you will see Covert Arch from below. There is also a "Class 3" route out of the side canyon and up to the Covert Arch area.

On the hike into Cavern Arch, if you turn left at the national park boundary fence and follow Fish Seep Draw to its end, you will come to a huge photogenic alcove.

Finally, while in the area, you can continue on the main road past the La Boca turnoff and eventually reach Dome Plateau Overlook. The overlook offers great views of the Colorado River, the La Sal mountains, Fisher Towers, Castle Rock, and the Priest and Nuns rock formation.

Corona Arch

Corona Arch, also known as Little Rainbow Bridge, is just outside Moab, and the hike is only 1.1 miles. As a result, you will run into others at the arch, especially at sunset. Shoot the arch at either sunrise or sunset. Sunset is preferable. The hike has about 400 feet of elevation gain, with most at the beginning. Shoot close by Bowtie Arch on the return to the trailhead.

Delta Pool

Spectacular Delta Pool refers to a triangular (Greek delta) shaped pool of rainwater sitting high on an unnamed mesa (henceforth Pool Mesa) 15 miles northwest of Moab. Delta Pool is well-shaded and usually has water in it. Merrimac Butte is visaible in the background.

Getting to Delta Pool involves an easy drive and a hard hike. 2WD should suffice for the drive except in poor conditions. From the intersection of Highways 128 and 191 in Moab, drive north 12.9 miles and turn left onto Mill Canyon Road. After 0.6 miles, bear left onto BLM 215. Continue 0.5 miles and turn right onto Mill Canyon Road. Continue 0.7 miles to a parking area on the right. This parking area is the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracks trailhead.

There is no trail to Delta Pool from the parking area, though cairns are beginning to show up sporadically. My route is shown in red on the map below. My route is certainly not optimal, but it works. From the parking area, walk 0.1 miles south on Mill Canyon Road and turn left into a wash. You should find occasional use trails on both sides of the wash. Proceed up the right side of the wash for 0.2 miles. You should see a noticeable break in the cliffs to the south. The break is visible in Google Earth and is the start of a small slot. Proceed to the slot by carefully going up the rocky hillside in a generally southwest direction. Your destination is the start of the crack at 38.70873, -109.73835. After reaching this waypoint continue 200 feet up the slot. A short drop at the end of the slot can be bypassed on the right side. You'll be at the top of Pool Mesa when you emerge from the slot. Mark this point on your GPS to facilitate your return, especially if you plan to stay for sunset. Delta pool is 0.6 miles south-southeast from the crack. The route has many minor obstacles but is easy.

Delta pool faces south and can be shot at any time of the day. In Tom Till's excellent image he shot Delta pool at sunset, and the pool is in full shade. If you shoot mid-day, the pool will be front-lit and have even lighting, which some might prefer. I like both approaches.

While in the area consider hiking the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail described here, and visiting the dinosaur tracksite at 38.72072, -109.73399. Also in the area is the Halfway Stage Station, which I found uninteresting from the photographer's point of view.

Dome Plateau Overlook

This overlook offers great views of the Colorado River, the La Sal mountains, Fisher Towers, Castle Rock, and the Priest and Nuns rock formation. To get to the overlook, continue on The Highlands Road past the turnoff to La Boca Arch 4.5 miles to its end. The road is quite rough near the overlook. You may want to walk this part. Dome Plateau overlook is best at sunset, but sunrise is also good. The overlook is outside Arches National Park, so you can camp there. You will likely have it to yourself..

Little known Cache Arch is also in the Dome Plateau area. The roads that get you close to this arch are rough, so I have yet to visit it.

Faux Falls

Faux Falls is an artificial waterfall created in 1981 to divert water from Mill Creek to Ken's Lake. The falls are an easy 0.5 mile hike from the trailhead at 38.47809, -109.41824. At the trailhead, park on the right side of the road. The parking area on the left is reserved for overnight campers. After parking, proceed up the now washed-out (and closed) road to the falls. In hot weather, you may find locals cooling off at the base of the falls, where the water is a few feet deep. Faux Falls is best in the afternoon and is a good hot weather or cloudy weather destination.

Fisher Towers

Fisher Towers is a great late-day destination near Moab. The towers take on a striking red glow at sunset, perhaps the reddest rock you will see. Shoot from a distance to emphasize the La Sal Mountains, or close up. The map below shows both. There are usually rock climbers at Fisher Towers, so bring a telephoto if you wish to "shoot" them.

Secret Spire

Secret Spire is a spectacular hoodoo resting on a sea of slickrock. It is a good mid-morning or mid-afternoon destination. Combine it with a trip to either Mesa Arch or False Kiva. Although long, the drive to Secret Spire is not particularly interesting until the last turn off, after which high clearance 4WD is needed. If you are in a private passenger car, I suggest you walk this 0.5 mile section as shown in green on the map below. There is a small arch about 50 yards northeast of Secret Spire. With difficulty, you can shoot the spire through the arch or include the arch as background. There will be a lot of sky in your Secret Spire images, so save this location for a day with great clouds.

Tukuhnikivatz Arch

Tukuhnikivatz Arch is a little visited arch located about ten miles south of Moab. It is a sunset-only shot unless you want to use its silhouette to frame a sunrise. The arch frames the third highest mountain (Mount Tukuhnikivatz - 12,482 feet) in the La Sal range. A round-trip three-mile hike is needed to access the arch. Most of the hike is on an old road, but the last 0.3 miles are steeply uphill and largely trail-less. You should be able to find occasional footprints and cairns to help find the route. I've included the track I took to get to the arch on the map below. The track should be accurate to within ten feet or so. I suggest you use a GPS and roughly follow my track where it makes sense. I would not like to hike down from this arch in the dark so don't stay too late.

Tukuhnikivatz Arch is best at sunset. If you are shooting dead on, use as long a lens as possible to maximize the size of Mount Tukuhnikivatz in the distance. I wasn't able to get much longer than 40 mm. Try photographing the arch from different perspectives by getting closer to the arch and shooting with a wide angle off-center. The images I've included in the gallery show how the image changes as you get closer to the arch and shoot more to its left side.

At sunset, the arch will be in shadow, but Mount Tukuhnikivatz will have a wonderful alpenglow.

Here are directions to Tukuhnikivatz Arch:

• From the McDonalds in Moab take Highway 191 12.3 miles SE to Behind The Rocks Road and turn right.
• Take Behind the Rocks Road 0.5 miles and bear right (NW) at the Y onto an unnamed jeep road.
• Continue 1.2 miles NNW on the jeep road and park at the Y. This road is for high-clearance vehicles only.
• Start hiking down the right fork of the road until the road ends after about one mile. If you have an ATV or a heavily modified 4x4 you might be able to drive this last mile. Otherwise, you should just foot it.
• Continue in a largely trail-less NNW direction about 0.3 miles to the arch.

Winter Camp Arch

On your way to Covert Arch, you may want to visit Winter Camp Arch. To get to the arch, park at the Lost and Found Parking area on the way to Covert Arch. Hike back up the road you came in on for 0.4 miles. Leave the road and head largely off-trail 0.6 miles north to the arch. Winter Camp Arch is best-shot mid-afternoon from its west wide. There are no good shots from the arch's east side.

USGS 24K Topo Maps

Arches NP itself is covered by seven 24K topo maps. Each map can be downloaded below. The main maps are the Windows section and Mollie's Hogan.

Six other maps have been included to cover some of the major photo opportunities outside the park. For reference here is an image showing the names of all 13 topo maps and their location. Individual topo maps can be downloaded from the table following this image, as can a merge map covering all of Arches National Park.

Arches NP Index Map