Arches National Park with Kids

Arches National Park is a must see bucket list park with one of a kind features and scenery. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, massive red fins, towering pinnacles and amazing views of the snowy La Sal Mountain Range. There are many areas of the park to explore and discover. We visited the park with our children who were 1.5 and 6 at the time and they had a great time hiking, climbing and playing in the sand. The park has a lot to offer to families who like to get outdoors and explore. There are many kid friendly hikes and activities. We always participate in the Junior Ranger Program when we visit National Parks. We spent 3 days in the area and visited the park everyday for a different adventure.

Tips for planning your trip

• Make sure you get permits to enter Arches National Park ahead of time. There is a timed entry permit to enter the park from April to October.

• Have a travel plan of “must do’s” in the park before you get there.

• Pack food and plenty of water. There is nowhere within the park to buy food past the visitors center, which is at the beginning of the park.

• Pace your activities with children. The park is large and doesn’t have a lot of shade so it is easy to tire and dehydrate quickly

• Sunscreen

Itinerary

Sand Dune Arch

We started our adventures with a cold hike to Sand Dune Arch. It is a quick .3 out and back trail. We were there early in the morning and only saw a couple other people on our way there. This trail is covered in sand and my kids had a blast playing in it.

Devil’s Garden Trail

We made it as far as Landscape Arch on this loop trail. We took the spurs to Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel arch on our way. The trail is very open and can get hot quickly. We really enjoyed Pine Tree arch and the kids loved climbing the rocks near Landscape arch before we turned around.

Garden of Eden

While the baby slept, we took turns taking our 6 year old through the Garden of Eden. It was a quick stop on the side of the road to get out and climb rocks and look around. It is a perfect place for a young kid to explore and have fun. It has amazing spires and views of the mountains.

Double Arch

One of my favorite arches in the park. This arch is massive. Double arch is the biggest arch in the park. For the daring you can even scramble up into the arches and take a look around. Although this is a very popular spot it is still easy to find a spot to sit and enjoy the area. Be careful as we entered the Double Arch area someone was being lifted out by stretcher as they had fallen while exploring.

Day 2

We spent most of this day at Canyonlands National Park but went to Arches for sunset. Our goal was to hike a few more of the features we didn’t get to the day before.

Park Avenue

This was my favorite hike we did with both kids. After we got my 1.5 year old down the stairs she was all about walking the trail by herself. The hike was an easy 2 miles out and back with the way back being a little more strenuous as it was uphill. There are towering walls on both sides of the trail and massive monoliths along the way.

Delicate Arch

The last arch we visited was Delicate Arch. I had saved this for a sunset hike with my son. The trail up to Delicate arch is 3 miles out and back. I will say that I was concerned with the steep uphill trail and the sheer drop offs during the hike but I kept my 6 year old close to the wall and watched his steps closely. I would say I am very cautious when it comes to hiking in dangerous terrain. I would not recommend this hike for anyone younger than 6 years old. I would say Delicate Arch is at its height of beauty at sunset. We hiked down the mountain before the sun was past the horizon and I am glad we did. I would say if you have young kids do not try to hike this trail in the dark.

Trail to Delicate Arch

Arches National Park is one of our favorite National Parks we have ever visited. It is so photogenic even at high noon with full sun, but the real stunner is golden hour in this warm dreamy landscape. You can visit many of the park's best areas in one day, but I would recommend at least two if you have kids and want to see more. Visiting this beautiful park should be at the top of your list along with all the other attractions in the area.