Meandering its way for 18 miles across a landscape dotted with striking red rock formations, the Scenic Drive in Arches National Park offers access to all of the park’s top attractions.
From the Visitor Center just off of Highway 191 to Devils Garden, motorists pass by numerous natural landmarks and some truly breathtaking views. Famous sights you can see along the way include several of the park’s iconic rock arches, as well as a number of other geological features.
The Arches Scenic Drive is the only paved road in Arches National Park—it’s the only way to access and see the park’s highlights.
So, in order to get you acquainted with this spectacular drive, I’ve listed the best views and viewpoints on the Arches Scenic Drive for you below.
These include many major attractions, including famed Delicate Arch, Double Arch, Balanced Rock, and Park Avenue, all of which are visible from the Arches Scenic Drive (or its spur roads).
See the map at the end of this post for a visual overview of these amazing views on the Arches National Park Scenic Drive.
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Contents
- 12 Best Views on the Arches Scenic Drive
- 1. Park Avenue Viewpoint
- 2. La Sal Mountains Viewpoint
- 3. Courthouse Towers Viewpoint
- 4. Petrified Dunes Viewpoint
- 5. Balanced Rock Viewpoint
- 6. Garden of Eden Viewpoint
- 7. Double Arch Viewpoint
- 8. The Windows Views
- 9. Panorama Point Viewing Area
- 10. Delicate Arch Viewpoints
- 11. Fiery Furnace Viewpoint
- 12. Landscape Arch View
- Map of the Best Views on the Arches National Park Scenic Drive
- More About Arches National Park
- More Scenic Views in the National Parks
12 Best Views on the Arches Scenic Drive
As soon as you enter Utah‘s Arches National Park on its Scenic Drive, you’ll find yourself in a magnificent landscape of rock pinnacles, walls, fins, and arches.
It’s a truly sensational drive, one of the greatest national park roads in the United States. Although it’s only 18 miles one way, you would need at least half a day to see its many attractions and views.
In fact, I’d recommend dedicating a full day to the Arches Scenic Drive. Even if you’re not planning on doing any long hikes in Arches National Park, there are enough views and sights to see to keep you busy for many hours.
NOTE: This post focuses on exploring Arches National Park by vehicle. It features all of the top attractions and the best views on the Arches Scenic Drive. Almost all of them are literally just off the road, while a few require a (very) brief and easy walk. If you’re interested in experiencing Arches on foot and seeing the more remote arches, check out this blog post about the best hikes in Arches National Park (which are also accessible from the Scenic Drive).
This overview of the best views on the Arches Scenic Drive is listed from south to north.
It’s the exact order that you’ll come across these viewpoints when driving the park road, including its spur roads to popular places like The Windows and Delicate Arch.
Again, see the map below for the locations of these Arches National Park viewpoints.
1. Park Avenue Viewpoint
The first awesome view you’ll find on the Arches Scenic Drive is Park Avenue, an overlook at the end of a short, paved and wheelchair-accessible walkway. This is one of my favorite views anywhere in Arches National Park.
Just a couple of miles from the Visitor Center, this viewpoint looks down into “a corridor of towering rock walls and curiously carved spires,” the National Park Service (NPS) says.
As you gaze down into this “boulevard of rock,” see if some of the formations remind you of something, or someone.
According to the NPS, “previous visitors named some of the rock features here ‘Queen Nefertiti,’ ‘Queen Victoria,’ and ‘Sausage Rock.’”
TIP: If you feel like a little hike, the Park Avenue Trail runs down and through the canyon toward Courthouse Towers. On this moderate 1.8-mile roundtrip hike, you’ll walk right underneath these fantastic rock formations.
2. La Sal Mountains Viewpoint
Just past Park Avenue awaits the superb La Sal Mountain Viewpoint. From this viewing area, you can see a collection of red sandstone features both within and outside of Arches National Park.
There’s a small parking lot with a paved sidewalk. The views are amazing here, extending to the towering La Sal Mountains, located beyond the park’s eastern boundary.
You can also see the striking Courthouse Towers, while both Balanced Rock and The Windows beckon far in the distance.
3. Courthouse Towers Viewpoint
The Courthouse Towers are a collection of four massive rock formations at the northern end of Park Avenue.
You can get there via the Park Avenue Trail, which connects the Park Avenue Viewpoint and Courthouse Towers Viewpoint. Conveniently, there’s also a scenic roadside viewpoint on the Arches Scenic Drive.
The four main “towers” are known as Sheep Rock, The Three Gossips, Tower of Babel, and The Organ.
A tiny arch called Baby Arch can be seen in the rock wall on the left of Sheep Rock, while an information panel tells the story of fallen arches in the area.
4. Petrified Dunes Viewpoint
Although perhaps less spectacular than other Arches Scenic Drive views, the Petrified Dunes Viewpoint is still a worthwhile stop when driving through Arches National Park.
From this roadside viewing area, you can look out across a collection of ancient sand dunes, which solidified into stone beneath subsequent covering layers.
Erosion re-exposed those “petrified” sand dunes, a remarkable feature in the Arches National Park landscape.
FUN FACT: Although they’re called petrified sand dunes, these ancient dunes aren’t petrified at all. Petrification is a process that turns organic material into a fossil. This happens when the original organic matter decays and is replaced by (often colorful) minerals. All living organisms, from bacteria to trees to mammals, can become petrified—a great example is the petrified wood in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona—but inorganic sand cannot, technically.
5. Balanced Rock Viewpoint
In the heart of the national park stands one of its most famous and extraordinary features, Balanced Rock.
This imposing rock formation towers 128 feet above the ground and is easily visible from the Arches Scenic Drive. You can see it from the roadside viewpoint or hike a short trail that loops around it.
Despite its name indicating otherwise, Balanced Rock is “actually not balanced at all,” the National Park Service says.
The top boulder is made of Entrada Sandstone, while its enormous pedestal is part of the Carmel Formation, which is more susceptible to erosion. “The exposure of these two rock strata layers are ideal for the formation of arches and balanced rocks,” according to the NPS.
As awe-inspiring as this iconic formation is, it won’t be around forever. As erosion continues, this massive 3,600 ton boulder will inevitably fall down.
A great example of this was the collapse of Balanced Rock’s smaller twin, which was known as “Chip Off the Old Block,” in 1975-76.
6. Garden of Eden Viewpoint
An underrated and often-overlooked area on the spur road toward The Windows, the Garden of Eden is arguably one of the most scenic views in Arches National Park.
From the roadside viewing area, you can gaze out across a marvelous geological wonderland.
This collection of sandstone spires and walls might not have many arches yet, but that’s just a matter of time. Erosion will create several new arches here in the (distant) future.
From the Garden of Eden Viewpoint, you can clearly see The Windows Section in the distance, with the striking La Sal Mountains providing a perfect backdrop.
I particularly love the Garden of Eden at sunset. When the sun’s low angle casts shadows across the desert landscape, the light also paints the rock formations in vibrant orange colors. It’s nothing short of spectacular.
7. Double Arch Viewpoint
One of the most popular and well-known landmarks in the park, Double Arch is located in The Windows Section, “which is considered by some to be the beating heart of Arches National Park,” according to the Park Service.
As its name suggests, this imposing formation consists of two adjoining arch spans, together making up the second-longest (144 feet) and the tallest (112 feet) arch in Arches National Park.
You can see Double Arch from the parking area at The Windows. I do, however, highly recommend walking the short path up to—and even into—Double Arch for a humbling up-close view.
8. The Windows Views
North Window
The North Window is yet another famous feature in the popular Windows Section.
This huge arch is visible from the parking area, but an easy trail and gentle stairway lead to its opening, inviting you to look through this rock “window.”
South Window
The Windows Trail, a fantastic 1-mile loop, continues past North Window toward its twin, South Window.
Both North and South Window are part of the same sandstone fin. When seen from a distance, they resemble a pair of glasses, which has resulted in their nickname “the spectacles.”
The best views of South Window are from the trail, but you can also walk up to it for a closer view of and through the arch.
Turret Arch
When walking the Windows Trail, don’t miss Turret Arch. This beautiful arch is the fourth major formation in The Windows Section besides Double Arch and the two Windows.
Situated a short distance from the North and South Windows fin, this separate—and equally impressive—formation is also visible and accessible from the short loop trail.
9. Panorama Point Viewing Area
The aptly named Panorama Point Viewing Area provides one of the greatest views on the Arches Scenic Drive, hands down.
Situated on a small hill in the middle of the park, this viewpoint does, indeed, offer a stunning panoramic view.
The best views are to the north, where you can clearly see the Fiery Furnace, the La Sal Mountains and even parts of Devils Garden far in the distance.
Additionally, the National Park Service also highlights Panorama Point as “an excellent place to stargaze and take in the night sky.”
10. Delicate Arch Viewpoints
A symbol of Utah and one of the world’s most famous geological formations, Delicate Arch is arguably the top attraction in Arches National Park. Its giant opening of 46 feet high and 32 feet wide makes it the largest free-standing arch in the park.
You can see this magnificent arch from two viewpoints. Both are accessible via a trail that starts at the end of a spur road off of Arches Scenic Drive.
The Lower Delicate Arch Viewpoint is down a flat 100-foot trail. This is by far the easiest way to see iconic Delicate Arch, but note that this viewpoint is about a mile away from the arch.
The Upper Delicate Arch Viewpoint is also reached via a short trail, 0.25 miles one way. This is a moderate hike to a viewpoint that offers an unobstructed view of the arch on the other side of a canyon.
TIP: You cannot get to Delicate Arch from these two viewpoint trails. If you’d like to see Delicate Arch up-close, you can hike the Delicate Arch Trail, a 3-mile roundtrip hike that involve a steady 480-foot ascent. This trail starts from Wolfe Ranch, about halfway down the spur road to the viewpoint trails, and passes by a fascinating wall of Ute Indian petroglyphs.
11. Fiery Furnace Viewpoint
Along the northern section of the Arches Scenic Drive lies an extraordinary area of massive sandstone walls and narrow natural passageways.
Called the Fiery Furnace, this “natural labyrinth” can be seen from a scenic overlook.
This view in Arches National Park is especially striking at sunset, “when low-angle light makes the rock faces glow like a wood-fired furnace,” the park says on its website.
While the view is amazing as it is, it’s also possible to enter and explore the Fiery Furnace. However, this is an actual maze of stone, though, and there are numerous possible routes, as well as countless dead-ends. Getting lost is a very real possibility here.
Therefore, entering the Fiery Furnace is only possible on a ranger-guided hike or with a self-guided exploration permit, the latter of which requires watching an educational video and listening to an orientation talk.
12. Landscape Arch View
Although Landscape Arch is not actually on the Arches Scenic Drive, it is the ultimate destination in the national park.
With a span of 306 feet, this is the longest rock arch in North America. As long as it is, it’s also quite narrow—its narrowest diameter is merely 6 feet. This makes Landscape Arch, which may collapse in the (near) future, a must-see attraction in Arches National Park.
You can get to the Landscape Arch overlook via a trail that starts at the large Devils Garden parking lot, the northern end of the Arches Scenic Drive.
A relatively flat gravel trail, it’s only 1.9 miles roundtrip to Landscape Arch and back. On the way, you can walk two very short spur trails to Tunnel Arch and Pine Tree Arch as well.
TIP: If you really want to immerse yourself in the spectacular wilderness of Arches National Park, there’s no better hike than the strenuous Double O Arch and Primitive Trail Loop. This 7.9-mile loop hike takes you to no fewer than seven beautiful arches, including Landscape Arch, as well as the awesome Dark Angel formation.
Map of the Best Views on the Arches National Park Scenic Drive
This map shows the locations of the amazing views on the Arches National Park Scenic Drive described above. As you can see, exploring Arches National Park is pretty straightforward.
Almost all main attractions and viewpoints are just on the side of the road, while some are accessible via roadside trailheads.
More About Arches National Park
- Park Website
- Travel Guide
- Topographic Map
- Best Arches National Park Hikes
- Most Beautiful Arches in Arches National Park
- Top Things To Do in Arches National Park
- Accommodation