How to Hike the Landscape Arch Trail in Arches National Park

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The Landscape Arch is one of the most iconic landforms in Arches National Park, meaning the trail leading to the arch is incredibly popular. Spanning 306 feet, the Landscape Arch is the longest natural arch in the world.

Travelers can’t simply poke their heads out of their car to view the arch though. You’ll have to leave your wheels behind and hike down the trail.

If you fancy a short, easy hike to one of the most impressive arches in the park, then this hike to Landscape Arch is for you.

If you have more days in the park, be sure to plan a hike to Delicate Arch too.

Don’t leave home without your own: Lonely Planet USA’s National Parks (Travel Guide)


The Landscape Arch Hike in Arches NP


Landscape Arch Trail Map & Location

HOW TO USE THIS MAP: Above you’ll find a map of our highlights for hiking to the Landscape Arch in Arches National Park. Click on the top left of the map to find separate layers marking the route and points of interest. You can hide and show different layers, or click icons on the map to see the names of places we mention in this travel guide. “Star” the map to save it to your own Google Maps, or open the map in a new window for a larger version.

Visitors will find the trailhead to the Landscape Arch hike about 35 minutes away from the Arches National Park Visitor Center located at the park entrance.

If you’re coming from Moab, the visitor center is located just 10 minutes outside of town. Once in the park, simply make your way along the Arches Scenic Drive.

The trailhead is situated at the end of the main road in the Devils Garden parking area. There is also the Devils Garden campground which is a great option for travelers looking to beat the tourists to the trail.

Know Before Hiking to Landscape Arch

Landscape Arch in Arches National Park photographed in the summertime.
The lower viewpoint of the Landscape Arch

The Landscape Arch hike is considered one of the best hikes in Arches National Park. Although the hike is considered easy, there are still some things you need to know before you hit the trail. Being an easy hike, you won’t have to worry about straining yourself too much on the trail.

General Overview of the Landscape Arch Hike:

  • Length: 1.6 miles out and back
  • Hike Time: 1 hour
  • Elevation Gain: None
  • Difficulty: Easy

The Landscape Arch is located along a longer loop trail known as the Devils Garden Trail. For travelers short on time, or unable to complete the entire loop, hiking to the Landscape Arch is still a great adventure in itself. 

For backpackers looking for extra adventure, the Devils Garden Trail has tons of breathtaking sights located along the main trail. When combined with the primitive loop trail, it is a total of 7.8 miles and will take around 4-5 hours to complete

Want to get off the normal tourist path? We suggest joining a Hell’s Revenge UTV 4×4 adventure.

Do you have a good pair of hiking socks? Find the best pair of hiking socks for your adventure.

Who Should Hike the Landscape Arch Trail?

Lina Stock of Divergent Travelers Adventure Travel Blog hiking to the Landscape Arch with a stay on the trails sing.
This is something you should do no matter where you are hiking

One of the great things about the Landscape Arch Trail is that it can be hiked by just about anyone! As one of the few easy trails in the park, this trip can easily be done by seniors in good shape and families alike.

While it’s rated easy, you shouldn’t underestimate the hike. During the summer months, the temperature can be well over 100 degrees. With little shade in the desert, those prone to heat sickness may want to rethink the hike or reschedule their trip.

Additionally, there are sections of the trail that have deep, loose sand. This can make walking difficult for some people.

If you don’t like crowds, you’ll want to start in the early morning and avoid peak season. Otherwise, be prepared to be hiking with hundreds of other people.

Another epic hike near Arches National Park is the mini Narrows, which are just like the famous Narrows in Zion National Park but in the Moab area. Book your Moab’s Best Kept Secret: Mini Narrows Cool Summer Hike today.

A good hiking poles is a must! Here are our tips for finding the Best Hiking Poles: Top 5 + How to Choose the Right Ones

Best Time To Visit & When To Go

Lina Stock of Divergent Travelers Adventure Travel Blog standing below getting her award winning photos of the Landscape Arch.
This is as close as you can get to the Landscape Arch

Summer lasts in Arches National Park from June to August. Since school is out, these months are considered the peak season for the park and have the most crowds.

During the summer you’ll also have to deal with temperatures reaching over 100, which can be too much to handle for the average traveler.

On the other hand, winter sees hardly any travelers at all. Lasting from November to March, visitors will be able to have the trails to themselves in temperatures only bottoming out at around 30 degrees.

The only downside is that the snow and ice make traveling the roads and trails difficult, so be sure to keep up with the most up-to-date information on closures.

The best time of the year to hike to the Landscape Arch is from April to May or from September to October. We visited in October.

During the spring and fall, you’ll have both fewer people and cooler temperatures. With all of the park ranger services also available during this time, there is no better time to visit Arches National Park.

This area is amazing out of this world! Take your trip from amazing to epic on this Canyonlands & Arches National Park Airplane Tour.

Everyone needs a good hiking day pack. Here’s our advice on how to choose the best hiking daypack.

What To Bring on the Hike

Lina Stock of Divergent Travelers Adventure Travel Blog hiking the Landscape Arch trail.
The Landscape Arch trail is mostly sand

The Landscape Arch Trail is easy enough for hikers of all experience levels and ages to conquer, but that doesn’t mean you can simply hop out of the car and start making your way down the path.

The biggest challenge hikers will face is the heat. Being in the desert, there is little shade and, during the summer months, the temperatures rise to over 100 degrees.

If you visit during the winter or plan to continue along the trail, you’ll want to be sure to bring proper hiking boots and maybe even hiking poles to maintain your balance.

Our Recommended Essentials List for the Landscape Arch Hike:

  • Day pack to carry snacks, water & camera gear
  • Water bottles or water bladder
  • Minimum of 2 liters of water per person
  • High energy snacks like trail mix or Clif bars
  • Hat & sunglasses
  • Sunblock
  • Long sleeve sunshirt (we love these!)
  • Shoes with good tread (Chacos, trail runners or hiking shoes)
  • Blister kit – at least some moleskin or tape for hot spots
  • Headlamp & layers if hiking for sunset or sunrise
  • GPS Device – if you hike the Devils Garden loop

Looking for more advice on what to pack for hiking? Have a look at 40 Hiking Essentials: The Ultimate Hiking Packing List.


What to Expect on the Landscape Arch Trail


Devil’s Garden Trailhead & Parking Lot

The start of the Landscaped Arch trail in Arches National Park.
The beginning of the Landscape Arch hiking trail.


The first stop on your journey is the Devils Garden Trailhead. Located roughly 18 miles from the Arches Visitor Center, the parking lot for the hike is located towards the end of the Arches Scenic Drive.

During the summer months be sure to arrive early, the parking lot is known to fill up.

At the trailhead, travelers will find restrooms and water stations. The on-site campground is first come first serve but is a great option for hikers looking to beat the crowds to the trail. 

There’s so much that goes into planning a trip to Arches National Park or any of the amazing National Parks in the USA. Here’s a step-by-step guide where we give our insiders tips on how to plan a trip.

Tunnel & Pine Tree Arches

Landscape Arch trail map in Arches National park.
This map highlights the entire Devils Garden Trail and arches


The first part of the trail is hard-packed and well-groomed. This makes it easy to follow and impossible to get lost. About 10 minutes into your hike, you’ll have an option to take a spur trail to the right.

This trail is a 0.5 mile out and back that offers you a short side trip to see Pine Tree and Tunnel Arches. This detour will add around 15 minutes to your hike time.

Tunnel Arch is seen from a distance, while Pine Tree Arch can be approached all the way to the base. Both are worth taking the short spur trail to see.

The only real challenge for hikers is hiking back up the hill to the main Landscape Arch Trail.

For those looking for a true adventure besides this top hike in Arches National Park. We suggest taking on the Colorado River and joining the Fisher Towers Half-Day Rafting Day Trip from Moab.

How many of the best hikes in the USA have you hiked? Best Hikes in the USA: 15 Stunning Trails You Cannot Miss

Landscape Arch

The Landscape Arch in Arches National Park.
The iconic view of Landscape Arch in Arches National Park


From the fork in the trail, the Landscape Arch is only about 35 minutes away. While on your hike, you’ll pass through gorges, tall orange mesas, and a mesmerizing desert landscape.

As you start approaching the end of the trail, you’ll find a series of stairs leading towards another split in the road. The left will take you to the Landscape Arch fenced viewpoint area, while the right leads to the longer Primitive Trail.

After descending the steps it is only 0.25 miles to the Landscape Arch Viewpoint. The old Landscape Arch trail would take you to the base of the arch. Unfortunately, visitors can no longer hike to the underside of the arch due to how delicate it is.

In just 1991 parts of the Landscape Arch came crashing down on travelers. Scientists expect the arch to come tumbling down at any time, which is what caused the park service to restrict access to the base of the arch.

Today the thinnest section of Landscape Arch is only 6 feet wide! It looks like a thin ribbon of rock hanging between two rock formations.

Once you’ve snapped your photos and admired this massive arch, you’ll retrace your steps back to the parking lot.

Continuing on the Devils Garden Trail

David Stock standing under the Navajo Arch in Arches National Park in Utah
David standing under the Navajo Arch on the Devils Garden Trail

Or you can continue along the longer Devils Garden Trail to see more of the park. Please note that after the Landscape Arch, the loop becomes much more difficult but is the perfect challenge for seasoned adventurers.

This trail is a total of 7.8 miles if you take all of the side trails, involves a decent amount of elevation gain, requires rock scrambling and hiking on steep narrow rock surfaces.

But it’s totally worth it if you’re up for the adventure. The highlights of the trail include the Sandstone Fins, Black Arch, Fin Canyon trail, Navajo Arch, Partition Arch, Double O Arch, Dark Angel, Private Arch, and the Primitive Trail.

This is a popular hike but you’ll find that the crowds thin out considerably once you continue on past Landscape Arch.

If you want to take it on, be sure to check out our detailed overview of the Devils Garden Trail here.

Here’s what we use to capture all of the photos in this blog post.

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About Lina Stock

Lina is an award-winning photographer and writer that has been exploring the world since 2001. She has traveled to 100 countries on all 7 continents. Member: SATW, NATJA, ATTA, ITWA



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