What's on in Arches National Park, United States through the year

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Still on: Winter quiet (1 Dec – 28 Feb)

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Winter quiet (1 Dec – 28 Feb)

Peak crowds — Spring peak season, Easter Jeep Safari

• Season

  Spring peak season

  10 Mar – 31 MaySchool holidaysCrowdedBook early

  Spring break traffic starts in March and does not let up until June. Delicate Arch and the Windows fill their car parks before nine, and Moab beds are priced accordingly.

• Festival

  Easter Jeep Safari

  28 Mar – 5 AprMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  Nine days of trail runs out of Moab ending on Easter Sunday, and the town has nowhere left to sleep for any of it. The queue at the park entrance is worst on the middle weekend. Source ↗

Peak crowds — Spring peak season, Easter Jeep Safari

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Spring peak season (10 Mar – 31 May), Easter Jeep Safari (28 Mar – 5 Apr)

Busy — Spring peak season

• Rule

  Full car park road closures

  1 May – 31 OctClosuresBook early

  Timed entry was dropped for 2026, and instead rangers shut the roads to Delicate Arch, the Windows and Devils Garden for three to five hours when the car parks fill. Arriving before eight or after four is the whole strategy. Source ↗

Still on: Spring peak season (10 Mar – 31 May)

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Hazard

  Summer heat

  1 Jun – 31 AugExtreme heat

  There is no shade on the slickrock and no water past the visitor centre. Rangers pull people off the Delicate Arch trail every summer; walking before eight in the morning is the only sensible way to do it. Source ↗

Still on: Full car park road closures (1 May – 31 Oct)

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Hazard

  Monsoon flash floods

  15 Jul – 15 Sep · usuallyFlood seasonClosures

  Late summer storms send water down slots and washes that were dry an hour earlier, and the rain does not have to be overhead. The Fiery Furnace and the canyon routes are the ones that catch people. Source ↗

Still on: Full car park road closures (1 May – 31 Oct), Summer heat (1 Jun – 31 Aug)

Busy — Summer break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Full car park road closures (1 May – 31 Oct), Summer heat (1 Jun – 31 Aug), Monsoon flash floods (15 Jul – 15 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — Autumn walking window, Summer break in United States

• Season

  Autumn walking window

  15 Sep – 31 OctTrail seasonCrowded

  The heat breaks and the light gets long, which is why this is the second rush of the year. The cottonwoods along the Colorado turn yellow in late October and almost nobody photographs those instead of the arches.

Still on: Full car park road closures (1 May – 31 Oct), Monsoon flash floods (15 Jul – 15 Sep (usually))

Busy — Autumn walking window

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Full car park road closures (1 May – 31 Oct), Autumn walking window (15 Sep – 31 Oct)

Busy — Thanksgiving break in United States

Nothing new starts in November.

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Winter quiet

  1 Dec – 28 FebOff-season shutdown

  Half the Moab businesses close and you can have Delicate Arch to yourself on a weekday. Snow on red rock is the reason to come, and ice on the slickrock is the reason to bring spikes.