The Ultimate Guide to Arches National Park with Kids: Things to Do + Map and Tips
We recently returned from a family trip to Arches National Park and it was an absolute dream. I’ve been to Arches numerous times throughout my life and it’s literally one of my favorite places in the world.
This is our first time visiting Arches National Park with kids (ages almost 6, almost 3, and 5 months) and it lived up to all of my fun adventurous family dreams.
You’ll notice jackets in many of our pictures because took advantage of off-season hotel prices over New Years. It was worth the chillier weather to avoid the heat, crowds, and steep peak season pricing.
This guide is to help you know what our favorite things are to do in Arches National Park with kids. Plus I’ll include the itinerary we followed and tips to help make your time in/around Arches amazing.
*There are affiliate links in this post. Read my privacy/disclosure policy to learn more.
✨ OUR ARCHES NATIONAL PARK FAVORITES ✨
WHERE WE STAYED:
😍 WORLDMARK MOAB: We loved our stay here!One-bedroom apartment style accomodations,free breakfast AND a beautiful heated pool and hot tub that you can even use in the dead of winter!
EXCURSIONS TO BOOK:
🛻 Adventurous Off-Road Jeep Adventure: Discover another side of Moab on this thrilling (yet safe) off-roading Jeep experience! Crazy good reviews!
🏎️ Hell's Revenge U-Drive 4x4 Tour + Petroglyphs: Be your own driver in a 4x4 guided by a professional navigating the adventurous Hell's Revenge landscape!
🚲 2-Hour Ebike Petroglyph Tour: Take an easy Ebike ride through a beautiful canyon visiting several ancient sites and petroglyph panels along the way.
✨ Sightseeing Tour of Arches National Park with Easy Walks: Want to see Arches without any long hikes? This is the perfect driving tour of Arches with only viewpoint and easy walks!
OUR OTHER TRAVEL FAVORITES:
📸 Tours/Excursions: Viator & Get Your Guide
🚕 Airport Transfers with Car Seats: Welcome Pickups
👉 Travel Strollers: Zoe Traveler & Zoe Double
🍼 Baby Carriers: Tula Carriers, Wildride Hip Carriers
📱 International Data Phone eSIM: Airalo
🚗 Cheap Rental Cars: Economy Bookings
🏠 Accomodations: Booking, Expedia, VRBO, Airbnb
🌎 Travel Insurance: World Nomads
We receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using the above link. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
Is Arches National Park Family-Friendly?
Yes, yes, yes! Arches National Park is extremely family-friendly. The nature of the terrain lends itself to play. Our kids loved climbing on rocks, racing through the desert, and spotting cacti.
There are so many short, doable hikes in Arches that you don’t really miss out on much (if any) if you visit as a family.
The shortest hike we did was 0.4 miles to Sandune Arch and the most difficult was the 3-mile roundtrip hike to Delicate Arch with everything in between.
With a good attitude, snacks, and encouraging play on your hikes you can do it too!
Compared to other national parks, there’s very little driving within Arches. The distance from the visitor center to the furthest point in the park is only about 30 minutes.
Not only is the park amazing, but Moab (the town just outside of Arches) has some equally amazing things for kids! I get into all of that below.
When to visit Arches as a Family
It may be easier to talk about when NOT to visit Arches National Park with kids. By all means, avoid the hottest summer months of June, July, August, and September. Temperatures regularly hit 100° F with little to no shade which is absolutely miserable.
If you think it’s difficult to encourage your kids to hike in perfect weather, it only gets more difficult, exhausting, and dangerous in the heat.
Not only is it extremely hot in the summer, but it’s also the busiest time of year which makes for super long queues to enter the park, crowded trails, full parking lots, and pricey accommodations.
We visited over New Years on our most recent trip and got a killer deal on our apartment-style hotel Worldmark Moab. We did have to wear jackets and beanies (especially in the mornings in the shade) but the sun was out and we all still had a blast.
One downside is that a few of the stores/restaurants in Moab were closed for the season but there were still plenty open.
My favorite months to visit for the most moderate temperatures are March/April and October/November. No matter the time of year you visit, it’s always a blast for the kids to have a heated outdoor pool to come back to after a day of adventuring.
We loved our heated pool at Worldmark Moab. Not all hotels/Airbnbs have heated ones, so this was a great find! For some reason, you can’t book on their own website, but you can on hotels.com.
Where to Stay in Arches with Kids
There are many great options for lodging near Arches National Park depending on the type of experience you want.
On our most recent trip, we stayed at Worldmark Moab which has spacious apartment-style hotel rooms with a full kitchen and living room PLUS free breakfast. It was really great.
We usually choose to stay in an Airbnb with kids, but the Worldmark in Moab checked all of the boxes we have plus some! We were able to easily prepare lunches for our hikes and cook dinner if we wanted.
It also included a free continental breakfast so we didn’t have to worry about prepping breakfast.
Our kids’ favorite part (by far) of the Worldmark Moab was the outdoor HEATED pool and my favorite part was the hot tub connected to the pool. We were visiting in the off-season so it was super cold at night so a heated pool was necessary.
You’ll want to check that the pool is heated wherever you stay because not all of them are. Since it’s the desert it can also get chilly in the evenings in spring/fall so a heated pool is good to have.
They also played on the playground on the resort grounds and there’s even a game room you can use.
Lodging can be expensive in Moab during the spring and fall, but if you’re flexible with your dates you can find some great deals. For some reason, you can’t book directly on the Worldmark’s website, but you can here on hotels.com.
If you want to go camping, Arches National Park has just one campground within the park: Devil’s Garden Campground.
Campsites can be reserved for stays from March 1 to October 31. The earliest you can make reservations for standard sites is 10 am Eastern time, six months in advance (and they fill up FAST so you’ll want to get on the same day that booking is available).
There are also many campsites outside of Arches National Park in beautiful areas, which you can see on the BLM website.
Map of Things to See in Arches National Park with Young Kids (and the surrounding area)
*Use this interactive map to see the best things to see in (and around) Arches for families. Click on the full-screen icon in the top right corner to have this map open in your own Google Maps app or click on the arrow in the top left corner to see a pullout list of all points on the map*
9 Family-Friendly Things to Do in Arches National Park
1. Pick up a Junior Ranger Guide from the Visitor Center
The Junior Ranger Program is such a fun program run by the National Park System. On your way into the park, stop by the visitor center and ask the rangers for the Junior Range Guide Books to complete while you’re out and about.
Once you’ve completed the amount of pages needed per age, head back to the visitor center, give it to a ranger and they’ll do a cute Junior Ranger pledge with the kids and give them an Arches National Park Junior Ranger badge.
Our kids were so excited about getting the badge and the book gave them something fun to work on while we picnicked.
The visitor center also has a great educational area, a short film about Arches, and a 10/10 gift shop.
2. Play in the sand under Sandune Arch
Length: 0.4 miles roundtrip. We hiked to Sandune Arch and Broken Arch in the same hike totaling about 1.5 miles.
Difficulty: Easy
The time it took us: We did this and Broken Arch at the same time which took about 1 hour and 45 minutes (with lots of playing)
Toilets?: Yes
Sandune Arch is by far my favorite easy hike for kids in Arches. It’s only 0.4 miles roundtrip and right near the beginning is a fun slot through the rocks that has an option for scrambling that the kids loved.
The Arch sits atop a large area of sand and is surrounded by perfect rocks for climbing and playing.
Our kids loved the short walk to Sandune Arch and I highly recommend it.
Since it’s such a short walk, we decided to add on a 1-mile roundtrip walk to Broken Arch from the Sandune Arch Trail and I’m glad we did! I talk more about that below.
Read More: 7 Kid-Friendly Hikes In Arches National Park Your Kids Will Love
3. CLimb under and through Broken Arch
Length: 1-mile roundtrip from the Sandune Arch parking lot if you hike out and back to the arch. We hiked to Sandune Arch and Broken Arch in the same walk totaling about 1.5 miles.
Difficulty: Easy
The time it took us: We did this and Sandune Arch at the same time which took about 1 hour and 45 minutes (with lots of playing)
Toilets?: Yes
Broken Arch is the perfect add-on to Sandune Arch for a bit of a longer (but still easy hike). The first part of it went through a flat grassy area that required some follow-the-leader type play to keep the kids engaged.
However, as we got closer to the arch they had fun scampering on the rocks and loved climbing under and through the arch.
The trail continues under the arch and does a large loop through the neighboring campground. However, we only explored it for a short time and then walked back the same way we came to keep the hike short for the kids (1 mile).
I recommend climbing under and through the arch though as the views on the other side are very pretty.
4. Hike all of the way to Delicate Arch
Length: 3 miles roundtrip
Difficulty: Difficult (but doable)
The time it took us: 3 hours (including a lunch break at the arch)
Toilets?: Yes
Okay, Delicate Arch is a 3-mile roundtrip hike technically rated as ‘difficult’ on the Arches National Park website, however, our almost 6-year-old hiked the entire trail and our almost 3-year-old hiked an astounding 90%.
Delicate Arch is the most iconic and epic arch at Arches National Park and it’s sooo worth the hike to see it. You hike on gorgeous red rock slabs for most of the hike and it’s such a unique experience.
We carried our baby and also have a soft, back carrier for our 3-year-old (which we didn’t use but have absolutely relied on for other hikes).
If you do want to hike to Delicate Arch as a family, you’ll want to have a good, adventurous attitude, plenty of food/snacks/water, and avoid hot days.
We let the kids climb and be playful along the trail and run, walk, and take breaks whenever needed (and may have had a little bit of bribing passing out M&Ms at the very end).
There are some decent hills, but one of the hills is a large slab of red rock that was fun to climb. The entire trail feels very safe except for the very end which has a brief section with a drop-off (but the trail is wide enough to hug the side while holding littles hands).
The area around the arch is a pretty steep bowl that I only recommend going down in if you’re confident in your kids’ abilities.
The whole hike took us about 3 hours which included a picnic break at the arch.
At the beginning of the Delicate Arch Trail you’ll pass the Wolfe Ranch Cabin which is a one-bedroom home from about 1900 and rock art from the Ute people created after 1600.
If this sounds like too much, there’s a viewpoint for the Delicate Arch with a very short walk. However, the arch is pretty far away and it’s a bit difficult to appreciate. However, that may be a better option for some.
5. Hike through Park Avenue
Length: The trail leads for 1 mile from the Park Avenue parking lot to the Courthouse Towers parking lot. If you have two cars with your party, you can park one at each parking lot and walk from the Park Avenue parking Lot to the Courthouse Towers parking lot. However, if you don’t have two cars (like most people) it would be a 2-mile roundtrip hike.
Difficulty: Easy
The time it took us: 45 minutes to play and walk the 1-mile from parking lot to parking lot
Toilets?: Yes
The Park Avenue Trail is a nice, quiet trail leading through large rock cliffs. It’s called Park Avenue because of the feeling that you may have of walking down a city street lined with skyscrapers.
There is a short paved walkway leading to a viewpoint of Park Avenue. However, to really experience the area, I recommend continuing past the viewpoint on the hike.
As I mentioned in the description of this hike, there are a few different ways to do it tackle it because the trail connects two parking lots: the Park Avenue parking lot and the Courthouse Towers parking lot.
Between those two lots, the trail distance is 1 mile. If you happen to have two cars with your party, you can park one at each parking lot and walk from the Park Avenue parking Lot to the Courthouse Towers parking lot to just make the hike 1 mile long.
However, if you don’t have two cars (like most people) it’s a 2-mile roundtrip hike.
If you don’t want to walk the full 2 miles with your kids, I recommend parking at the Courthouse Towers parking lot rather than the Park Avenue lot and head up the trail that direction then turn around whenever you’d like.
This part of the trail has some of the best landscape for scampering and it will also save you from the stairs near the Park Avenue lot.
6. Take the short walk to Double Arch
Length: 0.6 miles round trip
Difficulty: Easy
The time it took us: 30 minutes
Toilets?: Yes
Double Arch is the tallest and second-longest arch within the park which gives you a lot of bang for the buck since it’s such a short walk.
You can see Double Arch from the parking lot, but if you take the short walk you can climb up and underneath it which was fun for the kids.
From the same large parking lot you can also take an easy 1-mile to see North Window, South Window, and Turret Arch. We didn’t have time for this, but it’s a great thing to add on if you are in this area.
7. Have a picnic at Devil’s Garden Picnic Area
Our go-to picnic area in Arches National Park is the Devil’s Garden Picnic Area. There are multiple picnic tables, including shaded ones, surrounded by red rocks.
We hiked to Sandune Arch and Broken Arch, followed by a picnic lunch here, which is perfect because it’s only about a 3-minute drive down the road.
While we picnicked, our kids worked on their Junior Ranger Guide Books.
This worked perfectly because we had already experienced some things in the park and were able to sit down and work on the book instead of bringing the book with us on a hike (which was a bit trickier).
8. See Native American Petroglyphs
If you’re kids really want to see some Native American rock art, you can find some in Arches. Right near the beginning of the Delicate Arch Trail is a small panel of rock art thought to be from sometime after 1600.
There are signs directing you to the rock art right off the main trail at the beginning so it’s a short walk and easy to find.
It’s not a very large panel, however, there are other rock art areas around Moab you can look into for more options.
9. Take a Stroller to Balanced Rock
If you’re itching to take your stroller on a trail, then the short walk to Balanced Rock is a good option. The beginning part of the trail is paved, however, the loop around Balanced Rock has steps and rocky surfaces.
Park Rangers recommend this parking lot and the area around Balanced Rock as a great place for stargazing and nighttime photography.
Read More: 7 Kid-Friendly Hikes In Arches National Park Your Kids Will Love
5 Additional Fun things to do with Kids Around Arches National Park
1. Buy Dinosaur Fossils at Moab Rock Shop
There are two stores we always visit when we’re in Moab and the Moab Rock Shop is one of them. The Moab Rock Shop is an absolutely quintessential American Southwest experience that our kids love.
The Rock Shop is over 50 years old and was created by Lin Ottinger, a man now in his 90s, who is known for his explorations, fossil hunting, and geological finds in the Moab area.
In the store you’ll find fossilized dinosaur eggs, massive dinosaur femurs, beautiful crystals, gems, and jewelry from all over Utah and the world- it’s so quirky and amazing.
Our kids loved using some of their money to pick out beautiful rocks to store in a small leather side bag they purchased.
A highlight was one of the shop employees helping the kids pick out geodes and cracking them open for us. (He said the trick was to weigh them against each other to find the lightest geode because that will have better chances of having a hollow center with unique crystals rather than a flat, solid center.)
We visited the Rock Shop after a day of hiking in the park and it was the perfect activity for our kids to look forward to. It’s just a short drive from the entrance of Arches National Park making it super easy to do.
The store is generally open from 9 am- 7 pm seven days a week but you can check their hours on their website here.
2. Design Your own T-shirt at the Moab T-Shirt Shop
The second shop we always stop in when we’re visiting Moab is The T-Shirt Shop. The T-shirt Shop is the original T-shirt shop in town that has been in business for over 40 years.
The store is full of plain t-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, etc on the floor but the walls are absolutely covered in hundreds of original designs from local artists that you can choose from to have printed onto your shirt.
Many of the designs give amazing vintage vibes from the early 80s and have been on display since I was a child. However, they are always adding newer designs as well.
You pick the shirt, design, and ink color you want for an amazingly unique finished product. You even get to watch them make it right in front of you!
I unfortunately don’t have pictures to share as it was closed on our most recent trip to Moab (total bummer) but just trust me on this one and go. It’s a must-visit.
Their website isn’t very helpful, but you can check it out here. They close seasonally for a couple of months in the winter but otherwise have good opening hours.
3. STroll through Lifesize Dinos at Moab Giants
If your kids love dinosaurs, then they may really enjoy visiting Moab Giants. At Moab Giants, you can get face to face with the dinosaurs that roamed the Moab area on a fun outdoor dinosaur trail plus inside at their 5D prehistoric aquarium!
This has got to be one of the most beautiful settings for a dinosaur park in the world (I’ve been to my share of them).
Not only do they have the trail and aquarium but they also have a dinosaur playground, dig-it out play areas, an interactive dinosaur tracks museum, a theater and more!
4. Boating on the Colorado River (family-friendly style)
The Colorado River winds its way through the stunning red rock cliffs of Moab and one of the best ways to enjoy it is from the water.
When you think of river trips, you may think of big, intense rapids (which is an option).
However, the Colorado River has so many different sections that a variety of amazing experiences are available with some even suitable for the youngest of kids, like this cowboy-style dinner followed by a calm, nighttime cruise of the Colorado River with a light show on the red rock cliffs depicting the canyon’s creation (how amazing does that sound??).
And if you have older kids, they may enjoy this ‘Not-Too-Extreme’ Whitewater Rafting Experience with moderately small rapids.
If you want to search for available water experiences on the Colorado River (with reviews) you can find them on Viator here or Get Your Guide here.
5. See Dinosaur Tracks at the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Track site
Another great way to experience the dinosaurs while in Moab is to see real dinosaur tracks in the red rock! The Mill Canyon Dinosaur Track Site is one of the largest and most diverse dinosaur track sites in the world.
There is a short, easy 1/4 mile trail composed of marked paths and boardwalks that form a loop around the tracks.
Over 200 tracks have been discovered here including both herbivorous dinosaurs and carnivorous dinosaurs. This is an easy must-visit place if your kids love dinosaurs.
Yummy Places to Eat Near Arches with Kids
1. Milts Stop & Eat
Milts is a quintessential burger and shake shop in Moab that has been in business for over 70 years (the oldest restaurant in town!). It may not look like much from the outside, but that’s one of the things that makes it so great.
Much of Milt’s remains the same as it did in 1954 which makes you feel like you are stepping back in time to the days of drive-ins. It’s amazing.
They serve delicious burgers, shakes, and fries with plenty of specialty burgers and sandwiches to choose from. It’s mouthwatering good and really can’t be missed.
My favorite part is the walk-up ordering window and the shady eating area outside. There are even a few toys for kids!
2. Moab Food Truck Park
The Moab Food Truck Park is the perfect place for families to eat with 10+ yummy food trucks and a fun atmosphere.
There’s everything from smoothies to tacos and paninis to pasta which makes it easy to find delicious food for everyone in your family.
Each truck is individually owned and sets its own hours, but in general, the food trucks are open from 11 am -9 pm depending on the season.
Unique Experiences to Book in Arches NP with Kids:
- Private Guided Hike in Arches National Park: Perfect to learn more about the area as you hike or great for families new to hiking
- Family-Friendly 4×4 Off-Roading Experience in Moab: Defy gravity as a family on this adventurous but family-friendly extreme off-road tour!
- Calm Sunset Colorado River Boat Tour: An amazing way to get on the river in a calm, relaxing way. You can even get a delicious BBQ dinner afterward!
- Nighttime Cruise of the Colorado River with Music and Light Show on the Cliffs: A very unique cruise down the river with projections on the red rocks depicting the creation of the canyon. You can top the night off with a cowboy dinner!
- Not-Too-Extreme Whitewater Rafting Experience: Perfect for adventurous families with older kids looking for a fun but not-too-extreme adventure through relatively small rapids on the Colorado River
- Zipline Adventure in Moab: See the beautiful red rock around Arches from the sky. Great for older kids!
- Private Off-Road Petroglyph Tour: A beautiful scenic off-road ride to petroglyphs- perfect for families with young kids
Our 3-Day Arches National Park Itinerary With Kids
Day 1: Visitor Center for Junior Ranger Guides, Hike to Sandune Arch/Broken Arch (1.5 miles roundtrip), Picnic @ Devil’s Garden Picnic Area, Moab Rock Shop, burgers and shakes from Milt’s in Moab, Swim @ hotel
Day 2: Hike to Delicate Arch ( 3 miles roundtrip), Design T-shirts at The T-Shirt Shop, Dinner from Moab Food Truck Park*, Swim @ hotel
Day 3: Hike Park Avenue (1 mile from parking lot to parking lot or 2 miles back to the same parking lot), Double Arch
*Most of the Moab Food Truck Park was closed for the season while we were there but that’s where we would have eaten if it was available*
Extra Tips for visiting Arches National Park with toddlers & Babies:
- Remember to bring so much water for everyone in the family. The National Park Service recommends 1-2 gallons of water per person, per day. We like to have water bottles for each of us on hand with a few gallons from the grocery store in the back of the car for refilling. Within the park you can get water year-round at Arches Visitor Center and Devils Garden Campground, and seasonally at Devils Garden Trailhead.
- Make hikes fun for the kids, not a chore. We don’t even refer to our hikes as hikes, we call them adventures (it’s all in the presentation 😜). We let our kids climb on all the rocks they want to climb on and we try our best not to hurry them along. You can hunt for certain plants, have races to the next boulder, or play follow the leader on a particularly boring stretch of trail. We recently bought our toddler a small digital camera so she can have fun taking pictures on hikes.
- Take it at your kids’ pace-not yours. Everyone will be happier if you relax and take it at your kids’ pace. This isn’t a race to see the most things! It’s a time to make fun memories as a family. Many times, if our kids have an idea and we listen to it it ends up working out better than we could have planned.
- Most of the hikes in Arches are not stroller-friendly friendly so bring a comfortable carrier and maybe even a toddler carrier if you don’t want to do shoulder rides. We love our Tula Carrier which has sizes for infants up to preschoolers.
- Remember sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, and good walking shoes. Also bring layers as the desert can be quite chilly in the morning and evenings (especially if you are visiting in any month other than the summer months… in fact, I suggest not visiting in the summer at all. It’s way too hot).
How to Get to Arches National Park
The closest major airports to Arches National Park are Salt Lake City (3 hours and 40 min drive), Denver (5 hours and 20 min drive), and Las Vegas 6 hours and 20 min drive).
A popular route would be to fly into Salt Lake City and out of Las Vegas (or vice versa) while hitting other beautiful parks along the way such as Goblin Valley State Park, Capitol Reef National Park Bryce Canyon National Park, and Zion National Park.
Check out these other posts, I know you’ll love them:
Find out how to take a day trip to Canyonlands National Park from Arches/Moab:
Or if you want other family-friendly desert fun, check out these Joshua Tree National Park posts:
- The Ultimate Guide to Joshua Tree with Kids: Things to Do + Top Tips
- 12 Gorgeous Joshua Tree Hikes You Need to Take (From Easy to Difficult)
And that’s everything I think you need to know about things to do in Arches National Park with kids. Let me know in the comments below if you have any questions and I’ll be sure to get back to you.
✨ LOOKING FOR MORE ABOUT ARCHES NATIONAL PARK? ✨
🌵 7 Kid-Friendly Hikes In Arches National Park Your Kids Will Love
❄️ Is It Worth It To Visit Arches National Park In The Winter?
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