Arches National Park Sunrise: 10 Incredible Spots You Can’t Miss!

Looking for the best spot to see an Arches National Park sunrise? There are so many great incredible places to watch the sunrise in Arches National Park – these sunrises just might make you a morning person!

In this guide, we share with you where to find the best sunrise in Arches National Park, whether it’s at the popular Delicate Arch or the incredible formations of Balanced Rock and Landscape Arch.

There are over 2,000 natural stone arches throughout Arches National Park, of course, they are great for visiting at any time of the day.

However, during sunrise, it’s an incredible experience to see the pastel shades of the morning sky and the first rays of sunlight illuminating the red rocks.

Things To Know Before Visiting Arches National Park

Arches National Park is located right outside the outdoor haven town of Moab, Utah. You will need to pay the $30 entrance fee (good for 1 week) or use your America the Beautiful pass to get into the park.

With the pass being only $80 & it gets you into more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the country for an entire year, it’s totally worth it and something we always make sure to have.

You also need to have a timed entry reservation as well during the busy months (April-October.) Make sure you check on the NPS website for more information & to make your reservations.

Pro tip: Make sure you bring a flashlight or headlamp when doing an Arches sunrise hike. To get to the arch before the sun comes up it will still be dark, and you will need to see the trail!

What’s In This Arches National Park Sunrise Guide?

In this sunrise at Arches National Park article, you’ll find:

• Where to watch the sunrise in Arches National Park
• Where to stay
• The best time to visit
• Arches National Park sunrise photography advice
• Arches sunrise hiking tips
• So much more!

The Best Place For Sunrise In Arches National Park

So perhaps you’ve already spent a day exploring the park, found some great spots to watch the sunset in Arches National Park, and are now wondering, where can I watch the sunrise in Arches National Park?

Whether you’re in the planning stages of your trip or you’re already on the go, this useful guide tells you everything about how to see the best sunrise at Arches National Park.

We’ve visited Arches many times, and this most recent time we rented a campervan to explore the park. Having a camper van is one of the best ways to explore Arches National Park & even better for seeing the sunrises!

We are able to wake up early & drive straight to the trailhead/viewpoint & then make coffee/breakfast while waiting for the sunrise. Sipping coffee while watching the sky illuminate gorgeous colors is one of the best feelings in the entire world!

Our favorite way to see the Southwest is by renting a campervan from a nearby big city and going on an epic road trip to Arches National Park!

👉 Book your campervan here! 👈

We know whichever sunset spot you choose, you won’t be disappointed, as the early morning golden rays make the rocks glow in gorgeous shades of red and orange.

Below is a list of our favorite places to visit. It’s a tough call to choose the single best Arches sunrise view, each of them is stunning, and it’s an experience that’s impossible to grow tired of. See them for yourself, and you’ll understand exactly what we mean.

Here are some more resources about the American Southwest to also help you plan your trip:

• 20 Best Hikes in Arches National Park
• Best Hotels Near Arches National Park
• Best Time to Visit Arches National Park: Plan Your Trip for 2023
• 19 Incredible Slot Canyons in Utah & How to Visit Them
• The Complete Guide to Slot Canyons in Arizona
• Top 10 Best Zion National Park Airbnb Rentals
• Upper Vs Lower Antelope Canyon

1. Delicate Arch

• Trailhead: Wolfe Ranch Parking Area
• Distance: 3 miles out and back

Can you hike to Delicate Arch for sunrise? Yes, sunrise at Delicate Arch is unarguably one of the most popular spots in the whole park.

It attracts large crowds, so the downside is that doing the Delicate Arch hike at sunrise can be busy on the trail, and also get crowded at the viewing point, especially if you’re wanting to claim the best photo spot.

Delicate Arch is one of the most photographed places in all of Arches National Park, and you will probably have seen images of the iconic sunrise from Delicate Arch on everything, including the NPS map they give you when first entering the park.

Everyone is always wondering, is Delicate Arch better at sunrise or sunset? It’s definitely amazing at both times, but you will experience far fewer crowds at sunrise. And right after sunset is the best time of the day to enjoy Delicate Arch with barely any people.

Regardless of the crowds, doing the Delicate Arch sunrise hike is definitely one of our favorite morning spots.

2. Turret Arch

• Trailhead: Windows Trailhead
• Distance: 1.1-mile loop trail

Another of our Arches National Park sunrise hike spots is at Turret Arch. This is a stunning sunrise spot located in the Windows area of the park. We recommend setting off early in the day to do the Turret Arch sunrise hike before spending the rest of the day exploring everything else in this area.

Although you won’t be disappointed with any of the views here, the most spectacular formation is the free-standing arch formation of Turret Arch. You’ll be spoiled on choices of places to see the sunrise thanks to the multitude of fascinating rock formations glowing against the morning rays. 

Don’t forget to take a look at the view by going through Turret Arch, from here, you’ll be able to see the North Window and beyond.

One of the great things about this trail is that it’s easy enough for the whole family to get involved. This family-friendly trail is filled with plenty of rock formations that kids love exploring.

3. Double Arch

• Trailhead: Balanced Rock Parking Area
• Distance: 0.6 miles out and back hike

Double Arch sunrise hike is a short loop trail. It leads out to a massive double-arch rock formation and is located in the Windows section of Arches National Park.

If you’re wanting to see a lot of sunrise arches and formations in a short space of time this is a great place to visit. Near Double Arch, you’ll find the Parade of Elephants, Cove of Caves, and the Windows.

Like with the previously mentioned Turret Arch, we recommend starting early and then making a whole day exploring the area. There’s so much to see here.

4. The Windows

• Trailhead: Windows Trailhead
• Distance: 1.2-mile loop trail

This is a relatively easy trail that can be combined with Turret Arch. The first 100 yards of the Windows trail is along a flat and hard-packed surface before heading up some stone steps and a bit of elevation gain on an uneven surface. That said, it’s still an easy terrain to navigate and takes most people around 30 minutes to complete.

Because of how accessible it is, Windows Arches sunrise hikes are very popular, so expect to share the view with lots of other people.

Some of the best sunrise views here are views through the North and South Window Arch as well as views looking back on Turret Arch.

5. La Sal Viewpoint Sunrise

• Trailhead: La Sal Mountains Viewpoint
• Distance: 0.1-mile loop trail

If you’re after the best place to see sunrise in Arches National Park which pretty much requires zero effort, then La Sal Viewpoint is for you.

This is an easy route, taking less than 5 minutes to complete. Because of its accessibility, it can get busy, especially as it’s a great spot for viewing the arches at sunrise and sunset.

The La Sal Mountains are a great stop-off en route to other places in the park, as they are located a short distance inside the park entrance. The viewpoint gives stunning panoramic views of the landscape both inside and outside the park.

From here, you can see Courthouse Towers, The Organ, Sheep Rock, and Three Gossips, as well as the Windows and Balanced Rock on the distant horizon.

6. Balanced Rock

• Trailhead: Balanced Rock Parking Area
• Distance: 0.3 miles out and back hike

If you’re interested in visiting one of the most awe-inspiring features to watch sunrise in Arches National Park, then Balanced Rock will tick that box. This gigantic formation stands at a massive 128 feet (39m) tall and the formation looks like a magical balancing act.

Despite the mysterious illusion, Balanced Rock isn’t balanced at all, it’s actually a rock boulder of sandstone attached to the main pillar. The illusion is caused by hundreds of years of erosion.

With such a mighty backdrop, Balanced Rock is one of the best places to go for a sunrise hike at Arches National Park. The illusion of the gigantic boulder balanced on the pillar combined with the subtle colors of the early morning sky really makes the view here quite special.

7. Landscape Arch

• Trailhead: Devils Garden Trailhead
• Distance: 2 miles out and back

Landscape Arch is one of the best spots for sunrise Arches National Park has to offer thanks to the spectacular and gigantic arch.

This ribbon of rock is the longest arch in North America, and with the early morning rays shining through, looks jaw-droppingly beautiful. At its narrowest point, the arch is just 6 feet in diameter!

People have asked us before, is Landscape Arch good for sunrise? And we think yes, it’s absolutely great for sunrise. With the sun illuminating the colors of the rock as it peaks over the horizon, you will love watching it here.

And an added bonus of watching the sunrise at Landscape Arch is that you can continue on to see more arches scattered throughout Devil’s Garden. Keep reading to learn all about it!

8. Park Avenue

• Trailhead: Park Avenue Trailhead
• Distance: 1.8 miles out and back

If you’re looking for the best sunrise Arches National Park has to offer, look no further than Park Avenue. Unlike most of the sunrise spots on this list, Park Avenue is a bit different as it’s more of a hike to do during sunrise, rather than a viewpoint to hike to and watch the sunrise from there.

The entire Park Avenue & Courthouse Tower area is gorgeous when illuminated by the sun. You are walking through a valley the entire way & the sun lights up the different sides of the towering cliffs above you, making for an incredible experience.

If you don’t feel like doing the entire hike & want to go explore more of the park instead, there is a really nice viewpoint right by the parking lot that offers a great view of the sunrise.

Also, the trailhead is one of the first things you’ll encounter when entering in the park, so if the sun starts creeping up before you’ve had a chance to drive very far into the park, stop here & admire the view!

9. Devil’s Garden

• Trailhead: Devils Garden Trailhead
• Distance: 2-8 miles depending on what you choose

Like Park Avenue above, this is another sunrise in Arches National Park hike instead of viewpoint. We already mentioned the Landscape Arch above, which is actually located along the Devil’s Garden Trail. You can hike to just Landscape Arch alone, which is an easy 2-mile roundtrip hike.

Although, if you’re feeling up for an adventure, the Devil’s Garden is one of our favorite hikes in Arches National Park we’ve ever done (no joke!), and doing this hike as the sun is rising would be icing on the cake.

If you decide to do the whole loop, you will see seven arches along the way: Landscape, Partition, Navajo, Double O, Dark Angel, Private, Pine Tree, and Tunnel Arches.

We recommend hiking the trail clockwise; when we hiked this trail in 2021, there was a rock-scrambling section that would have been much easier going the other way.

Do keep in mind if you want to hike this trail, it is difficult and there are a few technical spots that require walking on edges, hoisting yourself up, and having good balance.

10. Tower Arch

• Trailhead: Klondike Bluff’s Trailhead
• Distance: 2.4 miles

If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-path area to watch the sunrise in Arches National Park, look no further than Tower Arch. You will likely have the entire trail & arch to yourself for this hike. The hike along the way will give you breathtaking views out over the entire park.

As you make your way along this trail, you’ll pass dozens of incredible sandstone fins. Make sure you look for the cairns along the trail, they will help lead you to the arch.

Getting Around Arches National Park

When looking for the best sunrise Arches National Park has to offer, naturally, the easiest way to get around is by car. This will give you the most flexibility, especially if you’re heading out early in the day. It will also allow you to get to the more remote places in the park as well as drive between areas to do multiple hikes in a single day.

The closest large airport to Arches National Park is located in Salt Lake City. If you need to rent a car from the airport and drive to Arches from SLC, we would suggest renting from Discover Cars, our favorite car rental company.

If you don’t have your own transport, then you can take this highly-rated Arches sunrise tour. The early morning private tour takes you to all the iconic arches within the park. The tour lasts 4 hours and is a great way to discover the park, with a knowledgeable guide. You don’t have to worry about driving, and get to see all the best spots!

Where To Stay Near Arches National Park

The best place to stay if you want to do any Arches sunrise hike is in Moab. Here you’ll find the biggest choice of accommodations, plus loads of amenities nearby.

Luxury

If you prefer resort-style accommodation, then Hoodoo Moab, Curio Collection By Hilton is one of the best places to stay in Moab.

They have a gorgeous property with lots of perks such as parking spaces suitable for oversize vehicles. There’s an onsite pool, hot tubs, and a fitness center. It’s located just 2 Miles from Arches National Park.

Comfort

If you’re interested in Glamping, then Under Canvas Moab is located on 40 acres of land with views out over Arches National Park! Each tent has private en suite bathrooms, a BBQ area, and access to free parking.

The entrance to the park is 3 miles away. This is one of the most unique experiences you can have in the area!

Arches National Park Sunrise Photography

Arches National Park is an incredibly photogenic area, it is vibrant during the daytime, however during the Golden Hour (the hour after sunrise, and the hour before sunset), the rocks really come alive.

This is when the sun is less harsh and hits the rocks making the red and orange of the rock look even more vibrant, making your Arches National Park sunrise photos pop with color.

If you’re wanting to get the most out of your Arches sunrise photography then there are a few essential pieces of photography gear you’ll need to take with you.

• Our favorite tripod to hold your camera steady, especially for long exposure shots or shooting in low-lighting
• Camera with a wide-angle camera lens to enable you to capture the panoramic views
• Spare batteries

Things To Pack For Sunrise Hikes In Arches National Park

Here are our useful sunrise hiking tips and checklist of things we recommend packing when you’re visiting Arches National Park. The early morning can be chilly, and at any time of the year, the weather can be intermittent.

This is what we pack:

• Layers of clothing, the air is fresh in the morning, so take warm layers
• Windbreak Layer even in summer, some of the areas can be windy and after hiking to the best place for sunrise, Arches National Park can be exposed, you won’t want to cut your visit short because you’re too cold.
• A foldable camp chair
• A cooler with some snacks, water, and hot drinks if you’re staying late into the night
• A lightweight and warm blanket
• Hiking poles for the more difficult trails
• Comfortable hiking boots
• A sturdy backpack with a cameras clip for hands-free hiking
• Hydration Bladder
• GPS system and maps

Sunrise In Arches National Park FAQ

Now Go And Explore Arches National Park At Sunrise

First, well done on making it to the end of this comprehensive Arches National Park sunrise guide. Hopefully, we’ve answered all your questions about making the most out of your visit.

As you’ve just read, it’s difficult to choose the single, best sunrise spots Arches National Park has to offer, we absolutely love all of them. We really hope that you can discover and enjoy some of these fabulous sunrise views for yourself!

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