How to Hike Delicate Arch with Kids

KID RATINGS

Fun: ⭐⭐⭐ (out of 5)
Difficulty:     Very Easy    Easy    Moderate    HARD    Very Hard

KEY FEATURES

Distance: 3.1 miles round trip
Elevation Stats: Trailhead: around 4000 ft above sea level, Elevation gain: 680 ft
Terrain: Sand and slickrock, steep areas, some drop-offs, exposed trail
Time Needed: 1.5 to 3 hours
When to Go: Spring, Fall, Winter (weather permitting). Before 9 am or after 3pm during peak season (spring and fall) and on weekends. Park closes entrance when it reaches capacity. Check if park is at capacity before you go on the Arches National Park page. 

COST

$30 for seven day Arches National Park Pass. Check current entrance prices on Arches National Park page. 

Free if you have a 4th grader: Get your Every Kid Outdoors Pass. 

AMENITIES

• Vault bathrooms at trail head, but NO water
• Water and restrooms available at park entrance visitors center
• Restaurants located in Moab, just 5 miles south of the park entrance
• Campgrounds in Arches National Park or in the Moab area. 
• Hotels in Moab, UT

Note on Hotels and Campgrounds: Moab campgrounds and hotels fill quickly, especially in spring and fall. I recommend booking your stay 6 months in advance.

THINGS TO BRING

• Sunscreen
• Water (1 to 2L per person)
• Snacks
• Hiking shoes

DETAILS

This world-famous, majestic sandstone arch is 46 feet high, 32 feet wide and is the largest free standing arch within Arches National Park. It is worth the three mile hike with kids to see. Delicate Arch was on my 4th-grade daughter’s bucket list. She learned about it in school and begged to visit since.

We visited Arches National Park over Memorial Day weekend. This is a very busy weekend, but we were still glad we went. Be prepared for crowds and a 30 to 60 minute wait to get into the Park if going on a holiday or peak season weekend in spring or fall. Arches will turn away people if it reaches capacity.  If you are visiting during these times, I recommend entering Arches by 9am or after 3pm so you are not turned away and minimize the wait time to enter. 

Trailhead

Grab a map at the entrance to the park or follow my map in the MAPS section to get to the trailhead. The trailhead is located at the Wolf Ranch Parking lot which is 13 miles from the park entrance.  Finding a parking spot can be difficult if visiting at a peak time. Try to hike in the morning, later afternoon or evening. The trailhead is located on the east side of the parking lot near the bathrooms.

The Delicate Arch hike begins with a flat sandy path that then leads to an upward climb on hardened sandstone slickrock. Before the slickrock begins there is a historical cabin and petroglyphs. After walking 0.2 miles from the trailhead you will see signs for the Petroglyph Interpretive Trail. Follow this trail for petroglyph viewing. It will loop around and hook back into the main Delicate Arch Trail. 

The Hike

There are usually a large amount of people hiking Delicate Arch so don’t worry about getting lost. Just follow the masses up the slickrock. The slickrock area contains most of your elevation gain. We hiked with our kids and cousins with ages ranging from 1 to 10. Kids 3 and under were in hiking carriers. The one 4 year old did really well over all and just needed a piggy back ride for about a half mile on the slick rock. Make sure to take snack and water breaks with your kids.

The trail is completely exposed and many people who hike this aren’t use to the high elevation and elevation gain. Delicate arch sits around 4600 feet above sea level. 

Delicate Arch

Once you come to the Delicate Arch you can view the Arch from a distance or get up close by walking along the top of the “bowl” formation. There is quite a bit of wind at the top as you can tell from some of the pictures with all our hair in our faces.

The “bowl” is a large, circular drop directly in front of the Arch. This is something you don’t want to fall into so keep your kids near the top. You can stand under the arch if you want however, there is usually a line of people trying to take a picture underneath.

After you are finished at the arch, you simply turn around and re-trace your steps back to the trailhead. The way back is easy because you are going down the same 600 foot elevation change that you just climbed up.

Hiking Delicate Arch at Night

My husband and I actually left the kids with grandma that same night and snuck away to see the arch again with no moon and a sky full of bright stars. We were able to sit directly under the arch for as long as we wanted without having to quickly move for someone else to get a picture. One of the most surreal hikes I have been on. The pictures below don’t do this experience any justice.

If you would like to Hike Delicate Arch at night, I recommend hiking it earlier in the day so you get a feel for where you are going. I was glad we did the hike just a few hours before so that we knew where to go in the dark. My husband and I hiked solo without kids. If you choose to bring your kids to Delicate Arch at night, I would probably only bring older kids and teens. 

PROS & CONS

PROS

• World famous arch 
• Close to countless other amazing hikes, scenery and outdoor adventures
• Difficult, but not too difficult of a hike for kids 
• Petroglyph viewing near trailhead

CONS

• Can become crowded at the top of the hike around Delicate Arch
• Hot in summer (100 degree weather) and there isn’t any shade
• Some steep drop offs around near and around Delicate Arch
• Park reaches capacity frequently and you may need to come back at a later time to enter Arches National Park

DIRECTIONS

Delicate Arch hike is located 13 miles inside Arches National Park. The entrance to Arches National Park is located just 5 miles north of Moab, UT on Highway 191. Once in the park, follow the main road to the second fork, turn right at this turn. There is plenty of signage on the road to direct you to the Delicate Arch hike. The trailhead is located on the east side of the Wolfe Ranch/Delicate Arch parking lot. You can also follow my map below.

MAPS

MORE INFO

Arches National Park Official Page

OTHER NEARBY ADVENTURES

Arches National Park Hikes
Canyonlands National Park (30 minutes from park entrance, 1 hour from trailhead)
Dead Horse Point State Park (35 minutes from park entrance, 1 hour from trailhead)