Delicate Arch
The sandstone arch on the Utah licence plate, balanced on the rim of a bowl.
Duration
2 hrs 30 min – 4 hrs
Difficulty
●●●○○
Best time
Two hours before sunset
Open
Every day
Entry price
30 USD
Delicate Arch is sixteen metres high and it stands alone, on the rim of a tilted sandstone bowl with nothing around it. That isolation is what makes it photogenic, and it is also what makes the approach exposed.
The Entrada sandstone it is made of erodes constantly — the park has over two thousand arches, and it loses them regularly. The hike is four and a half kilometres round trip, including a long sloping slab with no markings underfoot, then a narrow ledge just before you arrive.
Getting there
Inside Arches National Park, twenty minutes from Moab. The park pass and, in high season, a timed entry reservation are required.
What the price covers
entry to Arches National Park for one vehicle and all its occupants, valid seven days. On foot or by bike, $15 per person, free under 16. The trail is included.
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- 1.5 L of water
- Cap
- Sportswear
Rules on site
From April to October, park entry requires a timed reservation booked online weeks ahead: without one you cannot enter between seven and four. There is no shade on the trail and no water: a litre a person minimum, and no midday starts in summer.
Checked on 30 August 2026 at National Park Service — Arches, entrance fees
